Paul W. Fleming

Paul William Fleming (born 13 May 1988)[1] is a British trade union leader. He has served as the General Secretary of Equity since 2020.

Early Life & Education

Born in Birmingham, West Midlands, Fleming was educated at Bishop Walsh Catholic School.[2] The first member of his family to attend university, Fleming studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Mansfield College, Oxford.[3] Whilst a student, he was President of The Newman Society, and Secretary of theJunior Common Room at Mansfield College.[4]

After graduation, he worked as for the New Jersey Democratic Party, becoming the Acting Press Secretary, before becoming an organiser for the Community trade union.[3]

Career at Equity

He started working for Equity in 2011, and by the end of the decade was the union's West End Organiser.[3][5]

In July 2020, Fleming was elected as General Secretary of Equity, winning 69% of the vote on a 16% turnout. On his election, he was described as "the first LGBTQ+ General Secretary of a major UK trade union".[3][6][7]

During his tenure as General Secretary membership of Equity rose to the record level of 50,000 members.[8]

In May 2025, Fleming stood for a second term and was opposed by stuntman Riky Ash. He was re-elected, winning 81% of the vote on a 12.5% turnout.[9]

Personal Life & Politics

In 2014, Fleming was elected to the Council of the London Borough of Southwark in Faraday ward, for the Labour Party, serving two terms. Fleming was the only Labour councillor in Southwark to support the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party in 2015.[10]

Fleming resigned the Labour whip in 2020, following his election as General Secretary, due to the union's non-affiliation from the Labour Party.

References

  1. ^ Who’s Who 2024. ISBN 9781399409452.
  2. ^ Who’s Who 2024. ISBN 9781399409452.
  3. ^ a b c d Bosanquet, Theo (7 October 2020). "Paul W Fleming". The Stage. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Past Presidents – The Newman Society".
  5. ^ "Southwark councillor becomes head of actors' union". Southwark News. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  6. ^ Lezard, Tom (10 July 2020). "Equity elects UK's first LGBTQ+ new general secretary". Union News. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Equity elects Fleming as General Secretary". Arts Professional. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  8. ^ "About Us". Equity. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Paul W Fleming beats stuntman challenger to win Equity election". The Stage. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  10. ^ Desk, News (15 June 2017). "‘We do better when we’re unashamedly Labour’ – local party says 1,700 volunteers helped swing it on poll". Southwark News. Retrieved 12 February 2026. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
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