November 2017 EC minutes
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MINUTES OF THE 11th MEETING OF THE 114th EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN HELD AT HEAD OFFICE ON SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2017 At 13.30.
Present: Browne, Buick (minutes), Chesham, McLellan, Tenner (chair), Thomas (6)
Apologies: Foster (ill)
Absent: Cox, Wicks
[Note: these are draft minutes only and are not official until adopted by the EC]
1. Adoption of Minutes of previous meeting
The Minutes of the October Meeting were incomplete.
Comrade Chesham provided the missing pieces. With these added, the Minutes were adopted. The completed version would be circulated to branches and members.
The EC decided to resume the past practice of the chair of the meeting signing the adopted Minutes.
2. EC Members
The EC noted that as Comrades Cox and Wicks had been absent from two out of three consecutive EC meetings (three out of three in fact) without being granted leave of absence by the EC they had lapsed from the EC under Rule 13.
3. Electoral Commission matters
Comrade Tenner reported that he had sent the two letters, on behalf of the EC, to the Electoral Commission, one about their proposal to fine us £7500 for late submission of a quarterly donation report and the other concerning the late submission of our audited accounts for 2016. He was hopeful of a positive outcome.
4. Printing of Party T-shirts
Agreed to refer to Kent & Sussex Branch.
5. Committee on Organisational Structure of the Party
Nominations from branches received of Comrades P. Bennett, R. Cox, M. Foster and B. Johnson. Comrades Bennett, Foster and Johnson accepted. Comrade Cox wrote he would accept if the EC changed the committee’s terms of reference to, in his opinion, more accurately reflect the Conference resolution.
Motion 1: Chesham and Tenner moved “That Comrades Bennett, Foster and Johnson be appointed”. Carried 5-0-1.
6. Opening an investment dealing account
Comrade Buick reported that he had had certified by a notary as an accurate record the Minutes of the October 2016 EC Meeting, at which Comrades Johnson, Perrin and Tenner had been appointed members of the Investment Committee. Alliance Trust Savings had requested this as a condition for opening an account with them. Hopefully, this would unblock the situation.
7. Socialist Standard Layout
Comrade Whitehead offered to help out with the design and lay-out of the Socialist Standard.
Motion 2: Browne and Chesham moved “that Comrade Whitehead be appointed as a trainee layout member of the Socialist Standard Production Committee.” Carried 5-0-1.
8. Advertising the whiteboard video
The Audio-Visual Committee presented costs for advertising this on YouTube and Facebook; a figure of £1000 for each was put forward.
Motion 3: Thomas and Browne moved “that a grant of £1000 be made for the purpose of in-display advertising of the whiteboard video on YouTube in liaison with Comrade Chesham”. Carried 5-0-1.
9. Forms A and F
Manchester Branch presented a Form F in respect of Paula McEwan, in furtherance of the resolution carried 7-0 (7 present) at their meeting on 28 October 'That Comrade McEwan be expelled'. The motion to charge her under Rule 29 was 'That Comrade Paula McEwan is hereby charged with action detrimental to the interests of the Party, in that in the 2017 general election she voted for the Labour Party, in contravention of Principle 7 and Rule 6', carried 9-2 via voting online and by snail mail. The Form F was accompanied by a letter from Comrade McEwan admitting and defending voting Labour at the recent general election.
Browne and Thomas moved “That the Form F be accepted”. Carried 6-0.
Form A from Shannon Kennedy (contact via website) was accepted.
Forms F for Stephen Davison (North East, deceased) and Darren Poynton (South London, resigned) accepted.
10. Treasurer’s Report
(a) Comrade Browne reported that the external auditor had sent us a draft of his audit report for sending to the Electoral Commission. After a few loose ends concerning supporting documentation had been tied up, it would be sent to the Commission; the accounts themselves would not change. The EC approved the audited accounts.
(b) Comrade Browne said that money was still accumulating in the South West Regional Branch’s bank account but could not been touched because both the signatories had left the Party. It was agreed that the Central Organiser arrange for the signatories to be changed.
11. O’Gorman Estate
Comrade Thomas reported that the auctioneers had advised that the reserve price at the auction on 14 December for the derelict house and its grounds be dropped to £250.000. John Briggs, our pro bono solicitor, had written a firm letter to the solicitor who had been the executor of the will demanding an answer as to what had happened to the “missing” £30,000 in premium bonds. Agreed and Noted.
12. Dates of 2018 Conference
The Standing Orders Committee submitted the date and deadlines for next year’s Conference over the weekend of 21 and 22 April (see Notice at end of these Minutes for full details).
13. Insert Advertising
Comrade Tenner was pursuing the matter of why the leaflets in the Observer had not been inserted in the copies sold in the London Area as contracted. Agreed to resume insert advertising, in trade union journals, in January.
14. Publications
Comrade Tenner reported that Comrade Windle wanted to give up designing pamphlets and leaflets for the Party and had asked where he should send all the electronic versions of all the Party’s pamphlets. It was agreed that they should be kept at Head Office but to consult Comrade Miller on how and where best to do this.
15. Autumn Delegate Floor Resolution
ADM had passed the following floor resolution: “This ADM is in favour of the Party commissioning research into how our principles and practices are perceived by non-members, perhaps through focus groups” For – 7 Against – 5, number of delegates sitting is 12. Meeting was inquorate, 13 delegates being required for a quorum.
Motion 4: Buick and McLellan moved “That the floor resolution be noted”. Carried 6-0-0.
16. Swansea Branch
The branch informed the EC that it was changing its name to South Wales Branch and would meet on a regular basis in Cardiff as well as Swansea. This was instead of forming a separate South East Wales branch based in Cardiff. Noted.
17. Proposed pamphlet on Gender and Politics
Comrade Foster wrote that, as this was the theme chosen for the 2018 Summer School, this could be the occasion for launching a new Party pamphlet on the subject. He offered to co-ordinate this.
Motion 5: Chesham and McLellan moved “That the proposal be referred to the Publications Committee for their views by the end of the year”. Carried 6-0-0.
18. Any Other Business
Stocks of the basic pamphlets, From Capitalism to Socialism and Socialism As A Practical Alternative were low. As the latter, drafted in the late 1980s, would require some updating, it was agreed to first reprint 500 copies of From Capitalism to Socialism. The text would be sent to the Publications Committee and to EC Members to check that there wasn’t anything in it that might need updating.
19. Chair and Minute Writer for Next Meeting
Chair: Comrade Buick. Minute Writer: Comrade Tenner.
The meeting adjourned at 16.30
NOTICES
Annual Conference 2018 timetable:
Conference on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd April 2018 Date for Branches to send in motions and amendments to rule for inclusion on the Preliminary agenda: Friday 26th January 2018. Date for Branches to send in any amendments to items on the Preliminary Agenda and for all items for discussion along with all statements in support: Friday 9th March 2018.
Head Office staffing for November:
Head Office will be open on Wednesdays from around midday and also on the following Thursdays during November. 2nd, 9th – 10.30am to 4.00pm; 16th, 23rd, 30th – 10.30am to 1.00pm
8. Advertising the whiteboard videoThe Audio-Visual Committee presented costs for advertising this on Youtube and Facebook; a figure of £1000 for each was put forward.Motion 3: Thomas and Browne moved “that a grant of £1000 be made for the purpose of in-display advertising of the whiteboard video on Youtube in liaison with Comrade Chesham”. Carried 5-0-1. There is no point giving a grant to the AV Committee for this purpose. As has been pointed out in a previous EC Resolution: MOTION 9 (Browne & Chesham) “If the party’s terms of reference are referenced, the management of the social media accounts, including YouTube is the remit of the Internet Committee and that committee only. The remit of the Audio Visual Committee is just to produce material, to be distributed by other committees. There is nothing preventing material produced by the AV Committee being circulated, as the publication of the recent video evidences, all they have to do is pass it on to a member of the Internet Committee”.AGREEDSeptember EC Arse from elbow comes to mind
But it doesn't say that the grant was given to the AV Committee but simply that it was decided to spend that amount of money !
ALB wrote:But it doesn't say that the grant was given to the AV Committee but simply that it was decided to spend that amount of money !The resolution was in reply to the AV Committee's report, was it not? I have also received an email from the EC informing me that we have been granted £1000 to advertise the video we produced.WTF??This is ONE good reason for the ECmeetings to be videod, because I for one havent got a clue what is going on.
Vin wrote:ALB wrote:But it doesn't say that the grant was given to the AV Committee but simply that it was decided to spend that amount of money !The resolution was in reply to the AV Committee's report, was it not? I have also received an email from the EC informing me that we have been granted £1000 to advertise the video we produced.WTF??This is ONE good reason for the ECmeetings to be videod, because I for one havent got a clue what is going on.
No need for the histrionics; there's simply been a misunderstanding. The EC decided that this sum should be spent for this purpose but deliberately left it vague as to which committee should spend it – normally it would be up to the Internet Committee but it was left to me to handle the issue. As the request originally came from the Audio-Visual Committee, I decided, out of courtesy, to approach that committee first. They decided that they could not or would not accede to the request. Fair enough, it has now been passed to the Internet Committee.
gnome wrote:As the request originally came from the Audio-Visual Committee, I decided, out of courtesy, to approach that committee first. They decided that they could not or would not accede to the request. Fair enough, it has now been passed to the Internet Committee.I have made it plain that I wish to do it but I do not have access to the Youtube account. Of course everyone is aware of that. I have been going on about an Introductory video for years and I have carried out all the necessary research. Why have I not been coopted onto the Internet Committee to carry out this work? The answer is simple and you know it. The EC continues to be controlled and blackmailed by IC members unwilling to allow me to participate. If we are to claim to be open and democratic then why aren't members informed of the reason I am not a coopted member of the Internet Committee? It is hardly bursting at the seams with volunteers. EDIT just so there is no room for error I WANT TO DO IT!!!! But the Internet Committee will not allow.
Why was a single EC member given the authority to decide which committee to give the grant to?
As the AV committee has been given this grant (thanks Cdes) and as I am a member of the AV committee could it be arranged that access to the party YouTube be arranged, so that we can carry out the wishes of the EV.CheersTim
Tim Kilgallon wrote:As the AV committee has been given this grant (thanks Cdes) and as I am a member of the AV committee could it be arranged that access to the party YouTube be arranged, so that we can carry out the wishes of the EC.As previously stated the matter has already been referred to the Internet Committee.
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