Ucatt ‘bans candidate from leadership race’

Troubled union Ucatt has descended further into farce after a leading candidate in its leadership election claimed he has been banned from running.

Mick Dooley – who successfully overturned the union’s 2009 leadership result, forcing a new leadership ballot – told Building he had been informed of the union’s decision over the weekend.

He is set to challenge the union’s decision and will seek a High Court injunction to prevent the ballot going ahead without his name on it.

If the alleged ban stands, Building understands the remaining candidates will be former general secretary Alan Ritchie, London regional secretary Jerry Swain and Yorkshire regional secretary Steve Murphy.

Alan Ritchie was forced to resign as leader of the union in April after unions watchdog the Certification Office (CO) declared his 2009 leadership win void because ballot papers were sent to less than half of the union’s claimed 130,000 members.

The CO’s investigation was prompted by a complaint by Dooley, who was defeated in the 2009 contest by Ritchie.

Controversy also surrounds Ritchie’s decision to stand again for the leadership, after Building revealed last month that he was suspended from his current role working out of the Ucatt’s Glasgow office in September amid an investigation concerning expenses.