Meeting with Bill Rammel MP
An angry meeting on Friday, convened by the local MP Bill Rammell, heard denunciations of Colin Hindmarsh’s (the Principal’s) actions from staff, students, parents and people from the local community. Sasha Callaghan, UCU Vice President, and two other FEC members, Sean Vernell and Laura Miles, brought solidarity greetings from UCU’s Further Education Committee. Staff were demanding the intervention of the LSC to deal with the situation, and there were calls to urge OFSTED to inspect the college management. A clearly rattled Bill Rammell promised to continue to raise the issue with the Principal and governors, but failed to make the unequivocal criticism of the Principal’s wrecking behaviour which could put him on the back foot.
Action to continue
The UCU branch at Harlow is organizing further action in late August and September amid grave doubts about the potential of the college to deliver over a wide range of courses for which there are now no lecturers in post