Unite the Union: Sharon Graham and the walk of shame

This episode of Proletarian Radio delivers a scathing critique of Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite the Union, for her role in a February 2026 demonstration in London that called for increased defence spending under the Labour government's new Defence Industrial Plan. The host argues that Graham’s alignment with major defence contractors like BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and Leonardo represents a betrayal of the British working class, as it prioritizes militarism and imperialist war drives over the real needs of workers—such as housing, healthcare, food security, and public services. The episode frames Graham’s actions as a 'walk of shame,' exposing how trade union leadership has become complicit in war crimes by supporting the military-industrial complex, despite the devastating global consequences of British military interventions in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, and elsewhere. It calls for a radical break from the current union-Labour Party alliance, advocating for a grassroots movement of non-cooperation with the war machine, the renationalization of key industries, and the dismantling of imperialist institutions like NATO and U.S. military bases in the UK.