Not how it's done...

After yesterday's close of UNISON National Delegate Conference, the newly elected NEC met to elect the President and Vice-Presidents.



Eleanor Smith was elected unopposed as President and Chris Tansley as "senior" Vice-President, in line with the convention (which is not a Rule) that members of the Presidential Team serve a three year term culminating in their Presidential year.



In the contested election for "junior" Vice-President, Maureen LeMarinel was successful and April Ashley (for whom I voted) was not.Unfortunately, the President rejected a suggestion from newly elected NEC member, Helen Davies, that each candidate say a few words so that new members could decide who to vote for.



This proposal was rejected on the grounds that " we don't do that" (although I recollect that we did in 2003). Subsequently, East Midlands NEC member, Moz Greenshields, asked the new Presidential team to consider organising hustings in the forthcoming elections for Committee Chairs, and the President confirmed that this would be considered.



I wish the new Presidential Team well. If our NEC is to give effect to the clarion call for unity in action, issued by our General Secretary on Tuesday, and to heed the warning given by the floor of Conference on Thursday, then we need to reconsider some of "how we do things."



A truly collective NEC which saw it as more important to embrace diversity than to seek to impose uniformity would better serve our members in the challenging times ahead.

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