Howard Beckett, who was previously assistant general secretary at Unite the Union, has lost an unfair dismissal claim amid an ongoing police investigation into allegations of fraud, bribery, and money laundering within the organization. Beckett was suspended in August 2022, four months after police raided the union’s London headquarters, and police also conducted searches at his home in London and his property in Wirral. Beckett, who argued the claims against him were “baseless”, has said he is appealing the Employment Tribunal’s judgement and has launched legal action against the union and its general secretary for breach of privacy.
Initially, Beckett was told his suspension was due to allegations that he had “misled” the union’s ruling executive council in relation to the construction of its over-budget hotel and conference centre in Birmingham. The project was initially estimated to cost £7m, but more than £100m was eventually spent, and an independent valuation later concluded that the finished building was worth only £29m. An inquiry commissioned by general secretary Sharon Graham discovered £14m which did not feature “in the final accounts, leading to concern regarding the probity of awarding contracts for affiliated services.”
Beckett was off sick for nearly 18 months before resigning from Unite in January 2023. His lawyer argued that Beckett had not been well enough to participate in a disciplinary hearing and that the union’s disciplinary charges were “baseless”. However, the employment judge rejected this, and also found that Beckett had not been demoted as he claimed. While the judge did note that there were “significant deficiencies” in Unite’s “investigation and disciplinary processes”, he also stated that it would have been surprising had Unite allowed its Head of Legal to return to active employment in circumstances where there were ongoing police investigations into “very serious matters to include bribery, money laundering and offences under proceeds of criminality legislation”.
Formerly a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, Beckett is said to be appealing the tribunal’s decision. Unite has not yet commented on the case
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