Matt Wrack, the veteran former leader of the Fire Brigades Union, is in the running to take over as general secretary of the NASUWT, Schools Week understands.

The teachers’ union’s executive is considering naming Wrack, who led the FBU for 20 years until he was unseated in an election in January, as its preferred candidate for the role which will be vacated by Dr Patrick Roach later this year, sources said.

Unlike most general secretaries of the teaching unions, Wrack does not come from an education background. He was a firefighter before becoming a trade union official.

Branches of the union will now have the opportunity to nominate potential challengers, but NASUWT has not had a contested election in more than 30 years.

Wrack, a former president of the Trades Union Council, has been a critic of both Conservative and Labour governments.

Since the election of Sir Keir Starmer’s party in July last year, Wrack has been among the most vocal opponents of the decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance for pensioners.

He is also a close ally of Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, raising the prospect of much closer working between the two unions if Wrack is elected.

Roach announced last year that he did not intend to seek re-election when his first term ended this spring. He was first elected in 2020.