Research by the Papworth Trust has revealed how propaganda about the NHS swayed disabled voters who didn’t know how many of their protections were from the EU, a Unison conference was told.

The suggestion that the UK could spend the money it sends to Brussels on the NHS was a major reason that many disabled voters backed the call to leave the European Union in June, ‘gambling’ with protections that few realised the EU had guaranteed for them.

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Do you read the Vice-Chancellor’s blog? It’s a good way of learning about the thinking behind University decisions, and it sometimes includes information that you won’t find elsewhere.

If you’ve not read it before, a good place to start is this piece on equality, a topic close to our heart at UNISON.

The VC’s blog is updated every Monday. You can subscribe at https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/vc/

Recent branch elections: Tom Kidston steward in D&S, Michael Scarborough steward in SU and Rhys Edwards communications officer.

Dan J Bye, UNISON Branch Secretary, has been re-elected to professional services staff seat on the University Board of Governors.  Dan was supported by UNISON, and his term of office is for four years until 31 July 2020.  

 Dan received 58.3% of first preference votes.  As this was a clear majority over the three other candidates, Dan was duly elected without second or subsequent preferences needing to be counted.   He thanks everyone who voted for him, and everyone who participated in the election.

 Turnout in the election remained disappointingly low, at 16.3% of eligible staff.  However, this was an improvement on the vote in 2014, when only 14.9% of eligible voters participated.  Improving understanding and awareness of the work of the Board, and therefore hopefully participation in Board elections, is something that Dan is committed to during his term in office.

 The Board of Governors intranet site can be found here: https://www.shu.ac.uk/?sc_itemid=764A54D7-2D6E-4CD6-9F0C-34B976E7F34F

Joint statement from general secretary Dave Prentis and president Eric Roberts

With the publication of the Chilcot inquiry report on Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war, UNISON has commented with a joint statement by general secretary Dave Prentis and president Eric Roberts.

It reads:

“After seven long years, the Chilcot inquiry into the invasion of Iraq has published its report.

“UNISON opposed the invasion, believing that it was both based on the false premise of Iraq holding weapons of mass destruction and was illegal without a vote in the UN Security Council.

“After the invasion, it soon became apparent that neither the UK nor US governments had a post-invasion strategy; leading to years of instability, civil war and terrorism which continue today, 13 years later.

“More people died in the years after than during the invasion itself.

“UNISON expects that those who took the decision to invade, while failing to adequately plan for the future, should be held accountable for their actions.

“The families of British soldiers and the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians deserve nothing less than justice.”

The people have spoken, and they have made a clear call for change – and a different relationship with Europe.

We will be working in the coming weeks and months to hold the leave campaigners to the promises they’ve made – that there will be more money for the NHS, and that our rights at work will remain intact.

But this also has to be a time for our country to heal. At its best the campaign has enabled genuine debate and discussion in our homes, workplaces and communities about the future of the economy and the kind of country we want to live in.

At its worst, the campaign has been typified by hatred, vitriol and misinformation that have done a huge disservice to our democracy and values.

Over the coming weeks and months, all political leaders must think about how to address the issues that people in our communities care most about – falling incomes, insecure jobs, unaffordable housing and the huge challenges facing our public services after more than half a decade of cuts.

Summer ballot will see members asked to vote for strike to improve university employers’ 1.1% offer read more