Hugh Lanning

Hugh Lanning is a British pro-Palestinian activist and former trade union official. He was the Deputy General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), one of Britain's largest trade unions, until May 2013. He has been the Chairman of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) since 2009, and in 2013 was named a vice chair of the group Unite Against Fascism (UAF).

In 2015, Hugh stood to become the Labour candidate for the Canterbury and Whitstable Constituency, in Kent. Despite not winning the seat, he did increase the Labour vote share and came second in the election results.

Lanning has played a major role in persuading trade unions in Britain to declare solidarity with the Palestinians and to support the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement. During his tenure at PCS, Lanning was active in the effort to keep people he considered 'fascists' or 'racists' out of the union and out of union workplaces.

Lanning has given speeches at many labour and anti-racism rallies and has been a frequent contributor to the Morning Star, the daily newspaper of the Communist Party of Britain.

Lanning worked for the civil service trade unions for over 30 years, starting with the Civil Service Union and all the subsequent merged unions.” As Deputy Chairman of PCS, the UK's largest civil service trade union, he served on the National Trade Union Committee, and was responsible for negotiations with the Cabinet Office on jobs, pensions, and personnel management issues.

Lanning lost an election for General Secretary of PCS in 2000 to Mark Serwotka. His loss was widely described as unexpected. Lanning accepted the result and agreed to serve as Serwotka's deputy, but the incumbent General Secretary, Barry Reamsbottom, declared the result invalid and continued in office.

Lanning spoke at an April 2006 “rally against racism and fascism” in Trafalgar Square organized by a group called National Assembly against Racism.

At a “massive” Voices for Lebanon and Palestine rally in Trafalgar Square in July 2006, organized by PSC with the help of CND, Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative, Lebanese Muslim League, Lebanese Welfare Community and Friends of Al-Aqsa, Lanning spoke alongside actors Corin Redgrave, Kika Markham, Bill Paterson, and others, saying that “the British trade union movement has a good record on many international issues, but not on Palestine.”

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