I am this year seeking nomination for the post of National President of PCS. I have been honoured to have been elected as Deputy President of the union since 2019, as well as DWP Group President, and have had the privilege of recently taking over as Acting President of PCS. I have previously held a variety of other union positions in the 30 plus years I have been an activist in PCS and its predecessor union, CPSA.

In a lay led union, it is important that elected representatives play a prominent role in bargaining on behalf of our members, to deliver democratic accountability. As chair of the bargaining committee I have prioritised increasing lay representation at bargaining meetings with the Cabinet Office and have helped ensure the union’s equality agenda continues to feed directly in to our bargaining priorities.

I am a socialist and member of PCS Left Unity, standing on the Democracy Alliance slate which is committed to building on the work we have already done for members.

Alongside my Democracy Alliance comrades I understand the importance strategy plays in our campaigns and the need to prioritise organising through campaigning to build our membership. The more we grow the stronger and more vibrant our union becomes, increasing our chances of winning for members.

The ongoing national campaign, based on a strategy devised by and supported by members of Left Unity, is a testimony to this. A departure from the more traditional one or two-day national action, the Left Unity dominated leadership of our union, developed and implemented a strategy that maximised the pressure on government while minimising the financial cost to our members, through targeted and sustained action. A strategy based on listening to members feedback, has already delivered more money for members, with a doubling in the remit plus an extra £1500 lump sum, and forced a climb down by the government on their plans to slash our compensation scheme by 60%. The strategy and campaign was delivered  record levels of media coverage about our demands, and over 300 days of strike action.

It has also seen our union grow, as thousands of new members join the fightback for decent pay, pensions justice, job security and against the threat to our redundancy rights. Under our leadership – and built on our strategy and national campaign – membership of our union has been at the highest level since before check-off was removed across the Civil Service in 2015.

The Left Unity leadership of PCS was also at the forefront of building a coalition of unions to fight back against the cost of living crisis engulfing society.

Not just limited to the national campaign, I have been a major part of the senior leadership of our union that has also supported and built for industrial action in group wide disputes both in the civil service and private sector.

All of the above shows that our union is fighting, growing, and winning for our members under a Left Unity leadership, but I have been equally proud of the decisions we have taken to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities. From pushing for and winning a suspension of conditionality and benefit sanctions during the pandemic, within DWP Group, to supporting and funding the legal challenges at national level, against the abhorrent Channel Pushback and Rwanda Deportation policies, we have taken brave and morally correct decisions following feedback from our members. The legal action against the two Home Office polices has seen an end to the Pushback Policy and prevented a single deportation to Rwanda. Literally saving lives and helping the most vulnerable.

If elected as your National President I will lead our union, alongside comrades in the Democracy Alliance, to build on the successes we have already delivered, continue pushing for co-ordination with other unions willing to fight against the attacks to our living standards, and continue to listen to members and build their participation in our union.

Please support myself and other Democracy Alliance candidates for a strong and focussed union leadership, that will always put our members needs first, through campaigning and taking action when you are prepared to take action, while defending your jobs and the vital services you provide.