Paul Mackney is a British educator and trade union leader known for his lifelong commitment to social justice, anti-racism, and opposition to war and fascism. His work across education and the labour movement has been influential in advancing equality, especially for ethnic minority staff and students in further and higher education.
Born into a politically and spiritually committed family, Mackney was raised with strong values of racial equality and social justice. His father was a Lansburyite socialist and Church of England vicar, while his mother was a Christian Socialist. As a student, he joined the International Socialists and later the Workers’ League, before becoming active in the Labour Party.
Mackney’s activism has always been rooted in anti-racism. As Vice-President and later President of the Birmingham Trades Council, he worked in coalitions with local minority organisations and continued the anti-fascist legacy of the council. He personally faced harassment from the National Front in the 1980s, an experience that only deepened his resolve.
One of his key achievements was helping establish the Commission for Black Staff in Further Education, which provided a formal platform for ethnic minority staff to raise concerns with sector bodies and government. Testimonies collected by the Commission contributed to changes in the Race Relations Act.
He was a vocal critic of institutional racism in both further and higher education. In speeches and publications, he highlighted discriminatory hiring, poor promotion prospects, and the marginalisation of Black staff in leadership roles. He pushed for measurable equality targets, transparency in recruitment, and unconscious bias training.
After the 2005 London bombings, Mackney, as General Secretary of NATFHE, spoke out strongly against Islamophobia and the stigmatisation of Muslim communities, calling for solidarity and responsible public discourse.
Mackney served as General Secretary of NATFHE from 1997 to 2006, leading the union in campaigns for workplace equality and against discrimination. Following the merger of NATFHE and AUT in 2006, he became Joint General Secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), alongside Sally Hunt, before retiring in 2007. He later worked part-time at the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) until ill-health led to his full retirement in 2009.
Throughout his career, Paul Mackney has been a principled voice for fairness, inclusion, and human rights, leaving a legacy that continues to influence educational policy and union activism in the UK.
When asked about anti-racism in today’s political climate, Paul says:
“It’s a good day to think about what anti-racism means when we’ve got Nigel Farage preparing concentration camps for people who come to this country.”
