NEC Conference 2026: Pre-nomination statements
Below are pre-nomination statements from members who would like to be considered for branch nomination for the 2026-2028 Prospect National Executive Committee (NEC), and if indicated the 2026 – 2028 Prospect Presidential Team (PT).
Branches can put nominate NEC and Presidential Team candidates once the calling notice opens on 18th December 2025.
National Executive Committee pre-nomination statements
Helen Carp
Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE)
I am proud to have been a member of Prospect for over a decade, and have served two terms as an NEC member; I am seeking re-election to the NEC for another term and would be privileged to receive it. My day job is as a Change and Transformation manager at AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) where I have worked for over a decade, and for the last 18 months I have had the honour of being the AWE Branch Secretary; I understand how it feels to be both a member and a branch representative in a government body.
I am passionate about protecting the rights of Prospect’s members and believe that behind every case is a person who not only needs expert advice, but also compassion and emotional support through challenging times. I have represented branch members through grievances, hearings and investigations, and represented Prospect at the TUC Congress and at the TUC Women’s conference. Over the past couple of years I have served as President of the Defence Sector and have brought together Defence Branches and members to grow the sector. Furthermore, I am a keen advocate for women and believe that to be effective we need to continue to advocate for diversity and inclusion, in my branch I have advocated for equality, championing an end to sexual harassment.
I am seeking re-election to be part of the decision-making process at what is a very exciting time for Prospect members; the onset of AI, a new world of ever changing risks and a labour market which is more precarious than ever. Furthermore, it’s important to me that we remain an NEC which challenges and scrutinises our financial data to secure our future as a union which delivers for it’s members.
I believe in being transparent, inquisitive and people focused on everything I do and hope you will vote for me to sit on the NEC.
Phil Cartwright
Scripted Production and Accounts
I am re-standing for the NEC elections and would ask your branch to nominate me and encourage members to vote for me. Remember that branches can have up to 28 nominations to fill the NEC seats. And members can vote for up to 28!
I became an active member of Bectu when working with English National Opera and later moved to C4 Television before going freelance. I was elected on to the Disabled Members Network Committee from the London Production Division, where I have brought my knowledge and passion to the committee.
In my first term of the NEC I have represented Prospect at the UNI Europa Conference. I also volunteer my time to represent our members on two NEC sub committees. I am also happy to field support between branches and the NEC.
If elected to remain on the National Executive I aim to bring the issues of disabled members, freelance, short term contract and permanently employed (all of which I have worked under) to the executive committee to develop policies and initiatives that support all of us.
Please nominate me Phil Cartwright and support my candidacy.
Mike Collier-Prickett
Film Artistes
I joined Bectu back in 2004 when I began my career as stagehand at Glyndebourne Opera. Since then, my freelance work has evolved across Film, TV, Theatre, and Live Events.
I have toured the UK (Glyndebourne), spent four years in Sweden (Kungliga Dramaten, Dansens Hus) and had four years in London (Lyric Hammersmith, Hampstead Theatre). I have been a member of Bectu, and later Prospect, ever since.
After attending the Bectu conference for the first time in 2015, I was invited to join the committee and in early 2019 things really got going. A few of us felt that the branch did not focus enough of trade union organising, and the only way to rectify this was to stand for the officer positions in the upcoming AGM.
Our driving force was to organise across all the industries and sectors we represent and to consistently engage with the members of our diverse membership. Creating networks and channels of constant communication has been our method of building this.
We grew the branch in this time to 1,200 members, but simply increasing our membership was not, in my opinion, enough. It needs to have an organising focus.
As elected officers of the union, we must demonstrate how membership engagement and direct representation, not just subscriptions, is central to a powerful trade union that can fight for and actively create the environment in which our members live and work.
Since taking my place on the NEC this year, professional circumstances have led me back to theatre as head of technical and production after nearly a decade in TV and Film.
The current focus of my trade union work in BECTU is to create a robust and consistent level of organising across the Nations and Regions, a wide and often disparately serviced area. My home is Scotland, but I grew up in the West Country. I am passionate about working with people from Land’s End to John O’Groats to create a dynamic and well organised union that we can all be proud of, and to work together for the collective good for all workers, not just those in the arts.
I am asking you to nominate me to again take the challenge of organising in the Nations and Regions to the highest level of our union. No matter your sector or your trade, please give me your support by voting for me to join the NEC, to represent you, wherever you are.
Geoff Fletcher
Health and Safety Executive
I am proud to be a member of Prospect and an experienced member of the NEC. I am seeking election to the NEC for a further term and would be privileged to receive the support of your branch through a nomination. I am employed as a health and safety inspector and I am a senior rep in the HSE branch of Prospect.
I have been a lifelong trade union activist and have represented and led Prospect members for over 20 years at various levels of the union, in branch negotiation and industrial action, on the unions national sub committees, at conferences and regional and national TUC.
I have served for over 10 years as the president of the public services sector of Prospect (25,000 members) and oversee the strategic governance of the sector. The public services sector has a diverse range of branches and my involvement has enabled me to gain lots of experience of strategic decision making and I have developed a deep understanding of the issues that concern our members.
Our union is unique due to its professionally diverse membership, and as such we have the capacity to use members knowledge, experience and professional views to benefit members in our sector-based functions. The NEC needs to ensure that decisions are reflective of members needs and that we utilise our members diverse knowledge to make decisions that are transparent and supported by consent.
My longstanding involvement in Prospect means I understand the culture and makeup of the union. Issues can be generic to all members or bespoke to one sector and although it is the NECs place to make governance decisions there are also delegated responsibilities on sectors and clarity on this distinction is key as we work best when we support each other’s endeavours.
The union faces several challenges in order to remain viable and relevant, providing an effective and valuable offer to members and potential members. This means that the union, must be strategically led and governed by the NEC to ensure that we carry on with the work we have been developing and implementing to build and maintain a strong, effective and vibrant trade union.
Eamonn Guilfoyle
Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR)
I am Eamonn Guilfoyle. I work as a safety inspector at the Office for Nuclear Regulation, where I am a member of the Branch Executive Committee. I am just completing my third term on the National Executive Committee and I am seeking your nomination to stand again for re-election. I am also seeking your nomination to stand as a candidate for Deputy Vice-President.
I am proud to be part of this union. It represents brilliant people that create, enrich, and protect. Its members do work vital for a good society. This union’s core purpose is to make sure this vital work is recognised and rewarded. The role of the Presidential Team and the NEC is to strengthen this union: ensuring it has the financial resilience, the skilled staff, and the infrastructure to empower members to win what they deserve. If elected, I will do my utmost to keep this union winning for members.
I am a member of the Finance and Audit Committee; the STEM and Environment Group; and the Digital Projects Board. I have represented Prospect at the Trade Union Congress. Additionally, I am a trustee of the Prospect Benevolent Fund, which helps members facing hardship. Prior to joining the NEC, I was the Vice-Chair of the Young Workers Network committee. This has given me wide experience and knowledge of the union, which will inform my decision-making on the NEC and Presidential Team.
In my branch, I handle personal cases; work on diversity and inclusion; and strive to represent the interests of young workers – although I have now had one birthday too many to be classed as one myself! I also sit on the branch council, helping to steer the direction of the branch. This keeps me grounded in the issues that branches and members across this union face, ensuring that those issues are front and centre in my thinking.
Outside of the union, I am a trustee of a water hardship charity, a member of the editorial board for an academic journal, and a member of the financial committee for a professional society. This activity exposes me to different styles of governance and different ways of doing things and helps me bring fresh perspectives that enhance my contribution.
Fundamentally, what I offer is someone who scrutinises and challenges but is always focused on being constructive and ensuring that the union delivers on member priorities. My professional career has been about ensuring workers are protected by their employers; similarly, I want to ensure workers are protected by this union. I want to continue being proud of this union and will all do all that I can to make that so.
It has been a privilege to represent you and I hope to continue to do so.
I ask you to consider nominating me for the NEC and for Deputy Vice-President.
Sarthak Kumar
Tech Workers’ Branch
Hi! I’m Sarthak Kumar, a product manager at Deliveroo, and I’m standing for re-election to Prospect’s National Executive Committee.
When I was first elected to the NEC two years ago, the technology sector was entering a period of upheaval. Since then, that upheaval has only deepened. Layoffs, algorithmic management, productivity metrics, and the rapid deployment of AI have made clear what many workers are now learning the hard way: without strong collective organisation, even highly skilled workers are treated as disposable.
Over the past two years on the NEC, I have focused on ensuring Prospect is equipped to meet this challenge, both strategically and organisationally. I have served on the Communications and Campaigns Committee, the Finance and Audit Committee, the Estate Management Working Group, and the newly formed Industrial Action Committee, contributing to the governance and long-term direction of the union.
Alongside this, I serve as an ex-officio NEC member on the Young Workers Committee. Young workers are disproportionately represented in insecure, non-unionised sectors, and Prospect’s future depends on our ability to organise and retain them. This is especially true in the technology sector, where union density remains low despite rapid growth. I will continue to advocate for sustained investment in organising capacity and for messaging that speaks to workers who may never have encountered a union before.
Outside the NEC, I chair the Tech Workers’ Branch and am involved in ongoing efforts to build sustainable union organisation in a challenging environment. I have also been proud to represent the branch’s views in engagement with government, including providing input to the Migration Advisory Committee and DSIT’s science and skills agenda.
I am standing for re-election because the work is far from finished. Prospect has a vital role to play in organising under-represented industries, defending democratic accountability at work, and remaining relevant to a new generation of workers. If re-elected, I will continue to bring my experience on the NEC to support strong governance and a union that delivers for all its members.
Carol Magor
BBC East Midlands
Over the past four years I have represented Bectu members on the Prospect National Executive Committee which has enabled me to work collaboratively with the other elected NEC members to ensure the union delivers the best possible service, advice and support for our members.
Being part of Prospect NEC has been a privilege which has also given me the opportunity to apply my principles of fairness, transparency, openness, and honesty to ensure the union develops and adapts to meet the many challenges of a rapidly changing world including tackling Diversity & Inclusion, and to highlight injustices.
Having been a rep since 2016, I have always been proud of my Bectu roots and by being part of the wider decision-making process about what and how we deliver for our members has helped steer the union forward in a positive and proactive way.
I believe it is extremely important to empower reps through support and development and to encourage the use of their skills and expertise to help others as well as organise and build stronger branches. Succession planning is vital in securing the future of the union.
One of my priorities has always been, and will continue to be, to promote and enhance the working relationship between Bectu and Prospect. I am proud to be part of the bigger Prospect union while keeping true to the Bectu brand because to succeed the union must remain relevant and have members at the heart of every decision.
George Ryall
UK Research and Innovation
I am seeking re-election to the NEC for a fifth term. I work at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire as a Controls Software Engineer on the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source.
There is a climate emergency and the world must act. Prospect’s diverse membership gives us the expertise to influence government and shape public debate, which we must make use of. We must continue to advocate for a just transition that safeguards workers as the economy adapts to this challenge. As a member of the NEC, and chair of STEM and Environment Group, I have argued for the need for Prospect to be vocal in this area and will continue to do so if re-elected.
Branches are the lifeblood of our union. We must remain responsive to their evolving needs.
The access provisions in the Employment Rights Bill (hopefully an act by the time you read this) offer a once in a generation opportunity to expand the union into new workplaces and to gain recognition in existing ones. We must seize this opportunity and continue to invest to organise and grow our union.
This focus on membership growth is vital to maintaining the sound finances of our union. Alongside these opportunities, we need to ensure we are recruiting people entering the workplace for the first time in our existing branches. We must also develop the next generation of reps to, in time, take over the governance of our union.
Prospect maintains a healthy investment portfolio to underpin the finances of our union. We must ensure those investments reflect our union’s values, whilst still delivering sustainable returns. If re-elected I will maintain my focus on ensuring ESG principles guide our investment strategy.
As part of a public sector organisation with over 8,000 employees (many of them specialists), I have seen the disastrous effect on members of the pay policy of previous governments and the impact it has had on crucial public service sector organisations. Prospect must continue to campaign in this area and advocate with this government for the need to fix broken pay systems.
To succeed as a union, we must continue to evolve the way we work. This means increasing the use of digital tools where appropriate and supporting the General Secretary to review Prospect’s structure.
Success also requires an inclusive union where members from all backgrounds feel welcome and we can champion the cause of those continuing to face discrimination in the workplace.
All Prospect members (those formally in BECTU, those formally in Prospect, and those who joined post-merger) must be able to fully realise the benefits of the merger and grow together as a single union. In doing this we must ensure we are able to provide support to the full range of members within Prospect including freelancers, those working for employers where recognition agreements aren’t yet in place, and across the whole geographic spread of our membership.
I hope your branch will consider nominating me for election to the NEC.
Alan Sallabank
Western Freelance
The key objectives of the NEC are to:
- Ensure that Prospect members are effectively represented in matters relevant to their working lives.
- Promote and strengthen Prospect as an organisation, and the trade union movement as a whole.
Prospect and Bectu members are absolutely not being effectively represented at present. There are not enough reps to cover the workload, and the leadership are concentrating on making entirely ineffective press releases rather than actually achieving anything.
If elected to the NEC, I will hold the leadership to account to deliver proper results for their members and deliver value for money.
Domanic Smith-Jones
Tech Workers’ Branch
I’m Domanic Smith-Jones, seeking re-nomination to serve you again on the NEC for a second term. Having previously served as the first Vice-Chair of the newly established Tech Workers’ Branch, I continue to share a mission with the branch: to ensure tech workers are organised, supported, and treated as they deserve—across the entire sector, not just by the employers our members currently work for.
A union like ours relies on highly skilled people pulling together their experiences and strengths to work not only for one sector, but for Prospect as a whole. My time on the NEC has reinforced this, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed the work; with the experience I’ve built up, I know I can be even more productive in a second term.
I think steps towards this involve members being involved in the wider workings of the union and helping encourage enthusiastic volunteers to grow their skills and bring fresh perspectives to our NEC. As part of Prospect’s internal development, I have served on the Digital Projects Board that introduced the new CRM and improved movement platform—work that directly supports members and volunteers across the union.
I understand that modern IT workers don’t have the same working lives we’ve been used to, and only in rare cases do they expect to get their first job and stay until retirement, nor do they want to. This is becoming more normal across the UK workforce. Consequently, we must continue to resource and equip our union to cope with these semi-permanent and highly mobile working lives. I see this a lot in the Tech Workers’ Branch, but this is a trend that we as a union need to be ready for.
My day job sees me interacting with individual contributors to C-Level execs, guiding decision-making and informing technical architecture across all industries in the public and private sectors, nationally and internationally. The mix of experiences and skills I’ve built up can only strengthen the contribution I make to our union.
Since having joined our union, I’ve not only taken on an active role as the Tech Workers’ Branch Vice-Chair, I’m also on the IT&T Sector Exec Committee. A breadth of people are required on the NEC, and I believe I help contribute towards that.
Nominate me and I’ll continue working to ensure our union has the resilience, adaptability, and member engagement needed to support all our members—now and in the future.