The results of the election for the unions General and Assistant General Secretary have been announced this afternoon.

Fran Heathcote, the existing union President, and candidate of the leadership won General Secretary, only beating Marion Lloyd by 783 votes or 3.9% in the closest run General Secretary election in the union’s history.

Remarkably, John Moloney of the Independent Left defeated full-time officer Paul O’Connor by 11,705 votes to 8,152 to be re-elected as Assistant General Secretary.

The closeness of the GS result and the defeat of Paul O’Connor are remarkable for several reasons. They occur in the context of Fran and Paul being the anointed successors of Mark Serwotka, the union machine being used to profile both candidates throughout the campaign and the patronising and sometimes unedifying and desperate spectacle of celebrity endorsements.

Despite the ongoing leadership claim that PCS is a member led union, the turnout in the election was appallingly low at 11.5%. Much lower than the 19% 5 years ago, and a statistic which puts the bed the justification for bringing the elections forward made by Mark Serwotka that it would increase turnout.

In this respect the election was a failure for all candidates and damning indictment on the state of the democratic deficit in the union. If barely 1 in 10 members feels any purpose in returning a ballot for the leadership of the union, something much more fundamental than simply standing in elections with decent politics is required to rebuild the rank-and-file in PCS.

Clearly, the election of the unions first woman General Secretary is a good thing. It was, of course, a foregone conclusion before the ballots were even issued as both candidates were women.

Unfortunately, there is little evidence that the result of the GS election is going to better the material conditions of women members or members more widely for that matter.

What we heard during the campaign, echoed in the closeness of the results and overwhelming return of John Moloney as AGS, is that many members are acutely aware of the dire state the union is in and the inability and unwillingness of the leadership to change or fight for better. 

In the countless members hustings events Marion and John spoke to throughout the country, most of which were boycotted by Fran and Paul who preferred to seek support from the likes of Steve Coogan, members wanted change or through debate were convinced by the alternative as laid out by Marion and John.

Members are acutely aware that this leadership strategy this year has led to the worst pay-rise in the public sector alongside a pro-rated £1500 payment which the unions own negotiators didn’t equality check, and which therefore was disproportionately lower for part-time workers and negatively impacted UC payments. Members are also aware of the Orwellian ballot to ‘continue the campaign’ on 23/24 pay, which despite members voting ‘Yes’ has now, as predicted by us, been well and truly buried.

Throughout, Fran and Paul’s campaign vaunted the increase in pay in certain departments, not mentioning that in many cases the pay-rises had nothing to do with the union and everything to do with the rise in the minimum wage and forgetting that most members listening were profoundly conscious – particularly at this time of year – that they only got a 4.5% rise.

During the campaign, members were told of ongoing talks with the Cabinet Office on 23/24 pay, but true to type these haven’t produced a result. Largely, as predicted, because the leadership strategy has given up any leverage we had by shutting the dispute. Additionally, members haven’t had an update on talks because of the unions longstanding insistence to keep much from members for as long as reasonably possible.

On both issues, the alternative presented by Marion and John, of re-energizing the national campaign, with a more creative and combative industrial strategy and of ending secretive negotiations and opening them up to membership control won many members over.

We hope that considering John’s large mandate, he will be given the remit to carry out his platform, including that of bargaining. It’s the democratic thing to do. But we also know that to really change the union we have to win the leadership.

The combined votes for the candidates for change, Marion and John, exceeded those for Fran and Paul by nearly 2770 votes or 7%. We’re not stating this to claim Fran shouldn’t have won, but to illustrate that despite everything, our ideas got through to members.

This coalition, which throughout the campaign saw many new individuals and groups of activists join, needs to maintain the same level of unity going into the NEC elections next year.

If you agree, please consider joining us at the PCS Independent Left.