UCU on BBC Question Time

It has been a very busy week at UCU as we are all preparing for the Protect Education Now national rally that will take place in London on Saturday 10 May.  

Meanwhile the union's campaigning work continues. Tonight (Thursday 8 May) I will be appearing on BBC Question Time; the panel is in Hull and you can watch the debate from 10:50pm on BBC One or catch up later on BBC iPlayer. The panel will include James Murray MP (Labour), Graham Stuart MP (Conservative), Calum Miller MP (Liberal Democrat) and Richard Tice MP (Reform UK). I will be making the case for UCU members across all sectors. Please tune in. 

In further education, the New Deal for FE campaign is intensifying. We have three key priorities: pay parity with schoolteachers; national workload agreements; and functioning national bargaining. We are keeping up the pressure on college leaders to deliver meaningful change. At the end of May, FE delegates at Congress will make crucial decisions about the union's next steps. Please also look out for communications on an upcoming electronic consultation. 

In higher education, the union's message on Stop the Cuts is getting through to the UK government. After the deep-dive evidence session on 8 April (to which UCU contributed), yesterday the Education Committee published a letter to the Secretary of State for Education demanding support of our universities in both the short and long term. You can read the Education Committee's letter here. 

Finally, I hope to see many of you at the rally in London this Saturday. Let us make our voices heard and show our collective strength. 

In solidarity 

Jo Grady 
UCU general secretary