ANNOUNCEMENT: Lord Purvis of Tweed new Honorary President of UPECC
We are delighted to announce that Jeremy Purvis, Lord Purvis of Tweed, will take up the role of the first unpaid Honorary President of the Union of Pilots, Engineers and Cabin Crew with immediate effect.
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Lord Purvis brings to the role an unusual combination of private sector, and political expertise. Elected as an MSP in 2003 at the age of 29, this made him the youngest constituency MSP at that time, and then appointed to the Lords at 39 as one of the youngest ever life peers. Based in Scotland and focussed on international affairs and development he brings a wealth of global experience as well as knowledge of pressures facing domestic and international travellers and staff.
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James O’Brien from the Directorate of UPECC said: “The aviation sector has rarely been so in need of an inclusive national conversation about its place and contribution within the UK and of course internationally given the ramifications of Brexit. The purpose of UPECC is to ensure that the employees within this sector are able to flourish within their chosen and hard worked for career and this cannot be done without UPECC having a seat at the political table. Welcoming Jeremy as Honorary President will enable us to take our work to a new level through his extensive experience of business, politics, public policy and inclusion.”
Lord Purvis said: “I am honoured to take up this role with UPECC. It is time for an open, realistic, evidence-led and genuinely diverse national debate about the influence and place of the aviation sector within this world and how it can flourish in changing circumstances and despite the impact of the Covid pandemic and global measures to tackle climate change. I am glad UPECC aims to reach beyond traditional industrial relations strategies, and I am supportive of their aim to secure a prosperous future for the employees within this sector.”
