Jo Grady could face a re-ballot over her position as University and College Union leader amid claims she broke campaign rules.
Ewan McGaughey and Vicky Blake, who came second and third in the vote for a general secretary two years ago, will present their case to the Certification Officer – a trade union watchdog – next week listing seven alleged election violations.
They relate to UCU rules which prohibit candidates from using member email lists or other UCU resources for campaigning purposes, FE Week understands. Rules about opportunities to attend hustings to meet members were also allegedly breached.
UCU said the accusations were “totally unfounded” and would be “robustly” challenged at the Certification Officer hearing on Tuesday.
The Certification Officer is an independent officer appointed by the business and trade secretary and funded largely via a levy collected from trade unions and employers’ associations.
Stephen Hardy took up the role in October and is responsible for the statutory functions of trade unions and employers’ associations.
He deals with complaints and investigates potential legal breaches, fraud or financial irregularities. Hardy has the power to make enforcement orders, which can include financial penalties and ballot reruns.
The hearing was originally set for November but was delayed after the claimants submitted new evidence.
If their complaints are accepted, McGaughey and Blake have requested that Hardy orders a re-election at the “earliest possible opportunity”, FE Week understands.
A UCU spokesperson said: “The UCU categorically denies these allegations.
“They are totally unfounded and we will be robustly contesting them at the certification hearing.”
Grady’s narrow win
Jo Grady was re-elected as general secretary for a second five-year term in March 2024.
The ballot was conducted by single transferable vote, where members select candidates in order of preference.
Grady won in the third round of voting by just 182 votes over McGaughey, who is a law professor at King’s College London.
In total, 17,131 valid votes were cast, with a turnout of 15.1 per cent of the UCU’s 114,310 eligible members.
Grady was elected with 7,758 votes to McGaughey’s 7,576.
Blake, a contextual outreach lead officer at the University of Leeds, came third, and Liverpool John Moores University senior education lecturer Saira Weiner came last.
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