Jewish members of moderate teaching union alarmed as far-left figure named leader
Matt Wrack - who once downplayed 'so-called antisemitism' in Labour under Corbyn - becomes general secretary of the NASUWT union
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Jewish members of one of the biggest and more moderate teachers unions have expressed alarm at the appointment of former Fire Brigades Union (FBU) chief Matt Wrack as their new general secretary.
Wrack, who once described the crisis in Labour under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership as “the so-called furore about so-called antisemitism” has been confirmed as general secretary of the NASUWT, which has a substantial Jewish membership.
His appointment, as the first leader in its history to have never been a qualified teacher or lecturer, means that alongside the National Education Union (NEU) both of the country’s two teaching unions are now under far-left leadership.
The hard-left general secretary of the National Education Union has sparked fury within the community with his stance on Israel and Palestine, including a call to globalise the “intifada” in a speech.
“Jewish teachers who are members of the NASUWT will be rightly concerned by a general secretary who played a leading role in downplaying antisemitism in the Labour Party, ” Russell Langer, director of communications at the Jewish Leadership Council told Jewish News.
“At a time where Jewish teachers are dealing with a frightening rise in antisemitism in the workplace they deserve a union leader who will prioritise their welfare.”
Labour MP Luke Akehurst added:”It is disappointing that the executive of NASUWT has gifted a political resurrection to Matt Wrack with an uncontested election of a union leader representing a profession he has never been a member of, just months after he lost a democratic election in the FBU.
“I know many, many Jewish teachers who had first quit the NUT then the NEU and moved to the NASUWT because of the politics of the former two unions.
“I hope Mr Wrack does not drag the NASUWT into militancy aimed at undermining a Labour government or into NEU style visceral anti-Zionism.”
Jewish News understands there are over 1,000 Jewish members of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) union, which has attempted to adopt a neutral political stance under previous leaders.
But because of support he received from left-wing members of the union’s executive, Wrack was confirmed as the new general secretary on Tuesday.
Her appointment was immediately welcomed by the NEU’s Kebede, who is linked to the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party.
Under Wrack’s leadership FBU voted to re-affiliate to the Labour party after Corbyn’s election as leader in 2015.
He was a staunch ally of the former Labour leader who spoke of “the so-called furore about so-called antisemitism”, framing it as an attempt to undermine Corbyn as leader.
In a role as president of the TUC, largely a ceremonial position, senior figures in the organisation repeatedly reached out to Jewish News to clarify that Wrack’s views were not those of the main trade union body, as it struggled to fight off issues around antisemitism.
But Wrack’s speech to the 2024 TUC Congress noted the October 7 Hamas terror attack, but continued: “We meet almost a year in from the attacks of 7 October and the launch of the Israeli war on Gaza, now expanded into the West Bank. We send solidarity to the Palestinian people in the face of this horrifying onslaught.”
Addressing the May Day trade union march last year, Wrack said: “We need to act against the war in Gaza, disrupt arms deliveries, and force the government to end their complicity with the massacre of the Palestinian people.”
A 2020 social media post by Wrack saw him single out the anti-Zionist comedian Alexi Sayle for praise. Posting a pro-Corbyn video from Sayle, Wrack wrote:” Alexei Sayle on being Jewish, a comedian and anti- establishment… … and #Corbyn.”
One Jewish member of NASUWT told Jewish News on Tuesday: “Wrack’s appointment is genuinely frightening. He does not represent us.”
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