Kat Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Kathryn Jane Fletcher was president of the UK
National Union of Students between 2004 and 2006, the first to be elected from a political slate clearly to the left of Labour Students
, who had held the position for most of the previous twenty years.
's students' union
, where she joined the Campaign for Free Education
(CFE) and the Alliance for Workers' Liberty
, a small Trotskyist group. She later attended the University of Leeds
where she studied Social Policy and Education. After studying for two years, she was elected as the NUS National Women's Officer, and subsequently to the NUS Block of Twelve part-time officers. She then returned to Leeds, graduating in 2004.
's Labour
government, particularly on the issue of tuition fees. After being elected she pushed through a process of NUS reform which she claimed was necessary to save the organisation from a looming financial crisis.
There is some confusion about her political affiliations as president. She left the AWL long before being elected; during her first year in office, she disbanded CFE, as a result of reinstating free education policy. It was at this point that the AWL and other left-wing activists such as the CFE's successor organisation Education Not for Sale
came into sharp opposition to her.
In 2005 she stood for re-election without any description, winning by the largest margin in NUS history. Other candidates standing included: Conservative Future
's candidate Michael Champion and the Socialist Workers' Student Society
candidate Suzie Wylie.
Between 2008 and January 2010 she worked as Director of Policy and Development for the 157 Group
.
In 2010 she started volunteering for Ed Miliband
's Labour Leadership Campaign, being subsequently appointed as head of volunteers for the duration of the campaign.
In the same year she was sworn in as one of the first female Freemen of Beverley
as a result of a gender equality campaign of which her aunt was a key member; this act had to be passed by Parliament.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
National Union of Students between 2004 and 2006, the first to be elected from a political slate clearly to the left of Labour Students
Labour Students
Labour Students is a student organisation affiliated to the British Labour Party.Membership comprises affiliated college and university clubs . Membership of Labour Students is through membership of a university or college Labour Club. Affiliation is open to any Labour Club generally supportive of...
, who had held the position for most of the previous twenty years.
Early life
Fletcher was formerly the General Secretary of Sheffield CollegeSheffield College
Sheffield College is a further education college in Sheffield, England. It was formed by the merger of six FE colleges in 1993. The main centres are Sheffield City College , Hillsborough College and Norton College...
's students' union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
, where she joined the Campaign for Free Education
Campaign for Free Education
The Campaign for Free Education was a left-wing grouping in the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom of those opposed to tuition fees and the abolition of student grants....
(CFE) and the Alliance for Workers' Liberty
Alliance for Workers' Liberty
The Alliance for Workers' Liberty , also known as Workers' Liberty, is a Trotskyist group in Britain. The group has a complex history but has always been identified with the theorist Sean Matgamna...
, a small Trotskyist group. She later attended the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
where she studied Social Policy and Education. After studying for two years, she was elected as the NUS National Women's Officer, and subsequently to the NUS Block of Twelve part-time officers. She then returned to Leeds, graduating in 2004.
NUS President
She was elected president in 2004 in an extremely close contest, which she won by only two votes after six rounds of transfers, having lost the 2003 election by only three votes to the incumbent candidate. Although a long standing member of the Labour paty, she ran on a leftist platform as a member of the Campaign for Free Education (CFE) criticising the NUS proximity to Tony BlairTony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government, particularly on the issue of tuition fees. After being elected she pushed through a process of NUS reform which she claimed was necessary to save the organisation from a looming financial crisis.
There is some confusion about her political affiliations as president. She left the AWL long before being elected; during her first year in office, she disbanded CFE, as a result of reinstating free education policy. It was at this point that the AWL and other left-wing activists such as the CFE's successor organisation Education Not for Sale
Education Not for Sale
Education Not for Sale is a radical left-wing student campaign in the United Kingdom.The name originally derives from the "European Education Not for Sale network" and was first used by socialist and other radical activists at the National Union of Students of the United Kingdom conference in...
came into sharp opposition to her.
In 2005 she stood for re-election without any description, winning by the largest margin in NUS history. Other candidates standing included: Conservative Future
Conservative Future
Conservative Future, abbreviated to CF, is the youth movement of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom for members aged up to 30 years old.Founded in 1998, Conservative Future is the largest political organisation on British campuses...
's candidate Michael Champion and the Socialist Workers' Student Society
Socialist Workers' Student Society
The Socialist Worker Student Society, commonly known as SWSS , is the student section of the Socialist Workers Party in Britain.Mark Bergfeld was elected onto the NUS NEC in 2010 and re-elected to the NUS NEC in 2011 with the highest number of first preference votes along with Ruby...
candidate Suzie Wylie.
Career
After her presidency she worked for two years (2006–08) at the Centre for Excellence in Leadership, a government quango in the Further Education sector.Between 2008 and January 2010 she worked as Director of Policy and Development for the 157 Group
157 Group
The 157 Group is a group of 28 colleges of further education in England. The group was established in 2006 with an aim of promoting and maintaining high standards of education and management for this type of college...
.
In 2010 she started volunteering for Ed Miliband
Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband is a British Labour Party politician, currently the Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition...
's Labour Leadership Campaign, being subsequently appointed as head of volunteers for the duration of the campaign.
In the same year she was sworn in as one of the first female Freemen of Beverley
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
as a result of a gender equality campaign of which her aunt was a key member; this act had to be passed by Parliament.