Matt Wrack elected general secretary of NASUWT in contested leadership battle | Education
Matt Wrack, a former leader of the Firefighters Association, was elected as a permanent secretary -general of the NASUWT Teaching Association after a vote where less than 5% of the appropriate members voted.
After Nasuwt’s first controversial leadership election for a generation, Challenger defeated Neil Butler by winning 5249 votes for 3126 of his opponent.
The union announced that Wrack had not been chosen before, but NASUWT was put on the ballot after Nasuwt began a legal challenge for the administrator’s decision.
Wrack, who led the Fire Department Union for 20 years, thanked Nasuwt members for trusting him. “NASUWT is a proud and strong voice for teachers and we will strengthen this sound together. Now our priority is unity and action.
“Teachers have endured the inadequate investment, excessive work and valuation of our profession for years. We need a government to invest in education urgently – this is a fair wage, manageable workloads and safe, respectful working environments for staff and students.
“I will work without getting tired with our managers and activists in all nations to secure the conditions and to respect teachers. A critical moment for this education and will guide NASUWT to fight for the rights of our members.”
Nasuwt National President Wayne Broom said: “This election has pulled our country up and down and reflects its confidence in the leadership of the result.
“Matt will play a vital role in the next part of the union on behalf of the teachers in the United Kingdom. The national administrator and me are looking forward to working closely with him as we continue our mission to put teachers in the first place.
“We also want to thank Neil Butler for the service that he stands in this election and his continuing service – his devotion exemplifies the power of this union’s democracy.”
In March, Wrack was elected as the preferred candidate for the general secretary. In accordance with the NASUWT rules, no other candidate would automatically fill the position when he did not nominate sufficient candidates from local branches.
Butler’s first attempt to collect candidacy was excluded on the grounds that he was not a member of the Union as an employee. Authorized transactions launched and NASUWT retreated shortly before the hearing in the High Court. Wrack was elected as the Deputy Secretary General and the nominations were reopened.
Only 4.7% of NASUWT’s appropriate members of 178,306 participated in the ballot. The Secretary General of the National Education Union Daniel Kebede was elected in 2023 with 9% participation.
