Endorsement: Jonathan Marsh, Cardiff University

I have got to know Jo Grady largely via Twitter over the past couple of years and have always been struck by how she not only clearly understands the real, and at times very difficult, problems that we face but also has the intellectual ability and creativity to suggest real solutions to those problems. I am very new to university teaching, having been a solicitor for over 15 years, before joining the law school in Cardiff, but I have always felt that Jo is the kind of person who will actually listen to the real concerns of ordinary, and in my case new, members without any self-serving judgment or motive.

It was a difficult decision for me to decide to join the pensions strike last year not least because I was so new to working within a university environment. But I felt that I received from Jo the support and courage, more so than anybody outside the fantastic Cardiff UCU team, to do what was the right thing.

I support all of Jo’s manifesto commitments particularly regarding marketisation and casualisation (and I speak from experience having been on a zero hours contract myself) but more than that I actually have total confidence that Jo’s emotional and intellectual strengths, together with her undoubted charisma, will provide the UCU with the leadership required during what will undoubtedly be a tough few years.

In short, I believe in Jo. And that is why I am delighted to be able to endorse her candidature for General Secretary. It is important that, unlike many previous elections, we have a high turnout in this election in order to send a deafening message to the universities that we believe in the importance of this union, and the role of our General Secretary, so please get voting as soon as you can and vote for Jo Grady!