“We all have a collective interest in defeating the rise of Reform – and it’s urgent we do so, and work together to do so.”
Fran Heathcote, General Secretary of PCS, spoke in an online discussion on the May election results and the threat from Reform. You can read an edited version of her speech or watch the event in full below.
I want to start by saying PCS is an independent union – not affiliated to any political party. Our only loyalty is to our members’ interests.
In Wales and Scotland, these elections decided who our members’ employer would be. It matters greatly.
We see what Reform has done in English councils like Kent and Staffordshire – cuts to core services, attacks on workers’ pensions and rights, and an absolute shambles of incompetence and resignations – often for racist comments or past convictions coming to light.
So our members are hugely relieved that the people of Scotland and Wales rejected Reform to lead their Governments.
In Scotland, the SNP government has agreed a 4% pay rise for civil servants working for the Scottish Government. We await what the UK government will recommend when the pay remit guidance is published later this month.
In Wales, Plaid Cymru will become the Government – and we have had discussions with their people, and we are hopeful that a strong relationship with trade unions will be at the heart of their administration.
But in England, Reform were the winners. There is no escaping that reality. And we, as trade unionists, as socialists, all have an interest in arresting and defeating that rise.
This is a political party that wants to slash public services, cut social security, attack workers’ pay, pension and rights, to shackle trade unions – and all to give tax breaks to their corporate and super-rich funders.
And they want to divide us, to distract us from that agenda by setting us against each other – by scapegoating migrants, asylum seekers, disabled people and the sick.
But the only reason they’re getting away with it is because of the inaction and inability of the Labour government to make people’s lives better.
Labour came into office promising ‘change’, but too often it’s felt like more of the same.
I know some of the good policies that Labour has done. The Employment Rights Act is a step forward. Not good enough, not implemented in full, and watered down.
Let me just give you some examples. We were in negotiations with the Government – and we said:
- You’re now in favour of sectoral collective bargaining, how about for your own workforce – instead of the 200 negotiations we have across departments and agencies?
- You want trade unions to have access to workplaces, you could bring that in tomorrow in the civil service – why not?
- You want the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation. Well, here are some contracts you could end now and bring back in-house. Why not?
Instead, we have seen civil service pensions given to Capita – and it’s a shambles. But despite that, the government is now in the process of giving Capita the contract for managing the payroll of 250,000 civil servants.
They said one thing, and they’ve done another. And people feel that same sense across the country.
Labour was founded by trade unions to represent the interests of working-class people.
People don’t feel they’re doing that – and so people are looking elsewhere – to Plaid in Wales, to the SNP in Scotland and to the Greens in England.
We all have a collective interest in defeating the rise of Reform – and it’s urgent we do so, and work together to do so.
But if I can just end on two bits of good news.
- Firstly, at the last local elections, Reform won 31% of the vote. This time it was 26%
- Secondly, the Tories took a beating right across England, Scotland and Wales too.
So there is space for a progressive, socialist message that speaks to working-class people – and to those fighting for that within the Labour Party, you have our solidarity.
- You can watch the After the May Elections 2026 online discussion in full here.
- You can follow Fran Heathcote on Twitter/X; and follow the PCS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
- If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.
Excellent and evenly balanced.