May 2017 EC minutes

[Anonymous]

MINUTES OF THE 5th MEETING OF THE 114th EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN HELD AT HEAD OFFICE on Saturday 6th May 2017 at 13.10

[Note 1: These are draft minutes only and are not official until adopted by the EC]

[Note 2: Several requests for matters to be considered urgently were made at this meeting. As a result these minutes do not follow the same order as that of the meeting's circulated agenda.]

Present . Chesham, R.Cox, M. Foster, M.Tenner, G.Thomas (minutes), S. Wicks.
Apologies: M. Browne (illness) D. McLellan,
Other absences: J. Shodeke. D.Williams
Visitor: A. Buick (Election Committee)

Chair: M. Foster (in the absence of J. Shodeke as agreed at previous meeting.)

A.] MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING were read and adopted on a resolution of Chesham and Wicks. Agreed.

B.] MATTERS OF URGENCY:

(1) GENERAL ELECTION. The meeting considered plans for contesting three constituencies at the next General Election.

MOTION 1 (Chesham and Wicks): “The EC approves the requests of North London, Swansea, and West London branches to contest the Parliamentary constituencies of Islington north, Swansea West, and Battersea respectively in the forthcoming General Election and approves the candidacies of Bill Martin, Brian Johnson, and Danny Lambert.”
Carried 6 – 0

MOTION 2 ( Wicks & Foster): “That the text 'Your Life, Your World' be used by West London branch for the General Election with the word “we” added to the fourth paragraph to read “This social upgrade – which we call World Socialism…” “
Carried 6 – 0

Cde Buick (Election Committee) agreed to contact North London branch regarding the above mentioned text.

MOTION 3 (Wicks and Cox): “That the manifesto 'Brexit: Does it matter?' be used by Swansea branch for the General Election.”
Carried 6 – 0

(2) SWANSEA BRANCH: PROPOSED ELECTION LEAFLET AND NEWSPAPER ADVERT.

MOTION 4 (Chesham and Tenner): “The EC approves of the text of the proposed advertisement but does not favour the use of the candidate's picture. The emblem should be the monochrome or full colour party logo approved in 2015.”
Carried 4 – 0 – 2

(3) PROSPECTIVE KENT AND SUSSEX CANDIDATES. E-mail from cde Cox (28 April) suggesting two possible candidates, and an e-mail from cde Chesham (1 May) raising a number of procedural matters under Rule 28 and other potential difficulties connected with this proposal.

MOTION 5 (Thomas & Tenner): “In the view of the EC Kent and Sussex Regional Branch have not followed the accepted procedure and formally discussed the contesting of the forthcoming General Election. It therefore is unwilling to endorse the proposed standing of the two candidates named.”
Carried 4 – 2
Division called for: For: Chesham, Wicks, Thomas, Tenner. Against: Foster, Cox.

(4) BRIGHTON FACEBOOK GROUP (SPGB) The meeting was informed that the SPGB Brighton Facebook site had just announced that they intended to put up a candidate at the forthcoming General Election. Their enthusiasm was welcomed by the EC but that their failure to follow established party procedures were misguided.
Cde Chesham agreed to convey to the group the feeling of the EC in this matter.

(5) LEAFLETS FOR DISTRIBUTION IN AREAS THE PARTY ARE NOT CONTESTING.

RETURN TO THE NORMAL ORDER OF BUSINESS

C.] MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS [APRIL] MEETING.

(6) MAKING THE PARTY BETTER KNOWN. Cde Tenner had previously circulated three separate draft texts intended as magazine and journal inserts. Several images / illustrations were also considered.
MOTION 6 (Wicks and Chesham): “That the insert Draft 2 titled 'Ever thught of doing it yourself?' be the text initially used for inserts in publications and newspapers.”
Carried 6 – 0

It was left to cde Tenner to choose suitable images for the EC to consider.

(7) REPLACEMENT COMPUTER PRINTER No further developments

( REPLACEMENT KEY BOX No further developments

(9) AUDIO VISUAL COMMITTEE Whiteboard animation video. The EC had viewed the draft video submitted which they thought promising but wished to make a minor change.

MOTION 7 (Cox and Foster): “The AVC be asked to modify the script (i.e. references to austerity) to ensure the video can continue to be used at times when capitalism is not in crisis as well as when it is in crisis.”
Carried 5 – 0 – 1

D.] NOTICE OF BUSINESS (Cox and Wicks) Moderation of SPGB Facebook group. Deferred.

E.] MATTERS OUTSTANDING FROM EARLIER MEETINGS.

(10) THE PARTY WALL with No 50 Clapham High St. E-mail (28th April) from our surveyor Craig McClure outlining our neighbour's proposals to develop and extend the neighbouring property was discussed. Planning permission has been granted and our involvement is now confined to: (a) the demolition or otherwise of the brick wall to the rear of HO; and (b) our request for a security payment (against anything untoward happening). Our surveyor was unwilling to suggest a suitable figure for item (b) and in the absence of informed guidance the EC settled on a figure of £50,000.

Cde Chesham agreed to reply to McClure in accordance with the discussion.

(11) HEAD OFFICE STAFFING MATTERS. E-mail from cde Poynton (18th April). He will not now be available to carry out the full range of duties at HO due to other commitments but understands that other volunteers had become available. Four names were provided. It was agreed that the new volunteers would need a period of familiarisation and means of access to HO needs to be arranged. A written rota to be drawn up.

F.] Forms 'A' and 'F'

Two Forms 'F' were before the EC: K. Ferguson (Edinburgh) – lapsed S. Wilson (Edinburgh) – lapsed

MOTION 8 (Thomas and Wicks): “That the two Forms 'F' be accepted” Agreed

G.] TREASURER'S REPORT.

(a) 'Charwyl' (O'Gorman bequest). The estate agent had reported that progress on the sale of the property had been delayed due to tardiness of local planning authorities in clarifying right of way / access to the property.

(b) Treasurer reported a request from the external auditors that branch treasurers sign and return urgently the 'Letter of Authority' which the Assistant Treasurer had sent them by e- mail.

(c) Treasurer reported the receipt of a £10,000 bequest from the late cde Vic Vanni.

(d) A threatening letter had been received (3rd May) addressed to “The chairperson of the Socialist Party” and threatening “Death to all…[racial and homophoblc slurs]”. Cde Thomas undertook to report the matter to the police.

H.] REPORTS etc. FROM PARTY COMMITTEES ETC.

(1) Report of the Assistant Secretary (30 April) requesting that all EC minutes etc. be submitted to him in formats capable of being edited by him. Suggested formats being ODT (OpenDocument) or RTF (Rich Text File). Noted.

(2) Report of the Assistant Secretary (1 May)

(a) Conference advice re contesting the General Election by North London, Kent and Sussex, Swansea, and West London branches.Dealt with earlier under B.(1) to (3) above.

(b) Conference advises that Items 20 and 21 should be kept separate. Noted.

(3) Ballot Committee (30th April)

(a) Providing a timetable for voting on 2017 Conference resolutions. Noted.

(b) Reminding branches that a special meeting under Rule 21 should be held by them within five weeks of Conference. Noted.

(4) Report of the Publications Committee (2 May) submitting Centenary of the Russian Revolution for outline approval and seeking guidance.

MOTION 8 (Tenner and Wicks): “That the EC approves the concept and content of the proposed publication on the Russian Revolution but considers that the layout of the text needs modification. We suggest that the format be identical to Strange Meeting.”
Carried 5 – 0 – 1

Cde Thomas to liaise with the committee re layout.

(6) E-mail from Cde Foster (27 April) requesting permission to reproduce talks given at the 2016 SPGB 'Money Talks' Summer School to be sold as a non-Party publication.

MOTION 9 (Foster and Tenner): “The EC approves that the Money Talks publication can be sold through the website as a non-party publication at a cost of £3.00 per copy post free.”
Carried 6 – 0.

(7) Report of the Socialist Standard Production Committee advising that there had been a change of printers due to a takeover and giving a range of costing for various print runs. Suggesting that the print run now be 1100 (costing £845 per month) for the time being. Noted.

I.] CORRESPONDENCE.

(1) Swansea Branch resolution (13 March) re Guidelines for users of the Party on-line Forum. Defered one month. Text of the proposed guidelines to be circulated to EC members.

(2) E-mail resolution from West London Branch (2 May) nominating cde Mark Znidericz for the Publications Committee. Agreed.

(3) Correspondence etc from Companion Parties at weblink provided with the circulated agenda. Noted.

J.] AOB. It was drawn to the attention of the meeting that a Party member (or members) appeared to have been successful in standing for political office in the name of another party. There were too few details for the meeting to do anything at this point and it was agreed to await fuller details and possible developments from the local branch.

K.] ADJOURNMENT AND NEXT MEETING.

Meeting adjourned at 16.45.

Cde Cox to chair next meeting. Agreed.

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