REPORT OF THE BALLOT COMMITTEE FOR CONFERENCE 2017 MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO RULE

1. Motion: Kent & Sussex Regional Branch

“The Party needs to undertake an urgent review of the sustainability of its organisational structure and its ability to effectively engage its members and supporters to achieve its objectives and operate in the 21st Century. Conference instructs the Executive Committee to organise a consultation of the entire membership on:
1. Their views on the current and future organisational structure of the Party.
2. The views of members on the priorities of the Party.
3. How best individual party members, supporters and sympathisers can be enabled to participate in achieving the object of the Party. “

Vote 1 For 84 Against 22 Carried

2. Motion: West London Branch

“This Conference instructs the EC to set up a committee to look into the implications of the Party becoming a national membership organisation, and to report to 2018 Conference.”

Vote 2 For 75 Against 25 Carried

3. Motion: North London Branch

"This Conference instructs the EC to ensure that all Party candidates for public office shall stand on the basis that, if elected, they shall refuse to take office and shall repudiate any associated salary or other benefits."

Vote 3 For 18 Against 83 Lost

4. Motion: Manchester Branch

" That the Party's registered nominal "leader" be selected by lot at each Conference, the existing "leader" not being permitted to stand again.”

1st Amendment to Motion: Kent & Sussex Regional Branch

“Insert after 'Conference': 'every five years, or as deemed necessary by the EC”.

2^nd Amendment to Motion: North London Branch

"Add at end: 'All members of the EC and Party Officers shall be excluded from the draw"

Vote 4 on the 1st amendment For 52 Against 32 Carried

Vote 5 on the 2^nd amendment For 25 Against 58 Lost

Vote 6 if the 1^st amendment only is carried For 50 Against 29 Carried

Vote 7 if the 2^nd amendment only is carried For 29 Against 49 Lost

Vote 8 if both amendments are carried For 31 Against 47 Lost

Vote 9 on the unamended motion For 53 Against 33

The amended resolution as carried now reads as follows –

" That the Party's registered nominal "leader" be selected by lot at each Conference, every five years, or as deemed necessary by the EC, the existing "leader" not being permitted to stand again.”

The 2017 Conference advised that items 5 and 6 should appear on the ballot paper as mutually exclusive.

5. Amendment to Rule: North London Branch.

Rule 2: “That Rule 2 be amended to read 'Each member shall pay £5 annually to their Branch.”

6. Amendment to Rule: Kent & Sussex Regional Branch.

Rule 2: “Remove the first sentence in Rule 2 and substitute “Members contribute to the achievement of the Party object in accordance with their abilities and means which may include the propagation of ideas, active participation, financial contributions and encouraging others to become Socialist.”

Vote 10 For item 5 ..15… or For item 6 …49….. Vote 11 Against item 5 …71……… Vote 12 Against item 6 …42………

Therefore, item 6 is carried and the amended Rule 2 now reads as follows –

“Members contribute to the achievement of the Party object in accordance with their abilities and means which may include the propagation of ideas, active participation, financial contributions and encouraging others to become Socialist.  A member may be lapsed by a Branch following loss of contact, subject to EC ratification.”

7. Motion Lancaster Branch.

“That the print Standard be discontinued from January 2018 and the online Standard become the Party's official journal.”

Amendment to Motion: North London Branch.
"Add at end: 'Additionally, though, the SSPC shall examine producing short runs of special issues, a printed Annual Digest and a complete Volume of all the year's issues.”

Vote 13 on the amendment For ….25…. Against …68…Lost….

Vote 14 if the amendment is carried For …17……… Against ..74….Lost….

Vote 15 on the unamended motion For …11……… Against …89..Lost….

8. Motion Lancaster Branch.

"This Conference rescinds Paragraph d of the 1990 Conference resolution separating layout from editorial control, as no longer being necessary."

Vote 16 For …56……… Against …..39…..Carried..

The amended 1990 Conference resolution now reads as follows –

:”In view of the importance of the layout and design of the Socialist Standard, and of the need to provide training and experience for future SSPC members (both editorial and layout), this Conference therefore resolves that from January 1991 the Socialist Standard Production Committee shall consists of: three editorial members, one layout-design member and one secretary, all of whom shall be appointed by the Executive Committee from nominations specifying for which of these functions the nominee is being nominated: and that the SSPC Terms of Reference shall be as follows:

(a) to ensure the efficient monthly production of the Socialist Standard and to report to the EC twice a year, at the end of June and December. The various committee members shall liaise with the printers according to practical requirements and mutual arrangement. (

b) The editorial members and layout-design member shall each as far as possible co-opt other members, with EC ratification, to assist with these functions familiarising potential committee members with the work. (c) The three editorial members shall be responsible for all written content (including titles etc), its textual accuracy andtheoretical soundness, including the order in which the contents appear and the setting of any articles in larger or smaller print.

9. Motion West Midlands Regional Branch.

“This conference requests that a leaflet about climate change is produced, to include mentioning how a socialist society could encourage sustainability with production based on needs rather than profits.”

Vote 17 For …101……… Against …1…..Carried….

Number of papers sent out – 343

Number of papers returned:

Breakdown by branches: Central: 26, Edinburgh: 4, Glasgow: 8, Kent & Sussex Regional: 7, Lancaster: 6, Manchester: 10, North London: 8, North East Regional: 4, South London: 7, South West Regional: 2, Swansea: 8, West London: 8, West Midlands Regional: 5, Yorkshire Regional: 4.

Total for branches: 107

Both Cdes Julian Vein and Cibele Alvarenga were co-opted on to the ballot committee to assist with the count.

 Oliver Bond (Ballot Committee), Julian Vein and Cibele Alvarenga.

 29^th June 2017