Sally Hunt is elected to top post in first UCU general secretary election

The 116,500 members of the UCU lecturers' union have elected Sally Hunt (pictured right) as their first sole general secretary in a three-way contest.

Hunt, along with Paul Mackney, was previously joint general secretary of the UCU when it was formed from the merger of the AUT and NATFHE lecturers' unions, and before that was AUT general secretary.

She secured 52% of the vote after the second round of the contest against 44% secured by Roger Kline, previously universities' negotiator for NATFHE. The third candidate, Peter Jones, was knocked out in the first round. (The election used the single transferable vote system, where a candidate needs over 50% of the vote to be declared the winner.)

Hunt, who was one of the driving forces behind the merger, said: "Having been so involved in bringing the two unions together I am honoured that the membership has asked me to take the new union forward."

Hunt has become one of a very small group of female general secretaries and her election will be welcomed by those hoping to see that group grow.

The UCU now has an all-female top two following the election of Linda Newman, formerly from the AUT, as the union's first president.

UCU election: second round

Turnout: 14%