I AM standing because members of all sections of the union in the UK, Ireland and Continental Europe have asked me to.

The final straw for many was the way that London (which represents one quarter of the members) tried to stitch up the election for existing DGS John Fray.

Even some of the London delegates at this year's ADM at Llandudno told me they were horrified at what was being done in their name.

I am also standing because I want the good work started by former General Secretary John Foster to continue under Jeremy Dear.

A growing number of members are fed up with people standing for office in the NUJ so that they can pursue their own agendas.

Current General Secretary Jeremy Dear has a clear mandate from our members to take our union forward.

Most of his policies have been endorsed by ADM. I want to work with the NEC, ADM, full time officials and lay officers to deliver those improvements in service. This is the only way that we can improve members' pay and conditions.

More pay for multi-skilling

The bosses have made record profits during the past 15 years. They can afford to restore our members' living standards.

Copyright fight goes on

When John Foster initiated the copyright campaign he admitted it would take up to 10 years to win the battle.

We are already making progress to bring UK law into line with the rest of the European Community. Perhaps the Scottish Parliament could take the lead here to protect creators' rights?

I am looking forward to the day when every journalist gets at least a few hundred quid every Christmas for the re-use of their work.

Anti-low pay battle continues

The NUJ's fight against low pay in provincial newspapers continues to make good ground.

When our union first published figures on how bad pay levels really were (seniors with 20 years' experience lucky to get £16k a year) coppers policing the picket lines were shocked.

One Tory councillor asked whether these were part-time jobs. Ask how many candidates have stood on freezing picket lines.

BBC breaks own charter over World Service sackings

The BBC has broken its own charter by sacking two NUJ members on the World Service for organising against the institutional racial discrimination in that branch of the corporation.

I have challenged NUJ member Greg Dyke to go to binding arbitration over all the issues in the World Service.

NUJ fights the pensions snatchers

Members in Coventry and Birmingham took strike action against attempts by Trinity Mirror to close the final salary pension scheme.

While pay is not good in this media giant, the current scheme does mean that members will get two-thirds of their final salary in pension after 40 years' service.

Members were supported by Jeremy Dear and Miles Barter on the picket lines. It was pleasing to see the number of workers under 30 who expressed concern over this latest round of pension theft.

Bro Youett has written to European Vice-president Neil Kinnock urging the EEC to close the legal loophole and fill the gaps with the £7 billion a year subsidy airlines are given via duty-free fuel.