Unite Releases Interim Report into Birmingham Hotel and Conference Centre Construction

In 2021, newly appointed General Secretary Sharon Graham commissioned an independent valuation of the Birmingham Hotel Development. The Union paid at least £110 million for the project, but the valuation showed that the project was only worth £35 million. This prompted Graham to appoint Martin Bowdery KC to investigate the costs and accounts. His report, completed in December 2022, found that the Union have been overcharged by some £30 million by the main contractor. His findings also prompted a decision to commission two further reports: an independent legal report into potential criminality and an investigation by a team of forensic accountants.

‘Project Clean Up: Interim Report into Historical Allegations of Corruption’ is available to read on Unite’s website here. The report is redacted due to ongoing police inquiries.