New firebrand teaching union boss suggests he will fight to stay on despite legal challenge to his appointment
Matt Wrack, general secretary of the NASUWT, claimed outcry over his post was due to a 'hatchet job' by the media and the Tories.
Yesterday, as the union was forced to invite other candidates to run against him, he suggested he will battle to the end for the role.
Mr Wrack, who led the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for 20 years and has no teaching experience, has been described as 'overly combative' by ministers.
He was also previously accused of downplaying anti-Semitism in the Labour party under the leadership of his ally, Jeremy Corbyn.
However, the Left-wing executive of the union gave him the job unopposed while blocking a second more moderate candidate from running against him.
Earlier this week, the union was forced by lawyers to reopen nominations – meaning Mr Wrack could be usurped if other candidates get enough local branch nominations.
He has now been given the title of 'acting general secretary', pending the closing of the new nominations period.
Today, as the union was forced to invite other candidates to run against him, Mr Wrack (pictured) suggested he will battle to the end for the role.
Yesterday, Mr Wrack claimed there was 'some coordination' in the media criticism against him.
He told The Guardian: 'It's about trying to do a hatchet job on me because they don't want effective trade unionism.'
He added former Tory ministers Michael Gove and Damian Green 'didn't like' him after they accused him of being 'militant' and 'frightening', respectively.
'There seems to be quite a determined effort to portray me in a certain way,' he added.
'The idea that I simply want strikes is ludicrous and, frankly, a bit daft.'
During the interview, he also dismissed claims he does not have enough experience to lead a teaching union, saying 'neither do many secretaries of state or senior civil servants'.
And amid speculation that he could stand aside, Mr Wrack said he would remain the official candidate of the union's executive.
This ruling body has the power to nominate their favourite candidate, who can only be challenged if someone else gets the approval of 25 local branches.
'I've simply been informed by the national executive that I remain the nominee of the national executive,' he said.
Asked if he had done the right thing by standing despite failing to be re-elected as FBU general secretary, he said: 'I've made my decisions. I stand by them.
'The process will be what the process will be. And none of the criticisms are going to affect my personal outlook on life or on politics.'
In his wide-ranging interview, he also denied he was friends with the Left-wing National Education Union's General Secretary, Daniel Kebede.
And he also denied he had ever downplayed antisemitism, saying: 'I'm not a Zionist but I believe in a two-state solution.'
The NASUWT was forced to U-turn on his appointment after lawyers for Neil Butler, the union's national officer for Wales, said he was unfairly blocked from running.
He had been stopped because he was a staffer rather than a member, despite having previously been a teacher member for 30 years.
Now Mr Butler will set about getting the local branch approvals needed for him to force an election against the executive's preferred candidate.
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