The NASUWT teaching union has been forced to reverse its controversial appointment of Matt Wrack as general secretary and will instead reopen nominations for the post, ahead of a scheduled High Court hearing. Branches were informed this weekend that the union’s national executive had received “further legal advice” regarding flaws in the process, which had excluded other candidates and allowed Wrack — the former head of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) — to be appointed unopposed as the executive’s “preferred candidate”.
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Neil Butler, the NASUWT’s national officer for Wales, and Luke Lockyer, a music teacher, had initiated legal proceedings against the union over its handling of the nomination process, with a hearing scheduled for Monday morning at the High Court in London. However, on Sunday, the union abruptly announced that nominations would be reopened until 26 May, specifying that non-members such as Butler would now be eligible for nomination. Wrack, 62, will act as interim general secretary until the election process is completed. Should Butler or any other candidate secure at least 25 branch nominations, they will contest Wrack in an open election among union members.
The move to reopen nominations is likely to be welcomed by grassroots members who had expressed concern at Wrack’s appointment, which followed his recent defeat in the FBU’s general secretary election after two decades in the role. Wrack’s association with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his lack of a background in teaching or education had drawn criticism within NASUWT, a traditionally moderate union that restricts membership to qualified educators. Wrack would be the first leader in the union’s history never to have worked as a teacher or lecturer.
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In a statement, the NASUWT said the executive’s previous decisions regarding eligibility would be rescinded and that branches would be permitted to submit nominations on behalf of members or non-members. The union emphasised the importance of ensuring the general secretary’s appointment is “free from any suggestion” of procedural impropriety. Butler had originally applied to be the executive’s candidate and later received branch nominations, but these were rejected on the grounds of his employment status. His legal team had prepared to argue that the executive had altered the union’s rules improperly while nominating a non-member themselves and had disregarded valid complaints from members and local associations.
