Present: Browne, Deutz, Easton, Helps, Scholey, Stair (Chair), White.
Apologies received for: Carter.
Also in attendance: Non-EC member Bissett (General Secretary) taking
minutes
1. Amendment and Adoption of EC Standing Orders
a) This matter should have been first item of business at January's EC
meeting,
but was overlooked. The Standing Orders were presented to the meeting
but
deferred until the March meeting.
2. Amendment and Adoption of Previous Minutes
a) Deutz & Helps: "That the Minutes be adopted as a true record."
Agreed.
3. Matters Arising from Previous Minutes
a) Re. item 1 of January Minutes: Report on the Voting of the Annual
Ballot:
Browne was asked for a breakdown of branch voting figures for the next
meeting.
b) Re. item 10. of January Minutes. At the January Meeting, Stair gave
the
meeting notice that at the February meeting he would raise the matter
of opening
a bookshop at the front of Head Office. At the January meeting he had
referred
to the November EC meeting at which the matter of a bookshop at the
front of
Head Office was raised, and at which the EC felt there would be a
problem in
selling books not endorsed by the Party, in so far as their content
might
violate the "hostility clause". Stair referred to a 1992 Conference
resolution:
"This Conference calls for a volunteer to run a new and second-hand
bookshop at
the front portion of Head Office." Members queried if the Conference
resolution
was still binding, considering it had not been acted upon since it was
passed at
Conference 15 years ago. Reference was also made to the discussion at
ADM of the
Cowley Club in Brighton which had resulted in the following resolution:
"This
ADM recommends that the EC delegate an AHC to form concrete plans on the
possibility of a social centre in HO and, upon receipt of its report,
seriously
consider the possibility of opening up HO in line with the Item for
Discussion
regarding the Cowley Club, Brighton." Stair further queried whether a
book
buying committee should be set up.
i) Browne & Easton: "That Sandy Easton, John Helps and Stair form
an Ad-Hoc
Committee to carry out the Floor Resolution called at ADM 2006."
Carried: 6 for,
1 abstaining.
c) Re. item 6.b.ii of the January Minutes: the deferred report of the
Assistant
Secretary with regards "Actions Taken..Concerning the Protection of the
Party's
Identity and Funds". It was agreed to consider the report in question
with a
further report from the Assistant Secretary, dated 2nd February 2007.
The
attention of the EC was drawn to an advert in the new Statesman of
29/2/07 for a
meeting organised by the SPGB (better known to members as the Socialist
Studies
group). Bissett referred the meeting to item B.1.b of the January
report in
which the Assistant Secretary sought instruction from the EC with
regards
seeking legal advice in the matter of Socialist Alternative. It was
debated
whether the Party should restrict our grievances re. Socialist
Alternative to
their "Socialist Party" website.
i) Scholey & Easton: "This EC instructs the Assistant Secretary to
seek legal
advice in the matter of Socialist Alternative." Lost: 3 for, 3 against,
1
abstaining.
d) Re. item 6.a.ii of the January Minutes: the deferred report from the
Assistant Secretary. It was agreed to consider this report with the
Assistant
Secretary's report to the February meeting. The meeting considered the
purchase
of a rear projection display for the front window. Members suggested
that the
display might attracted unwanted attention, that this might reflect on
our
insurance premiums and it was also pointed out that only non-copyright
material
could be screened. The meeting further considered the purchase of new
telephones
and the possible purchase of scanning hardware.
i) Agreed to defer the issue of the HO front until more info was at
hand.
ii) Agreed to defer the purchase of telephones until more info was at
hand.
iii) Scholey & Browne: "That the AS be asked to supply the EC
quotes for an A3
Scanner." Carried: 7-0.
iv) Easton & Helps: "That the AS also be asked to supply specific
detailed
quotes for the use of scanning services. Carried: 3 for, 2 against, 2
abstaining.
e) Re. item 10.1 of January Minutes: confirmation of the solicitor's,
Mr J
Brigg's, position, re. payment for services relating to the Pooley
estate. It
was noted that the Party had signed no contract with Mr Briggs. It was
unclear
whether the Party would have to pay. There was confusion as to what had
been
said at previous meetings about payment, some members present believing
we had
been informed that there would be no charge. The Treasurer had received
no reply
to his initial query and would write again to Mr Briggs. Money was
still owed
the Party from the Pooley estate.
f) The following nominations for sub-committees and departments were
received:
i) Self-nominations from J Bissett, R Stafford and G Thomas for Blog
Dept.
Agreed to accept.
ii) Self-nomination from J Bissett for Campaigns Dept. Agreed to accept.
iii) Resolution from Enfield and Haringey Branch nominating J Lee for
the
Enquiries Dept. Agreed to accept.
iv) Self-nominations from T Miller and R Stafford for Internet Dept.
Agreed to
accept.
v) Self-nominations from J Bissett and T Miller for Publications Dept.
Agreed to
accept.
vi) Self nomination from T Miller for Premises Cttee. Agreed to accept.
vii) Self-nomination from S Easton for Audio Dept. Agreed to accept.
viii) Self-nominations from D Porter and A Pitts for Membership Dept.
ix) Resolution from EARB nominating Stair for Premises Cttee,
Publications Dept.
and Audio Dept. Agreed to accept.
x) West London Branch nominations: P Shannon and N Windle (SS Cttee.
Layout); A
Buick, D Perrin and P Bennett (SS Editorial Cttee.). Agreed to accept.
xi) West London Branch nominated M Martin for Campaigns Dept. Agreed to
accept.
xii) Self-nominations from M Browne and K Scholey for Ballot Cttee.
Agreed to
accept.
xiii) Self-nomination for K Scholey for Archives Dept. Agreed to accept.
xiv) Self-nomination fro R Beat for Library Cttee.
xv) Self-nomination form M Browne for Standing Orders Cttee. Agreed to
accept.
g) Two nominations were received for the post of Head Office Organiser.
Swansea
Branch nominated B Johnson and EARB nominated Stair. Stair left the
table whilst
the matter was being discussed. Bissett requested that the candidates
be invited
to the table in turn to discuss their candidature with the EC, pointing
out that
previously, when their had been two candidates for the post, each
candidate had
been invited to the table in turn to be interviewed. The meeting
decided against
this.
i) Easton & Helps: That Cde Stair be accepted as HOO". Carried: 6-0.
h) Agreed to defer consideration of the General Purposes Committee
until the
next meeting.
4. Conference Reports.
a) Conference Reports were received from the following Party Officers,
departments and sub committees:
i) Central Organiser. Agreed to Accept
ii) Election Dept. Agreed to accept.
iii) Socialist Standard Department. Agreed to accept.
iv) Central Branch Secretary. Cde Johnson reported verbally. His report
would be
updated and submitted within the next couple of days.
v) Treasurer. Agreed to accept.
vi) Publications Dept. Stair read out the report as it had not been
circulated
to the meeting. Agreed to accept.
vii) Audio Dept. Agreed to accept.
viii) Premises Cttee. Agreed to accept.
ix) Head Office Organiser. Agreed to accept.
b) A last call is made for reports from Departments and Sub-Committees
yet to
submit them. Closing date to be the March EC meeting. The Depts. and
Sub-Committes this refers to are: Advertising Dept., African Socialist
Cttee.,
Ballot Cttee., Party Blogsite Dept, Campaigns Dept., General Purposes
Cttee.,
Internet Dept., Media Dept., Membership Dept., Overseas Contacts Dept.,
Premises
Dept., Research Dept., Standing Orders Cttee., Video Production Dept.,
World
Socialist Correspondence Club.,
5. Accounts
a) The Treasurer presented the meeting with a written report. Numerous
problems
relating to the monthly accounts had prevented the Treasurer presenting
the
accounts to the meeting. The Treasurer further reported that the
paperwork he
had been working on in the library had been 'tidied away' along with
the adding
machine when he next went to work on them and could not be found. Cde
Miller had
set up a PAYPAL account in the Party name. Payments to the Party could
now be
made electronically by anyone with a credit or debit card. The Treasurer
cautioned against a previous EC resolution authorising that Party
documents be
kept in a fireproof box located in the basement. The HO insurance was
due on 5th
February. The meeting was informed that a sum of £30,000 had been
placed in the
current account by mistake and the EC was asked if the money should be
transferred to the deposit account.
i) Deutz &White: "In the light of the Treasurer's report, the EC
reconsider the
decision re. the storage of documents at the March meeting." : Carried:
7-0.
ii)Easton & Deutz: "The Treasurer be asked to seek a valuation of
HO for
insurance purposes." Carried: 7-0.
iii) Easton & Browne: "That £30,000 be transferred from the
current account to
the deposit account." Carried: 5 for, 1 against, 1 abstaining.
6. Forms A
a) One Form A received for J Lawrie (West London Branch) - first came
in contact
with the Party in 1977.
7. Reports from Officers, Departments and Sub-Committees
b) Report from the Premises Committee, dated 25th January. The report
presented
the rationale for the party's anti-smoking policy. The report was
considered
with a resolution from EARB (communication dated 21st January): "That
the EC
vigorously enforce the no-smoking rule at HO." (No voting figures
given).
i) Easton & Browne: "That EARB be noted the attention of all
members be drawn to
the current ruling which states that smoking is banned within HO."
Carried: 6
for, 1 abstaining. (Gen Sec's note: apologies, but this is the actual
wording of
the EC's resolution).
c) Email from the Editorial Committee, dated 19th January. The report
outlined
ongoing problems Cdes Shannon and Windle had with the layout of the
Socialist
Standard. The PCs they were using were aged and not suitable for the
workload
required of the Standard layout team. The editorial Committee presented
a costed
request for two new PCs for Cdes Shannon and Windle for £1,030.00.
i) Browne & Easton: "That the request be granted." Carried: 7-0.
d) Report from the Enquiries Department, presenting a breakdown of
figures for
the source of enquiries. Noted.
e) Report from the Election Department, dated 31st January. The
Electoral
Commission had informed us that that they had rejected our request to
register
"The Socialist Party" as a variant of our full name on the grounds that
this
could be confused with the "Scottish Socialist party." "They had
accepted
"SPGB". We were offered the chance to register up to 11 names. The
Election
Department further mooted that we could register as "Socialist Party
(GB)"
and/or "Socialist Party (SPGB)". The EC were asked for their
consideration.
i) White & Easton: "The EC accepts the Election Department's
recommendation that
they register the names 'Socialist Party (GB)' and 'Socialist Party
(SPGB)".
Carried: 6 for, 1 abstaining.
8. Correspondence from Branches, Companion Parties and Members
a) Letter from EARB, dated 21st January. The communication contained the
previously mentioned resolution, as well as reference to Cde Arya's
resignation
and registering with Spintcom/Spopen. Noted.
b) Undated letter from Roy Beat, suggesting a budget be set for the
Library
Department.
i) White & Browne: "The EC agrees to a budget of £200 per
year for the Library
Department." Carried: 5 for, 2 abstaining.
c) Three emails from Jimmy Mwebaze (Uganda), dated 12th, 22nd and 23rd
January,
covering sundry issues, but in the main referring to developments with
ex-WSM
Kabale members and their relationship with the Communist League (USA).
i) Browne & Scholey: "The letters from Jimmy Mwebaze 'lie on the
table'."
Carried: 7-0.
ii) Browne & Easton: "The EC calls for an Overseas Secretary to
liaise with
comrades overseas. Carried: 5 for, 2 abstaining.
d) WSPUS Conference Report for October 2006. Noted.
e) WSPNZ Minutes for 14/12/06 and 11/1/07. Noted.
f) Manchester Branch's February newsletter. Noted.
9) Outside Correspondence
a) Letter from World Socialist Group (India), dated 24/12/06, being the
Minutes
of a meeting held the same day. Agreed the General Secretary would
reply.
b) Reply from Socialist Party of Sri Lanka, dated 17th January,
pursuant to the
Gen Sec's reply to their 10-page document The Political Resolution, and
again
requesting that the Party send delegates to its Inaugural Conference on
February
11th. Agreed the General Secretary would reply.
10. Forms F
a) Forms F were received for: B Vale (lapsed - loss of contact), B
Summers
(lapsed - loss of contact), P McAree - no reply to correspondence), G
Scattergood (lapsed - loss of contact), D Deutz (resigned -
disagreement), G
McCabe (resigned - disagreement). Agreed to accept the Forms F.
11. Any Other Business
a) Johnson (Central Branch Secretary), referred the meeting to the 1997
Conference resolution pertaining to the role of Central Branch
Organiser with
regards Conference and ADM. Agreed to defer the matter until the March
meeting.
b) Browne complained that Johnson had acted inappropriately in pinning
his
ballot paper to the notice board in the canteen at HO. Johnson argued
the Party
had no 'secret' ballots, that they were impossible, and that the ballot
paper
was his property until posted in the ballot box.
c) Stair complained that earlier in the day Johnson had opened the
mailbox at
HO. Johnson informed the meeting that Stair was aware he simply took
the mail up
to the office unopened, and that other members regularly opened the
mail box and
opened mail when they were not authorised to do so. Bissett complained
that mail
personally addressed to him (not as Gen Sec or to the EC) was regularly
opened.
d) Stair presented a quote for an inside closing gate, as a fixture to
the
basement window, and which would be an added security measure. The cost
would be
£294.00 + VAT.
i) Browne & Scholey: "The Premises Committee be authorised to spend
£294.00 to
secure the basement window." Carried: 7-0.
With no further business to discuss the meeting adjourned at 7.05 pm
Date of next Meeting: 3rd March, 2.00 pm Chair:
Scholey |
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