Dr Patrick Roach will be the next general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union.
The current deputy general secretary, who was the union executive’s candidate for the role, will succeed his current boss Chris Keates.
Paul Nesbitt, Roach’s sole challenger, failed to get enough nominations to stand against him.
Schools Week revealed in October that Nesbitt, the union’s national executive member for the West Midlands, was seeking nominations to run against Roach, the establishment candidate. Nesbitt ran on a platform calling for control of the organisation to be handed back to its members.
But he did not receive the 25 nominations from local branches required to stand, so Roach has been elected by default.
In an email to union officials, seen by Schools Week, NASUWT president Dave Kitchen said Nesbitt had received 14 nominations from local associations.
“Only Patrick Roach met the requirements of [the union rule] which requires a prospective candidate to be nominated either by the national executive or by a minimum of 25 local associations or by both.
“I am therefore delighted to announce that Patrick Roach has been elected as the general secretary (designate) of the NASUWT. I am sure that you will wish to join me in congratulating him on this great achievement.”
Roach will take up the role at NASUWT’s conference next year.
“I am honoured to be chosen to be the next general secretary of the NASUWT,” he said
“I can think of no greater opportunity than to have the fantastic job of being general secretary of the Union that is dedicated to putting teachers first.”
Nesbitt today spoke of his disappointment that the election wouldn’t go to a full vote of members.
“After being asked to stand by several associations within my district for general secretary, I wanted to ensure that there was a clear and transparent process where all members could take part in a democratic vote to choose their next general secretary,” he said.
“I still believe that an election that includes all members is essential in moving NASUWT forward.”
It is believed the last contested election for a NASUWT general secretary was in 1990, when Nigel de Gruchy narrowly beat Eamonn O’Kane, who would later serve as general secretary from 2002 until his death in 2004.
The stitch up continues …
It’s been 30 years, will it get to 40 before the NASUWT actually have a contested election of their General Secretary?
Also who want to have a sweepstake on when The Glorious Reign of Chris Keates will actually come to an end? Of course, now that he’s been elected there’s no reason why the Deputy General Secretary couldn’t step up to the post of General Secretary today. You’d have thought that with the utter incompetence and fiasco of Chris Keates being unlawfully in post since June 3rd this would be a priority.
Sorry, what I should have said was that to everyone other then the NASUWT Executive it would seem obvious to follow the rules and have Patrick Roach installed as the General Secretary asap. Only downside is that would mean less money for Chris Keates. Oh well.
so the establishment nomination was crowned. I see exactly what Paul Nesbitt means. This does no favours for the union movement.