Minutes of 6th Meeting of the 106th Executive Committee of the Socialist
Party of Great Britain held at 52 Clapham High Street on 6 June 2009.

(These minutes are not official till ratified by the EC)

    



Present: Carter (Chair), Johnson, Buick, Wigley, Chesham M., Browne,
Allen, Thomas, Deutz P., Miller

1) Amendments to minutes:

a) Dates of ADM are 17th-18th October.
b) Miller and Wigley "Under 4a, note that the form A was for Cigdem
Gelegen". Agreed.
c) Miller and Wigley "Under 7c, note that AF stood for Anarchist
Federation". Agreed.
d) Deutz and Miller "That the minutes be approved". Agreed.
e) Buick and Deutz "That a corrected version of the minutes be posted on the
website". Fell 2-4-3.

2) Matters arising:

a) Browne and Carter "That for the ad hoc committee to investigate Party
dues collection the nomination of cde. Thomas from South London Branch be
accepted, and the reported nomination of cde. Buick be accepted pro tem.".
Agreed.

b) Thomas and Browne "That a call be made for a further member to the
committee". Agreed.

c) Notice of business from May - cde Deutz. Correspondence from cde.
Headicar on the issue was read.
Miller and Thomas "This EC believes that, at the question period following
public debate, the chair should refer audience questions to the speakers
individually as they are raised, rather than collecting them at once and
referring them to the speakers en masse." Carried 9-0-1.
Thomas and Deutz "This EC considers that in debates Party speakers should
always define their terms". Carried 6-1-3.
Deutz and Carter "That Chairs at meetings should not focus attention
unduly onto visitors but simply invite discussion". Carried 7-0-3.

3) Conference results:
a)“That, especially in the light of recent events the EC investigate the
costs, procedures and duties incurred by the party of establishing an
employed post, and report thereon to ADM with a view to hiring an employee
at the beginning of 2010."
Buick and Browne "That a call for nominations for an EC subcommittee to
investigate the costs, procedures and duties incurred by the Party of
establishing an employed post be made" Carried 9-0-1. Abstention Miller.

b) "That the remit of the Head Office Organiser include opening Head
Office to the public."
(re. Motion 8) Buick and Thomas "That the HOO Terms of Reference be
amended to include opening HO to the public". Agreed.

c) "That the January issue of the Socialist Standard be exempted from the
Conference rule stipulating early in the month delivery."
(re. Motion 12) Buick and Wigley "That the SSD be informed as to the
Conference resolution". Agreed.

d) "That a mentoring scheme be established to encourage new writers for
the Socialist Standard."
(re. Motion 14) Buick and Miller "That the Conference resolution be
referred to the SSD". Agreed.

e) "That the Party's finances need to be transparent for the purposes of
democratic accountability to the membership and our standing in the eyes
of the law."
(re. Motion 17) Miller and Browne "Noted". Agreed.

f) Rule 10: 'Delete 100% and replace with 80%'.
(re. Lancaster's amendment to rule). Browne and Buick "That the rule
change be applied from 1/7/09, and Branch treasurers to note". Carried
8-0-2. Abstentions: Miller, Allen.
Johnson and Buick "That cde. McCullogh be notified to publish 500 new rule
books". Agreed.

g) "This conference instructs the EC to register the following additional
alternative names with the electoral commission: a) World Socialist Party
(UK); b) World Socialist Party (EU); c) World Socialist Movement."
(re. Motion 24) Browne and Johnson "That the Conference resolution be
referred to the Election department". Agreed.

h) "The EC should commission an updated edition of the pamphlet The
Socialist Party and War".
(re. Motion 30) Buick and Miller "That the Conference resolution be
referred to the Publication departmenmt". Agreed.

i) "That this conference views with displeasure the abusing of members by
other members. Further, this conference urges members to take the
available effective actions necessary to redress grievances: informal
resolution; motion at branch; resolution to the EC; motion of the EC;
charge at branch; charge at EC; branch poll; party poll or special
conference, all of which exist for the purpose of allowing comradely and
democratic resolution of disputes."
(re. Motion 44) Miller and Wigley "Noted". Agreed.

j) "This conference notes: that at the beginning of the current economic
crisis unemployment in the UK was already in excess of one million, and is
expected to rise to nearly three million ; that high levels of
unemployment cripple the effective capacity of trade unions to defend
living standards of workers ; that the only way to end economic crisis in
the past has been the destruction of the value of capital in order to
clear room for continued investment; and that an economic crisis
inevitably involves attacks on working-class conditions waged by the
capitalist class to defend the value of their own assets. This conference
reaffirms that it is the contention of the Socialist Party that only
conscious political action to abolish the wages system will effectively
save the workers from the adverse effects of these attacks. Therefore,
this conference instructs the EC to draft an open letter setting out these
principles to be circulated to trade union executives, media outlets and
the Socialist Standard."
(re. Motion 55) Miller and Johnson "That cde. B. Martin be invited to
submit a draft to the EC of such an open letter". Agreed.

k)
"This conference affirms that it is the contention of the Socialist Party
that nation states are barriers to the common ownership of the world; and
that nationalism is therefore an ideology contrary to the interests of the
working class. Further, this conference holds that the Socialist Party
opposes all nationalist movements and all wars and conflicts arising there
from for those reasons. Conference thus urges all branches to hold at
least one meeting setting this case out."
(re. Motion 57) Browne and Carter "That Branches' attention be drawn to
the Conference resolution urging them to hold at least one meeting on the
Conference resolution". Agreed.

l) "This conference instructs the standing orders committee to rule out of
order amendments to items on the preliminary agenda which do nothing; have
the same effect as simply voting against the motion; or render the motion
ineffective or otherwise out of order. Amendments for simple spelling or
grammatical corrections shall also be ruled out of order: though standing
orders shall be empowered to make such changes where the necessity is
drawn to their attention (subject to delegates being informed and
approving of such change)."
(re. Motion 63) Wigley and Carter "That the Conference resolution be
referred to the Standing Orders Committee: and Branches' attention be
drawn to the Conference resolution and its implications". Carried 9-0-1
Abstention Miller.

4) Reports from Party Officers, Departments and Sub-committees.

a) Parliament pamphlet.
Wigley and Allen "That consideration of the pamphlet be deferred one
month: and that EC members who wish to comment on it send such comments to
the Publication department for consideration". Agreed.

b) Shop front colours.
Johnson and Browne "That we accept the colours chosen for the shop front
by the Premises committee". Carried 9-0-1.
Johnson and Browne "That the costs for planning permission be approved".
Agreed.

c) Insurance claim for scratched monitor.
Wigley and Allen "That we accept the cash settlement". Agreed.

d) Fire exit signs moved.
Wigley and Allen "That Fire Exit signs be displayed appropriately to
designate fire exits correctly" Carried 9-1-0 Against: Miller.
Miller and Wigley "That cde. Thomas seek redress of the various problems
with and arising from the installation of the fire alarm system before
final disbursement of funds". Agreed.

e) Request from layout team for replacement volunteers.
Wigley and Buick "That a call be made for volunteers to train in Socialist
Standard layout with a view to taking over after September 2009." Agreed.

f) Election dept. report.
Dept reported that all manifestos had been distributed by Royal Mail or
members. Cost would be about £9000.
Johnson and Browne "That the election department prepare for the General
Election by putting out a call for members to submit draft election
manifestos: submission by the September 2009 EC". Agreed.

g) One box of June Socialist Standards went astray; unfortunately, they
cannot be claimed for.
Thomas and Browne "That the SSD be asked to produce an additional 100 June
Socialist Standards if possible". Agreed.

h) The General Secretary said that the full Report of the Proceedings of
Conference would be ready soon and posted on the files section of
Spintcom.

5) Accounts.
Treasurer reported (a-c):
a) No accounts to hand.
b) HOO has reported Petty cash discrepancy of about £12, unaccountable.
c) Subsistence allowance for HOO has not been reviewed for the last 5 years.
No change.
d) Browne and Wigley "That an urgent call be made for an assistant
treasurer". Agreed.
e) Allen and Carter "That South London Branch be granted £100 as expenses for
attending the upcoming Tressell festival on the 4th-5th July". Agreed.

6) Forms A and F.
a) Form A - Norman Marshall (Glasgow Branch).
Thomas and Allen "Move acceptance". Agreed.
b) Form F - Terry Lawlor.
Deutz and Thomas "Move acceptance". Agreed.

7) Correspondence.

a) SPC June Newsletter. Noted
b) Bigboy Musewma in Zimbabwe requested more back copies of Socialist
Standard. Buick and Wigley "Refer to HOO". Agreed.
c) re SL Branch 'That the EC be asked to rule on the discount rate for
supplying the Socialist Standard and pamphlets to local bookshops and
likely outlets'.
Buick and Allen "That the Branch negotiate a rate locally". Agreed.

8) AOB.
a) New photocopier will be installed this month.
Allen and Miller "That Stair be invited to attend HO during installation
of the photocopier". Agreed.

b) Apologies
i) for July meeting: Thomas (Party business), Allen (Party business),
Johnson (holiday).
ii) for August meeting: Miller (holiday)

Chair for next meeting.
Buick and Wigley "That Browne be Chair". Carried 9-1-0 (Against : Browne)

Next meeting 4th July.

Meeting adjourned 5:30 pm.

__________________________________________________________
NOTICES

URGENT CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR
(a) Ad Hoc committee on implications of Party employing someone (see 3a)
(b) Assistant Treasurer (see 5d. Current Treasurer will not be standing
again)
(c) Layout Member(s) of Socialist Standard (see 4d)
(d) Ad Hoc committee on dues collection (see 2a)
Deadline: Next EC Meeting on 4 July.




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