The union’s national executive council (NEC) is elected by members to speak on their behalf.

NEC members are elected by all members of UNISON via a postal vote. Members elect candidates to represent their region and their service group. There are also additional seats for Black members, young members and disabled members.

As with all other UNISON elections, the union’s principles of “proportionality and fair representation” means that some seats are reserved for women and low-paid members, so that the make-up of the NEC fairly represents the wider union.

Elections take place every two years, with members receiving a ballot paper with a prepaid envelope to return it to an independent scrutineer (an independent person who checks the ballot is fair and counts the votes).

Results are usually announced around one month after the voting deadline.

 

Current membership

The current NEC members are:

Black members

Female seats
Elizabeth Cameron
April Ashley

Male seats
Hugo Pierre

Reserved seats
Abiola Kusoro

Disabled members

General seat
Angela Hamilton

Female seat
Pam Howard

Young members

General seat
Andrew Anderson

Regions

Eastern

Female seat
Sarah Crowe

Male seat
Isaac Ferneyhough

Reserved seat
Pauline (Polly) Smith

East Midlands

Female seat
Nicole Berrisford

Male seat
Chris Tansley

Reserved seat
Kati Conway

Greater London

Female seats
Sonya Howard
Helen Davies

Male seat
Sean Fox

Reserved seat
Irene Stacey

Northern

Female seat
Josie Bird

Male seat
Edwin Jeffries

Reserved seat
Helen Kilpatrick

Northern Ireland

Female seat
Lucia McKeever

Male seat
Alastair Long

Reserved seat
Margaret McKee

North West

General seat
Tony Wilson

Female seats
Karen Reissmann
Evelyn Doyle

Male seat
Steve North

Reserved seat
Luisete Batista

Scotland

General seat
Stephen Smellie

Female seats
Kathryn ( Kate) Ramsden
Davena Rankin

Male seat
Jim McFarlane

Reserved seat
Maggie Cook

South East

Female seats
Diana Leach
Jacqui Berry

Male seat
Dan Sartin

Reserved seat
Jean Butcher

South West

Female seat
Michelle Goodman

Male seat
Mike Hines

Reserved seat
Bernadette Yeo

Cymru/Wales

Female seats
Angela Roberts

Male seat
Mark Fisher

Reserved seat
Sian Stockham

West Midlands

Female seats
Rose Brown
Eleanor Smith

Male seat
Steve Jones

Reserved seat
Mary Locke

Yorkshire & Humberside

Female seats
Greta Holmes
Linda Crowther

Male seat
Tony Green

Reserved seat
Vicky Perrin

Service groups

Community

General seat
John Gray

Female seat
Janet Bryan

Energy

General seat
Paul Glover

Health care

General seat
James Anthony

Female seats
Claire Dixon
Jenny Forbes

Male seat
Gordon McKay

Higher education

General seat
Sandy Nicoll

Female seat
Katherine Owen

Local government

General seat
Paul Holmes

Female seats
Jane Doolan
Andrea Egan

Male seat
Paul Gilroy

Police & Justice staff

General seat
Chris Hanrahan

Female seat
Maureen Le Marinel

Water, environment & transport

General seat
John Jones