Megan Povey
We are writing with the extremely sad news that Professor Megan Povey died on Wednesday 9 September, after being taken ill last week.
As well as being a prolific, widely respected and cited scientist, Megan was a much loved and stalwart member of our UCU branch, and the AUT which preceded UCU’s formation.
Many of you will have stood on picket lines with Megan, observed her friendly persuasion for delivery drivers to turn around rather than cross a picket, and marched with her to raise awareness of union campaigns, human rights issues and international injustices. Megan was always proud to represent UCU, travelling with our banner to many a demonstration and gathering, and keen to support activists no matter how new or seasoned in the movement.
There were many strings to Megan’s trade union bow. We believe Megan first joined the AUT committee in the 1980s and served in many roles within AUT and UCU, from Press Officer for AUT, to Leeds UCU president from 2009-11. During her presidency, our branch fought and won in a significant dispute over compulsory redundancies in the Faculty of Biological Sciences.
Megan served three consecutive elected terms on UCU’s National Executive Committee from 2007-2013, and was elected as a UCU negotiator for the USS pension scheme JNC in 2012/13, and worked on pensions as an elected member of the (USS) UCU National Disputes Committee from 2019. She also undertook several terms doing very detailed democratic work as an elected member of the UCU Congress Business Committee.
More recently, Megan served as a joint Leeds UCU Equality Officer in 2021/22. She was elected to UCU’s UK LGBTQ+ members from 2018-2023, and UCU’s UK Women Members standing committee from 2018-21. Megan also represented UCU at the annual Women’s TUC conference in 2019 and 2020. Many colleagues have commented on how encouraging and welcoming Megan was, and she is remembered as a very active member, engaging with everything up for discussion, contributing wise insights and suggestions, and keen to listen.
Many members will have also come to know Megan through her involvement with the university’s LGBT+ Staff Network, where she was able to support others as a role model, and shared her experience for others on the Network’s website (see this post), where her openness demonstrated her commitment to help others feel able to be themselves.
We truly believe we honour Megan by continuing to organise and support each other across our branch and movement.
We have opened this post for comments in case you wish to leave a message or memory. (There will be a delay before your comment appears.)
We will write again with information about arrangements for Megan’s funeral and plans to honour her legacy as a branch when we have them.
In sadness and solidarity,
Vicky, on behalf of the UCU University of Leeds branch committee.
This page was last updated on 10 September 2026
Megan was a force of nature – a complete one off. I can’t begin to say how much she taught me and how much I will miss her, but two things stand out.
Firstly, she was full of hope. This shone through her activism as well as her life. It is all too tempting to fall into despair in the world at the moment but Megan would never do so and would never allow others to do so. Over my time as a UCU branch officer and beyond, every time I was tempted to give up, Megan was there with not only a word of encouragement (and a broad smile) but with a plan or a strategy-a concrete way forward. I was going to say that I shall miss that, and I will, but I think she will always be on my shoulder telling me I’m doing a good job and encouraging me to keep fighting.
Secondly, she was full of solidarity. She had strong and forthright opinions -another way in which she was a role model. I didn’t always agree with those opinions, but never once did I fear that a disagreement would cost me her solidarity or her friendship. We were always on the same side.
Megan’s joy was infectious, as was her smile and I will never see a rainbow umbrella without thinking of her.
Rest in power Megan- we will miss you but we are better because you were here.
Megan befriended me on a UCU walk from Saltaire to Ilkley. I had just joined the University and the Union and didn’t know anyone. She was welcoming, warm and witty and it was a pleasure to be paired with her on subsequent picket lines. I will miss her. She was an inspiration to me as to so many others.
I’m sorry to hear this sad news. Megan was a significant influence in my trade union and personal life. My thoughts are with her family and friends and I remember her with great fondness and memories of time with her and the great advice and influence she continually gave to me and others.
Goodbye old friend – a life well-lived
You will always be remembered and so sorely missed by all of us who worked with you, and were blessed with your friendship.
Megan was known, respected and loved by many throughout the union, for her activism, outspoken views, and sparkling personality. She’s really going to be missed!
With love from members at University of Liverpool & Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine UCU
Really sad and shocked to hear this news. Megan was my UCU rep and always inspired me with hope in the face of blatant injustice. Rest in peace.
I only had brief encounters with her, but could tell what a formidable women she was.
Solidarity to her family and to her branch.
I didn’t really know Megan personally except for sharing some snowy picket lines on occasion. Many years back though we were stuck on a project and in need of the use of some quite expensive ultra sonic equipment that we had no budget for. Megan loaned us some of her equipment without any question. It was such a generous act and got us out of a hole. I am not surprised to read that her generous spirit has spread so widely.
So sorry to hear this – my condolences to all at Leeds Uni UCU and all who knew Megan. Such a loss to the whole labour movement and socialists everywhere. I first met Megan when I was a student at Leeds University in the late 1990s at a time when we were campaigning against Nazi BNP students on campus. I was so impressed when invited into Megan’s office at the time to see Anti-Nazi League posters up in her office – so different from the other academics offices I had been in up to then! I also had the privilege of attending her inaugural Professorial lecture at Leeds University – and was again deeply impressed by not only her own clearly pioneering and important research but the wider respect she commanded among other academics and scientists for her work. Though I had the privilege of spending time again with her at UCU Congress recently, my final lasting abiding memory of Megan I think will be from seeing her at a Leeds Pride, when she was so proudly smiling and happily standing on the sidelines holding up and selling pamphlets on trans liberation – she was a great and inspiring fighter against oppression and exploitation over so many decades – solidarity and condolences again.
I’m so sorry to hear about Megan. I can’t believe I’ll never be standing on a picket line with her again as I often have in the past years, admiring her fierceness and kindness (and her colourful umbrella). Rest in power, Megan.
Rest In Power comrade. You would be the first to say ‘Don’t mourn, organise’
We will miss you
Megan was not only an incredible academic, a stalwart unionist, and an amazing person; she was a loyal and caring friend to many, including me. During the pandemic, I remember her recipe WhatsApp chat was a source of solidarity and light, human connection that was sorely needed. Some of my fondest memories are her singing “sausage chips and beans” on the picket lines, zoom ‘pub Fridays’ with too much wine, and her many insightful words about trade unionism, solidarity, politics, neo-liberalism, and hope. She left the world a brighter place for being in it and I will miss her terribly.
I met Megan last year and found her a true inspiration in so many ways, I am extremely sad to hear of her passing. My condolences to her family, friends and the many people who clearly also found her to be a wonderful human.
Condolences to her family and all her colleagues and comrades at Leeds UCU.i along with everyone learnt so much from Megan, and owe her a great debt.
Megan, a long-standing revolutionary socialist and member of the SWP was a great influence on us all. She is missed dearly but leaves us with the optimism that a better world is possible.
I’m so sorry to read this. I admired Megan’s passion and eloquence at Congress so many times and although I never really got to know her, I was always happy when she stood up to speak. The world and the Union have lost an amazing person. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
There should be a statue of Megan holding a placard outside the main entrance to University of Leeds. I can’t believe I won’t see her picketing there again, in all weathers, trying her best to persuade drivers not to go in. I’d plod up the hill from the station, and there she’d be, with a big smile and a hug and great solidarity. Her unwavering committment and determination were inspirational. We never did have that cup of tea and catchup that we kept promising each other. I shall miss her.
Megan was one of the most active AUT members and activists during my time at Leeds in the 1980s and 90s. My condolences to her family and friends at this sad loss.
I will never forget my first encounter on the Parkiston steps with Megan, then branch president and her warm welcome to the branch as new member. She has always stood in solidarity with all members and in particular those facing multiple forms of oppression.
Bold and subtle in her approach to fighting inequality and injustice, and teaching us how important is for the Labour movement and academics to fight for international justice too. Thanks for your kindness and integrity, for your inspiring interventions at our general meetings, and for always holding our banner so proudly, we will miss you Megan.onwards xxx
I met Megan on the picket lines of the Miners Strike in 1984 when it was OK to shout scab at the men bused into work at Fryston Pit. Megan’s life was committed to pursuing social justice across class, race, gender, and sexuality. My commitment waxed and waned but Megan was unstinting. Always on the picket line, always campaigning, protesting, demanding rights for the oppressed. Always building the union. She was unstinting. Her energy unfathomably deep, campaigning to keep Huddersfield Royal Infirmary open one week when we met, at the front of a LGBTQ+ demonstration the next time I saw her, proud. She was brave too, thrown into a cell with racists at a demonstration against the far right in Wakefield, her voice quivered when she described the experience, her anger directed at the police.
Her excitement for her work was irrepressible too. From margarine to microwaving a dinner, including the ice cream, her science was expansive. She could explain the fluid dynamics of a dunked of a tea bag. And her lecture on the colonisation of sugar was an unmissable treat at the teach-ins during the strike.
We weren’t allowed to call those who crossed UCU picket lines scabs. Trying to be middle-class nice, maybe, muddied with the politics of choice and identity certainly. Megan wouldn’t have any of that, nor would I. We composed a song and belted it out.
Sausage, chips and beans,
Sausage, chips and beans.
We know you are,
You know you are,
Sausage, chips and beans.
It made us smile. There is joy in the struggle. Principled and deeply, deeply committed to a collective and emancipatory future, there was never any excuse for crossing a picket line for Megan.
Megan was absolutely one of the good ones, a force of nature and a bundle of joy on the picket lines.
Megan was a comrade. Her activism and optimism of the intellect mostly outstripped the pessimism of the contemporary dystopia and the awfulness of the Neo liberal university. She was an exemplary union president who repeatedly at most meetings, when thankfully they were in person, reminded members that it was their union and she provided an opportunity to express the frustration of membership to a deaf university management. Some things don’t change but while she was aware of that and the current decline of union relative strength, she would not submit to or acquiesce in the face of management nonsense. The struggle continues- victory is certain! Rest in power.
I’m so saddened to hear about Megan, and whilst I’ve (blissfully!) been emancipated from The University of Azkaban (Leeds Branch) for three years now, I have never forgotten her kindness, sincerity and generosity of spirit.
I took over from Megan as Branch Equalities Officer, and whilst I could never hope to achieve even a minuscule proportion of what she managed to do, I will forever remember her support and encouragement, along with some extremely useful notes and documents that enabled me to hit the ground at least crawling rather than totally spread eagle.
Above all, Megan exuded humanity, solidarity and compassion. She had an immense impact on those she encountered, and I’m grateful and relieved to have been (mostly!) on her good side: she didn’t suffer fools, and detested inequality of any kind.
Thank you, Megan, for all the advice, encouragement and huge smiles. Your legacy lives on!