Labour Research December 2019

Union news

NASUWT general secetary election

Nominations have opened for general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union following the resignation of Chris Keates. 


The union’s national executive has put forward deputy general secretary Patrick Roach as its “official nominee” for the leadership. He is potentially being challenged by the national executive member for the West Midlands, Paul Nesbitt, if he is nominated by enough branches at the close of nominations on 9 December.


Keates is currently in post as acting general secretary, despite the union conceding during a legal case in October that she had stayed as general secretary beyond what was legally allowed.


A former executive member had complained to the certification officer that the union had breached the law by allowing her to stay beyond the five-year anniversary of her election in 2014. 


The certification officer upheld the complaint but said it was not appropriate to make an enforcement order as the union had already started the process of electing a general secretary.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/841111/21_10_19_decision_.pdf