Career
Before his appointment as National Secular Society General Secretary in 1996, Wood had been director of finance for companies in the wholesale and retail food distribution, financial services and insurance sectors. They had been together for over two decades before civil partnerships were introduced in 2005, and they entered into a civil partnership in 2006. In 1996, Wood was appointed General Secretary of the National Secular Society, following the retirement of Terry Mullins (who had held the post since 1979).
Describing him as a "radical campaigner in a business suit", Peter Brearey, then editor of The Freethinker, welcomed Wood"s appointment, noting his campaigning track record and background of "25 years in senior managerial and professional roles covering administration, accounting, legal and company secretarial issues."
In 2013, following criticisms from Lord Carey, that David Cameron was "feeding anxieties" about Christian persecution and "that the government seemed to be "aiding and abetting" aggressive secularisation," Wood declared that Carey had "no right to insist that his discriminatory and intolerant views should prevail over those of the public and Parliament.”
As an international representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, he has criticised the activities of the Holy See within the United Nations system and accused the Vatican of not fulfilling its political obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
He stated, "Child abuse is a major issue, along with corruption, that he needs to sort out. His legacy will be judged, I think, on his ability to deal with these immensely difficult problems."
Secularism at the end of the 20th century (1997).
Leicester: Leicester Secular Society.
