It comes as no surprise to me to see high-profile resignations from the UK’s Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) following that once noble labour organisation’s degeneration into semi-naked antisemitism and futile gesture politics. I refer to the union leadership’s call for British academics to cut ties with Israeli colleagues. Israel is singled out for punishment by the UCU, while despotic regimes in countries like Sudan, Burma and Zimbabwe are subject to relatively mild criticism.

Today we have the open resignation letter of Keele University ethicist Eve Garrard, who is known to many as a highly articulate defender of Israel. I feel sad that it has come to this, but understand and support Garrard’s action.

Some years ago I was a member of the Association of University Teachers, which later merged with the further and higher education lecturers’ union NATFHE to become the UCU. That action in itself may have sealed the fate of the union. NATFHE was dominated by scheming ultra-leftists, who then joined forces with political allies in the old universities to create a political activist organisation that displays nothing but contempt for its members, yet happily pockets their considerable monthly subscriptions.

Shame on the UCU leaders; they are a disgrace to trades unionism.