Doug McAvoy: "Delighted"

Doug McAvoy won a key vote of the union's executive on Thursday.

If he had lost, it would have meant leaving his post in February - four months earlier than he is contracted to do so.

The union leader had claimed he was being targeted by a left-wing faction in the union.

He had said members had manoeuvred to help his deputy Steve Sinnott's campaign to be elected as his successor, disadvantaging the other candidates.

A motion was put to the executive to alter the time-table for the election of Mr McAvoy's successor.

But the motion was defeated by 21 votes to 15.

Mr McAvoy said he was delighted.

"If the vote had gone the other way, it would have given comfort to the other teacher organizations and delighted the Education Secretary, Charles Clarke.

"It would be seen as a rejection of my leadership and policies. It would have led the Union into a period of internal strife and caused confusion amongst the membership."

The NUT has been on bad terms with the government and the other big teaching union - the NASUWT - since rejecting plans to cut teachers' workloads by using more classroom assistants in schools.