Trade Union Political Funds and Levy

This note summarises the law and recent debate about trade union political funds.

Trade unions wishing to contribute to political parties or engage in other political activities must establish a political fund. Under legislation introduced in 1984, unions must ballot their members every ten years on the continuance of these funds.

Individual union members in Great Britain can contract-out of paying the political levy. Those who remain contracted-in cannot decide on the use of their individual contribution. The use of political funds (including whether to contribute to a political party) is a matter of union policy, subject to approval at the union’s annual conference.