Howard Beckett drops out of Unite leadership contest - BBC News
The union's assistant general secretary backs fellow left-winger in the race to succeed Len McCluskey.
Howard Beckett is backing Steve Turner in the contest

Howard Beckett - one of the candidates in the Unite union race to succeed Len McCluskey as general secretary - has pulled out of the contest.

Mr Beckett - the union's assistant general secretary - says he will support fellow left-wing candidate Steve Turner.

His decision means there are now three remaining candidates - Mr Turner, Sharon Graham and Gerard Coyne.

Voting starts next month, with the result to be announced in August.

In a joint statement, Mr Beckett and Mr Turner say they will work to implement a "blended manifesto", taking ideas from both of their campaigns.

"Our programme recognises the central importance of organising and leverage to winning for members in struggle and building the union. We will also put greater resources into ensuring a bigger role for women and black members in the union and greater support in the workplace," they say.

The statement also suggests that Ms Graham would be an important member of Mr Turner's team too, were he to win.

Gerard Coyne was narrowly defeated for the top post of general secretary by Mr McCluskey in 2017, and he is seen as the candidate closest to the Labour leadership under Sir Keir Starmer.

Efforts had been under way to agree a single candidate from the left to take him on in the contest.

The Labour leadership will be relieved that Howard Beckett is out of the running.

But Mr Beckett was also under huge pressure to step aside from many on the Left - not least Len McCluskey.

The outgoing Unite boss hosted a series of "behind-closed-doors" negotiations with the three Left candidates - Steve Turner, Sharon Graham and Mr Beckett.

He believed a "split vote" on the Left would give his former opponent for the top Unite post, Gerard Coyne, a much better chance of victory.

In a statement, Mr Coyne said Mr Beckett's decision to pull out of the race and endorse Steve Turner is an attempt to prevent cultural change at Unite.

He said he was "happy to be the mainstream candidate".

He added: "I am the only candidate who would change the culture of the union, make its financial affairs transparent, improve its internal democracy and end the ill-judged attempts to drive the Labour Party from the back seat.

"Previously, I was up against three full time officers of Unite who represented continuity and were opposed to change. Now their number is reduced to two. It makes no difference".