Mark Pendleton

Text reads: I am humbled and excited to be elected the next UCU Vice-President for Higher Education. Now is a devastatingly difficult and challenging time for our sectors and so many workers in post-16 education, but as a union we cannot succumb to despair. We have the skills, knowledge and capacity to help chart a way out of this mess and restore higher and further education. That you have put your trust in me to help do that is a huge honour and responsibility. I do not take this lightly. Thank you to the many thousands of members who voted for me and also to those who did not – we need to build better engagement in our union and part of that is voting, no matter who you voted for. I promised in my election materials to work hard to bring our union together and that is what I will do.

Text reads: Thank you to the other HE candidates Sean and Steve, both committed trade unionists. I know they will continue to fight for members and the future of Higher Education and I look forward to doing that alongside them. Congratulations to those elected to the National Executive Committee and commiserations to those who missed out this time. Your willingness to put yourself forward for election is hugely valued and I know you all will continue to contribute in other ways. So what next? Until the end of May, I’ll be tying up some loose ends and taking some time off to visit family and friends back in Australia. I will take up my role after UCU’s annual Congress at the end of May, this year in Harrogate.

Text reads: For the following three years, I will be lead negotiator for pay and conditions and for USS pensions across UK Higher Education, working with our team of elected negotiators and officials. I will also chair UCU’s Higher Education Committee and HE sector conferences, serve on other national committees and represent you in various forums. In 2029-30 I will become UCU’s President after the excellent Suzi Toole, who has also been elected as Vice-President for Further Education and will spend two years leading on further education matters before becoming President. She will take over from Dyfrig Jones, who succeeds early to the Presidential role for a two-year term this May, due to the casual vacancy that arose last year, replacing Maria Chondrogianni. Maria stays on as immediate past president, rounding out the presidential team. I want to again acknowledge David Hunter who stepped down as President-Elect last year for health reasons and continue to wish him and his family all the best.

A picture of two smiling people (Suzi Toole and Mark Pendleton) wearing UCU beanies. Text reads: That’s a lot of work, and a lot of moving parts, but at the heart of it will be my commitment to build a better union, alongside members and branches, and through that transform our sectors. I am ready and I know from the responses to this election that many of you are too. I’m looking forward to getting to work, together with you all.

UCU’s elections concluded this week and I am honoured to have been elected as the next Vice-President for Higher Education, to become President in 2029-30.

Thank you for all the support.

A short statement about the election and what’s to come after I take up the role in May.

Review whether students with no A levels should get loans – v-c ‘Difficult questions’ must be confronted as English funding system ‘not working for anyone’, says Birmingham’s Adam Tickell

"We’re investing so much money in people who…we are not really capable of graduating.”

Having a difficult time at school, for whatever reason, should not have to be an insurmountable obstacle to HE. This shitty idea will entrench privilege. Gross.

www.timeshighereducation.com/news/review-...

Helpful primer on Conditional Indexation, one possible route for the future of USS.

Worth saying that this is not happening in the current valuation cycle and may never. But it has been explored and may be explored further.

So it is helpful for UCU/USS members to develop some understanding.

The Archive as Activism How can we use oral history to capture the diverse history of the UK environmental movement?

How can we use oral history to capture the diverse history of the UK environmental movement?

Barbara Brayshay (@bbrayshay.bsky.social) and Saskia Papadakis (@sazpaps.bsky.social) introduce the OHEM archive which is now available @britishlibrary.bsky.social

Statement by trade union leaders

We stand with fellow trade unions in condemning the illegal war on Iran.

Reports of civilian casualties, including students and schoolchildren are deeply disturbing and require urgent and independent investigation.

The killing and wounding of civilians is indefensible.

And for those waiting on tenterhooks for the outcome (perhaps not so many of you!), we expect to know by Thursday.

UCU elections close today.

Whatever the outcome, I just wanted to say thanks for the support, particularly @ucucommons.org comrades and the @suzitoole.bsky.social team, but also the many regular members who voted.

UCU must do better at confronting our many challenges. That will take all of us.

We're now going to get wall-to-wall coverage of the Greens, get them on every single discussion programme, have university managers preemptively reach out to them and adhere to their demands, and basically organise society to make a declared-inevitable victory reality, right?
That's how this works?

Any last minute UCU voters out there?

Give Michael a vote (me too please!), and make sure you put a first class stamp on the envelope to ensure it gets there in time for Monday’s deadline!

After winning narrowly in Runcorn last year, this time around Reform tasted the bitter wine of narrow defeat.

Greens got 41% of the vote #BBC, Reform got 29%. I wouldn’t call that a narrow defeat.

So proud of my community this morning!

We have an MP, and she seems pretty alright! But MPs are there to represent and be accountable to us.

And 10,000+ votes for the far right, here in south Manchester, remains a very dangerous thing.

So we celebrate today, but get back to work tomorrow.

Smearing Sussex (and Me): Responding to Nigel Biggar’s Latest Attack in The Spectator The University of Sussex, Feb 2026, taken by the author. Alan Lester The Spectator has published an article by Nigel Biggar smearing the University of Sussex as repressing students who ‘don&#…

The Spectator published this attack on me & colleagues just as the High Court is considering Sussex’s request for review of the Office for Students fine. It accuses us of ‘repressing’ our students. The magazine ignored my request for to reply. Please disseminate.

alanlester.co.uk/blog/smearin...

A pole at a pedestrian crossing adorned with two stickers, one handwritten in green pen that reads “VOTE 💚 LOVE” and the other that has the Reform party logo in a Red circle and with a cross through it

Spotted this nice combo of stickers after I voted just now, which pretty much capture where I’m at. Vote Love and Anti-Reform.

When Labour offers nothing but more hatred and division, it has to be Hannah Spencer and the Greens this time.

Forgot about a third vote today!

My @sheffielducu.bsky.social ballot for industrial action over threats to jobs is in the post.

Yes to striking, yes to action short of a strike of course!

Today is the last safe day to post your #UCU election ballot, tomorrow it would need a first class stamp. If you've already voted ask your colleagues if they've voted too. Got this great picture from a member at my branch this morning- replacement ballot arrived just in time 🙌

Whatever happens, we need a union that will play smarter (and when necessary harder) in defence of post-16 education and its workers.

It's on all of us to muck in and do the work to advocate for our sector and the excellent people who work within it.

So don’t just vote, get active!

About Mark About Mark Mark 4 VP - About Mark - Election Statement - Endorsements Support Mark - Contact Mark - Who else should I vote for? 0:00 /4:03 1× ...

If you're still not sure about whether to vote for me, please take a look at the videos of my responses to hustings questions submitted by members, or read the transcripts at ucucommons.org/about-mark/

You can also see what the other candidates have to offer at www.ucu.org.uk/article/1419...

Double voting day today!

All eyes are on Gorton & Denton of course, my constituency. I’m off later to vote.

But it’s also the last chance to get your #ucu votes in. Dig them out, fill them in and get them posted today!

(Tomorrow may also be fine, particularly if sent with a first class stamp.)

All the best for tomorrow Lauren!

Flyer for community organising training at Levy Old Library on 28th February. More details at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/localvoices/2056960

Tomorrow my local area will vote for a new MP. That matters. But what’s more important is how we build a community with real bonds, and that stands up for our neighbours and holds our reps accountable.

On Saturday we organise for whatever is next. Join us.

www.tickettailor.com/events/local...

Together Alliance: Plan your journey Travel together to London on 28 March. Find coaches, trains and car-shares organised by groups across the country for Together Alliance’s national demo.

Next month, tens of thousands will mobilize in London against the far right. I would be there except that I’ll be winging my way to Australia to visit family and friends.

Here’s a link to how you can plan your travel: www.togetheralliance.org.uk/transport

We stand together!

The scale of job losses in the sector is a disaster for research capacity everywhere, not just in so-called 'research intensive' universities. Research is not confined to these institutions and the work that does happen there often relies on research done elsewhere.

Not including hidden redundancies (eg. fixed term contracts not renewed), which is likely to double this reported figure.

In any other sector this would be front page news along with government funding announcements.

The UK just seems to not value higher education.

Annual meeting of staff on casualised contracts Annual meeting for members working on fixed-term, hourly paid, zero hours or other insecure contracts.

More info on the annual meeting can be found at www.ucu.org.uk/cascontracts...

On Saturday UCU’s casualised members meet to advance our work combatting precarity across post-16 education. This is essential but complex work, and something we must continue to prioritise.

Thanks to casualised members, including both UK-wide reps, for your support ucucommons.org/endorsements...

Important findings here (and sadly no surprise to disabled people or those of us who do casework).

Good to see a mention too of UCU’s event accessibility checklist. Our reasonable adjustment passport has also been helpful for members.

More UCU’s resources at www.ucu.org.uk/article/1203...

Academic-related, professional services staff annual meeting Annual meeting for academic-related, professional services staff members of UCU.

Details about the ARPS annual meeting at www.ucu.org.uk/ARPSannual

For those attending, please vote for the excellent Michael Bartlett from Open University for your committee. Can highly recommend!

More on our important work for ARPS members, and how to get involved at www.ucu.org.uk/arps-staff

Endorsements Endorsements Mark 4 VP - About Mark - Election Statement - Endorsements Support Mark - Contact Mark - Who else should I vote for? Below you will find endorsements for Mark from ...

This week, several of our key #ucu annual meetings are held.

Our academic-related, professional services members meet on Thursday.

I’ve had the privilege of working with many ARPS members on branch and national structures and am proud to receive their endorsement: ucucommons.org/endorsements...

After an exhausting day of management doublespeak and gaslighting, I now have a 3-hour journey ahead to examine a PhD in Cardiff tomorrow morning.

Glad to still have some space to engage with new research in my field, but life sure would be easier if my employer just let us get on with our work.