Voting Recommendations

2024 UCU elections: UCU Rank and File Network endorsements

UCU Rank and File Network is a network of UCU branch reps and activists who practice organising that is participatory, democratic, accountable, and powerful. We are mostly in HE so far, as we came together for intra-branch Get the Vote Out support in HE ballots in 2022. We recognise that members organising in branches and networks is central to our effectiveness as a union. We want a union led by members in branches and we want elected reps that recognise and support this.

Therefore, we want and expect whichever candidates are elected in UCU elections to embody our values and concerns as expressed in our blog on demands for GS candidates. We believe this is what our union needs to be an effective and trustworthy member-led fighting collective in the post-16 sectors.

In this blog we endorse candidates in the 2024 UCU elections whom we believe are most likely to hold these values and continue to act in accordance with them after being elected.

Our endorsed candidates are either independent or in the UCU Left (UCUL) faction. Contrary to UCU Commons blogs (1, 2), it is not true that almost every independent candidate is in our network. Some of our endorsed candidates are in our network. Others are reps whom members of our network have worked with and can vouch for. Others we don’t know as well, but we believe they are most likely to contribute to a NEC/officers team that best supports UCU as a strong, democratic, effective member-led union.

We recommend voters use all their ranked preferences to make their vote most effective in the STV system. This includes ranking more candidates than there are seats available (as your preferred candidates may be eliminated or elected to a different office instead).

In categories where we endorse multiple candidates, we list the independents at the top of the list (alphabetised, not ranked) and then the UCU Left candidates (alphabetised, not ranked). We recommend voters choose their own ranking order. All candidates need to get some first-preference votes to be elected in the STV system. The UCUL candidates will be ranked highly by voters who follow the UCUL recommendations, so voters following our endorsements may want to rank the independents highest.

General Secretary: 1 seat

We endorse Vicky Blake (independent) for General Secretary. Our group is unanimous in wanting change from the incumbent.

Trustee: 1 seat

We endorse Mike Barton (UCU Left) for Trustee. 

Vice-President (from FE sector), becoming president in 2026-27: 1 seat

We endorse Peter Evans (UCU Left) for the series of presidential roles beginning with Vice-President. 

NEC (Wales HE): 1 seat

We endorse Phillip Allsopp (UCU Left) for NEC rep for Wales (HE).

NEC (North East England HE): 3 seats

For NEC reps for North East England (HE), we endorse:

Sam Morecroft (independent)

Josh Moos (UCU Left)

Matt Perry (UCU Left)

NEC (North East England FE): 1 seat

We endorse Elaine White (UCU Left) for NEC rep for North East England (FE).

NEC (London & East England HE): 5 seats

For NEC reps for London & East England (HE), we endorse:

Rhian Elinor Keyse (independent)

Cecilia Wee (independent)

Christina Jessika Marie Paine (UCU Left)

Richard Wild (UCU Left)

NEC (London & East England FE): 2 seats

For NEC reps for London & East England (FE), we endorse:

Richard McEwan (UCU Left)

Regine Pilling (UCU Left)

NEC (UK-elected HE): 5 seats

For UK-elected NEC reps (HE), we endorse:

Grant Buttars (independent)

Rhian Elinor Keyse (independent)

Marian Mayer (independent)

Sam Morecroft (independent)

Cecilia Wee (independent)

Alan Barker (UCU Left)

Donna Brown (UCU Left)

Peta Bulmer (UCU Left)

NEC (UK-elected FE): 3 seats

For UK-elected NEC reps (FE), we endorse:

Naina Kent (UCU Left)

Dharminder Singh (UCU Left)

Representatives of women members (HE): 3 seats

For representatives of women members (HE), we endorse:

Rhian Elinor Keyse (independent)

Marian Mayer (independent)

Christina Jessika Marie Paine (UCU Left)

Representatives of women members (FE): 2 seats

For representatives of women members (FE), we endorse:

Safia Flissi (UCU Left)

Regine Pilling (UCU Left)

Uncontested elections

There are three other seats that are uncontested (Northern Ireland HE; Northern Ireland FE; Land-based rep). Candidates will be elected unopposed. Although there are no elections, we also endorse Aisling O’Beirn (independent) for NEC Northern Ireland (HE).