‘People’s Peer’ is Teesside’s Chancellor

About 650 guests will attend a grand ceremony as Lord Sawyer of Darlington is installed today (Friday 22 April 2005) as the new Chancellor of the University of Teesside.

The event at Middlesbrough Town Hall will be preceded by an academic procession through the campus and along Albert Road. Trumpeters from the Normandy band, Queen’s Division, Catterick Garrison, will be present along with some students in Chinese lion dance costume for ‘Good Luck’.

The ceremony will see Lord Sawyer dressed in a ceremonial academic gown take over the Chancellorship from Lord Brittan, who will be awarded a honorary Doctor of Laws degree for his 12 years service to the University.

During the ceremony, a video will be shown introducing Lord Sawyer and featuring a number of national figures who know him well, including former Labour Party leader Lord (Neil) Kinnock; Mo Mowlam, former Northern Ireland Secretary of State and ex MP for Redcar; Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC and Ruth Spellman, Chief Executive of Investors in People.

Ruth Spellman describes Lord Sawyer as “the people’s peer” in the video and praises his drive and commitment to social progress. Mo Mowlam says: “I think he will make a wonderful Chancellor. He will be an asset to Teesside and an asset to the University.”

Lord Sawyer will say in his acceptance speech: “I want our University to play a particular role in improving social mobility. I want us to help young people do better than their Mam and Dad. But I also want us to help people who missed out the first time round – the single parents, people who for whatever reason need a part-time programme.

“Part-time students have a very important role to play in our university and we champion their needs. We also must address the needs of immigrant communities and people who failed at school but deserve a second chance. I will do my utmost to help you, to help them to achieve their full potential.”

* The ceremony combines both the installation of Lord Sawyer as Chancellor and the celebration of the 75 years since the University’s forerunner, Constantine College, was officially opened by the then Prince of Wales.

Members of the Constantine family will be on the stage and a second video will be shown including original archive footage from the 1930 official opening.

Notes to Editors:

Lord Sawyer of Darlington

Lord Sawyer, who today will succeed Lord Brittan as the University’s Chancellor, is still known as Tom Sawyer to his many friends in the North East.  He is delighted to help lead a university serving the whole of the Tees Valley, including his native Darlington, as he associates closely with Teesside’s mission of widening opportunities in an excellent educational environment.

Lord Sawyer sees his new role as being the University’s champion in Parliament and beyond, and working with the Vice-Chancellor to ensure that the University’s reputation is spread far and wide.

He began his schooling at Dodmire Junior, where Lord MacKenzie of Framwellgate was a fellow pupil.  He worked in the engineering industry until 1971, when he became a full-time official for the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) and secretary of Darlington Trades Council. He rose up the Union’s ranks and became Deputy General Secretary of NUPE/UNISON from 1981-94.  He was Chairman of the Labour Party in 1991-92 and the party’s General Secretary from 1994-98.  He is a former Chairman of the Notting Hill Housing Group and of the Royal Mail Partnership Board and is a former director of Investors in People UK.

He is involved with a wide range of organisations.  He is the Chairman of the Britannia Building Society Members’ Council, and is also Chair of Thompsons, the labour movement solicitors. He was appointed a Visiting Professor at Cranfield Business School in 1999, and became a life peer in 1998.

---