Q&A with Community’s new General Secretary

Earlier this month we announced Alasdair McDiarmid as Community’s new General Secretary.

In a Q&A, Alasdair walks us through his objectives for the union over the coming years, also reflecting on the moments that have impacted him most while working for Community.

What have been your favourite moments, campaigns or union wins while working for Community?

There are many, but a recent one would be sitting with the MPs on the green benches when parliament was recalled on a Saturday for the first time since the 1980s to pass emergency legislation to seize control of British Steel and prevent the furnaces being sabotaged by Jingye. Another great moment was the day our members beat fire and rehire at Clarks following an extensive campaign and two months of industrial action.

You have worked in a number of different roles at Community, what do you think makes this union special or distinct from others?

Our members are our greatest asset and the basis of our collective strength. And our hundreds of incredible union officials, who do the hard work representing our members in the workplace day in day out, are the best in the business. Our people our exceptional and they are what makes our union so special.

Has there been anyone in the movement who particularly inspired or encouraged you?

When I joined the union, I worked on the 2005 General Election campaign reporting to the late Joe Mann MBE who went on to become Community’s Deputy General Secretary. Joe previously brought the National League of the Blind and Disabled into Community – he was a hugely passionate campaigner and advocate for disability rights and an inspiring figure and mentor to me.

You have met with members from all of the different sectors while working for Community, what have your interactions with union members, reps and officials taught you?

Interacting with our members and reps over so many years has taught me that, no matter how much experience you have, they are the real experts. They know their industries and issues best and their skills and insights are invaluable.

Alasdair McDiarmid at Community’s Biennial Delegate Conference 2026

Community is a “modern trade union, campaigning for a better working world”, what is the relevance of a union like Community in 2026?

Community is a union prepared to embrace change and face the future with confidence and positivity. Since I joined the union we have transitioned from being almost a single sector union to the diverse and growing union that we are today. That doesn’t happen by accident – it takes vision and a willingness to innovate and invest in the future.

What are your main objectives for Community over the coming years and how will you achieve them?

Over the coming years a key priority is to deliver sustainable membership growth, and that is why I am in the process of creating a new National Organising Unit. It is vital that we seize the opportunities presented by new trade union access rights – this a huge moment for the trade union movement and one that Community is being equipped to grasp.

How did it feel to receive General Secretary nominations from such a significant majority of Community’s membership?

It’s a huge honour and very humbling to have received so much support from every region and every sector. The breadth and depth of support gives me a strong platform to advance my ambitions to grow and strengthen our union. I am very grateful to everyone who has supported and put their trust in me.

What kind of legacy do you hope to leave behind as Community General Secretary?

I think, overall, every General Secretary wants to build on the position they inherited and leave the union in a stronger and better place than they found it. That is what I aspire to achieve.