Third Socialist Party member elected to executive

Dan Warrington, Newly elected to NEU Executive

The performance of Socialist Party candidates in the recent National Education Union (NEU) National Executive elections shows the growing desire from NEU members for a bold, national lead on issues such as workload and education funding.

It is my privilege to be joining Sheila Caffrey and Lousie Cuffaro on the NEU executive after being elected by members in my area in the South East. Meanwhile, Sean McCauley narrowly missed being elected by only 41 votes in his area, against an established incumbent exec member.

Wherever Socialist Party candidates have stood, hundreds of the most active union members have backed them to pursue our programme.

As three members on an executive of 55, we shouldn’t overstate our position, but neither will we underestimate the impact we can have. The pivot in the national pay and funding campaign towards a clearer narrative on school funding, shows that we can win the arguments within the union when they chime with pressure from members.

As the NEU moves towards a national ballot on pay and funding, the leadership must convince members that the lessons of the 2023 strikes have been learned. Many of the members I have spoken to who were active during those strikes want assurances that the leadership is serious about using strike action to win the best possible deal for the education sector. They know that Socialist Party candidates will push to maximize the momentum we gain through any future ballot.

Funding

Winning a ballot for full funding of teacher pay is the most urgent matter in the coming months. Socialist Party members have argued consistently for national action, not just on pay but on the impact poor pay and inadequate funding has on workload and working conditions. To turn out a membership that has been repeatedly mobilised then demobilised, the ballot campaign should clearly link funding as the means to resolving longstanding issues of workload and recruitment, and to head off redundancies.

We should also look to unite the fight of as many education workers as possible. Support staff members should not be bystanders to the fight to defend their jobs – they need to be balloted side-by-side with teachers. We should also be clear that any funding deal won for schools must be honoured across the state education sector, including sixth forms.

Political voice

A national ballot for fully funded pay awards in the education sector is an immediate focus, but as socialists we recognise the broader political situation. There is no appetite for the continuation of Tory austerity. Voters want change and the refusal of the two main parties to implement it is driving some into the arms of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede has been outspoken in opposition to Farage and Reform, but who are workers to vote for when Labour has abandoned them? The need for a mass workers’ party with the authority of the trade unions is clearer than ever. If NEU is serious about opposing Reform and holding the government to account, then it needs to be part of that project.

As the situation develops over the coming months, NEU members can be assured that Socialist Party members on the executive will continue to advocate consistently for bold and transparent leadership that places empowerment of education workers and defence of high-quality community education at the forefront of everything the union does.