The contest to become first general secretary of the Unite union is “a three-horse race”. Who the third horse is depends on whether you listen to assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail or rank-and-file candidate Jerry Hicks, but both may pick up votes now that Simon Dubbins and Paul Reuter have dropped out, backing Len McCluskey and Les Bayliss respectively. Mr Reuter looks likely to get a top union job if Mr Bayliss, Derek Simpson’s preferred candidate, wins out. Meanwhile, despite the election starting gun having been not merely fired but cleaned and put back in the box, Unite’s executive committee has yet to agree any protocols for conduct of the election.
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