February 2019 EC minutes

[Anonymous]

MINUTES OF THE 2ND MEETING OF THE 116TH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN AT HEAD OFFICE ON SATURDAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2019

[Note: These are edited draft minutes but are not official until adopted by the EC]

Present: C.Alvarenga, D.Chesham, C.Dee, M.Foster, T.Hart, S.Kennedy, P.Shannon, M.Tenner

Apologies: N.Kirk, L.Stevens

Meeting opened at 1:07PM
1. Election of Chair: T.Hart
Tenner/Alvarenga – Agreed

2. Minutes of the previous meeting, business arising therefrom and the General Secretary’s raising of Notices of Motion and Business from previous meetings

(a) Amendment and adoption of the minutes of the January 2018 meeting (p. 8)

Elaborate upon item 2(d)iii in regards to the payment received from next door within the January minutes.

(The contractors next door wish to erect scaffolding which would need to extend onto our land and this to remain in place for up to 20 weeks. Cde Chesham had negotiated a payment to us for the inconvenience in the sum of £100 per week, amounting in total to £2K. This amount has now been paid to us.)

Noted in the treasurers report commission.
Chesham/Shannon– RESOLUTION: “That the amended minutes be adopted.”
(Agreed)

(b) Matters arising from the June 2018 meeting minutes

i. Re §5(c) (“The EC asks Cde Shannon to look into the implications of paid part-time Head Office Organiser and Treasurer posts and prepare a report to be discussed at ADM.”), report from Cde Shannon (25 January)
Comrade Shannon to add to the report that circumstances having changed surrounding the implications, and reasons for the decision, and present them to Conference.

(c) Matters arising from the September 2018 meeting minutes
i. Re call for nominations for 2019 Party Officers and Executive Committee, accepted nomination (Form B) by Lancaster for Cde Browne for Auditor (agreed with 4 members present)
The EC confirms the appointment of Comrade Browne as an Auditor.

(d) Matters arising from the December 2019 meeting minutes
i. Re §2(d)v (Head Office security), e-mail from Cde Alvarenga (26 January)

Comrade Chesham reports that members who went to HO on Tuesday 29th January found the building cold and noticed that the boiler wireless receiver operated by the room thermostat may have been tampered with and that a replacement component costing £132 was required to fix the problem.
Shannon/Dee – RESOLUTION: “That Comrade Alvarenga be given the code to the inner door of HO.”
(Carried 4-0-4)
Division called
For: Dee, Foster, Hart, Shannon
Abstain: Alvarenga, Chesham, Kennedy, Tenner
Chesham/Kennedy– RESOLUTION: “That the EC authorises the boiler room to be locked”
(Carried 4-3-1)
Division called
For: Chesham, Foster, Kennedy, Tenner
Against: Alvarenga, Dee, Hart
Abstained: Shannon

(e) Matters arising from the January 2019 meeting minutes
i. Re §2(h)ii (“The EC thanks Comrades Culbert and Kirk for their work on the website, and ask the Internet Committee to provide an update for the February EC meeting on outstanding issues including the forum, events calender, audio files and articles (Links and publications)”), report from Cde Shannon (22 January)
Shannon/Chesham – RESOLUTION: “That we look into costings for the WSM website from Dodgems and Floss from the Internet Committee.”
(Agreed)

(f) Notices of Motion
None

(g) Notices of Business
Chesham – Future Ballots

(h) Matters outstanding from previous minutes
i. Cde Alvarenga to report on photocopier repairs
Repairs completed.

3. Forms A and F
(a) Form F for Cde M Chesham (KSRB, deceased) – Agreed
(b) Form F for Cde B Beckett (deceased) – Agreed
(c) Form A for Ray Carr (via applications committee) – Accepted

Break at 2:55PM – Resumed at 3:15PM

4. Treasurer (report of 26 January)

(a) 2018 Accounts
As I recently explained to the EC we are still far from having any financial reports collated for last year. However, I have made a rough check of the current assets at year end in order to estimate our net spend (deficit) for 2018 (see attached [on p. 23]). This indicates a net spend of some £88k, which compared to nearly £76k in 2017 and an average (excluding legacies) of 70.3K for 2014–17.
Tenner/Foster – RESOLUTION: “That the EC thanks Cde Hart for his report and considers that the comparative financial information provided by the Treasurer in October last year, and proposed as a regular rolling update in the future, be borne in mind when decisions on Party expenditure are made.”
(Carried 7-0-1)

(b) HO Insurance Renewal
I think this is already on the agenda [see §6(a)i] and requires an EC decision as it is due for renewal the week after the EC meeting.
Shannon/Tenner – RESOLUTION: “That it be renewed.”
(Agreed)

5. Reports of Party Officers, Party Appointees, Subcommittees, and Departments; discussion of advertising, campaigns, and The Socialist Standard
(a) Report of the Publications Committee (3 September, via Cde Robin Cox):
Deferred
(b) Report of the Ballot Committee (20 December)
Noted
(c) Report of the Election Committee (27 December)
Outdated
(d) Report of the Standing Orders Committee (Preliminary Agenda for Conference) (to be submitted)
Not submitted

6. Correspondence

(a) Matters of urgency
i. Renewal of the Head Office building and contents insurance (p. 26), due on 5 February 2019
Already dealt with

(b) Correspondence from or concerning Branches, the Party in general, and members

i. Resolution from Kent & Sussex (carried 4–0–0) and supporting statement:
Resolution: That the E.C. considers producing an introductory party pamphlet based on the Class War introductory pamphlet.
Supporting statement: While there are a number of introductory pamphlets and leaflets that set out the aims and history/objectives of the SPGB, we think there should be a new style of pamphlet which introduces the Party and says a bit about our history/the problems of the capitalist system and then sets out our aims and finally invites the reader to join and participate in the revolution. The style, wording and pictorial elements of the Class War publication are quite clear, brief and to the point, which would make for an engaging pamphlet.
Shannon/Chesham – RESOLUTION: “That it be referred to the Publications Committee to see what they think.”
(Agreed)

ii. Resolution from Kent & Sussex (carried 4–0–0) and supporting statement:
Resolution: KSRB recommends that the whiteboard video be moved from its present position on SPGB homepage, to the top of the page.
Supporting statement: The whiteboard video serves as a highly effective introduction to the Party and to our aims and ideas, therefore we feel it should take the most prominent position available on the SPGB homepage in order to reach the maximum number of web visitors.
Shannon/Foster – RESOLUTION: “That it be referred to the Internet Committee.”
(Agreed)

iii. Resolution from South Wales Regional (carried 5–0–0 on 12 January):
To enquire from the EC about progress regarding the ADM resolution on audio-streaming of Conference and ADM and for an update on the Conference resolution on the Party’s membership profile.
Shannon/Foster – RESOLUTION: “That it be referred to the Internet Committee.”
(Agreed)

iv. Resolution from South Wales Regional (carried 5–0–0 on 12 January):
To express willingness to field a Party candidate in one of the Cardiff constituencies should a General Election be called in 2019.
Shannon/Chesham – RESOLUTION: “That the EC approves this and refers it to the Elections Committee.”
(Agreed)

v. Resolution from South Wales Regional (carried 5–0–0 on 12 January):
To nominate H. Moss, R. Botterill and P. Bennett for the Membership Applications Committee and B. Johnson for the Investment Committee.

The Assistant Secretary has reminded the Branch that the EC has not yet issued a call for nominations for subcommittees.
Noted

vi. E-mail from Cde Robin Cox (22 January) expressing his concern about the state of the World Socialist Party of the United States which he understands is no longer effectively functioning as a political organisation.
Shannon/Dee – RESOLUTION: “That Cde Cox be asked if he can look into it and thanks him for his input.”
(Agreed)

vii. E-mail from Cde T Hart re financial control (26 January)
Already dealt with

viii. E-mail from Cde T Hart re engaging with other like-minded groups (26 January)
Noted

(c) Correspondence from Companion Parties and Groups

i. Socialist Party of Canada Secretary’s Report, 1 December 2018: https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/forum/topic/spc-dec-2018-report
Noted

ii. Socialist Party of Canada Secretary’s Report, 1 January 2019: https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/forum/topic/spc-jan-2019-report/
Noted

iii. World Socialist Party (India) Executive Committee minutes, December 2018:
https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/forum/topic/wspindia-dec2018-ec-minutes/
Noted

iv. World Socialist Party (India) Executive Committee minutes, January 2019
Noted

v. E-mail from the World Socialist Party (New Zealand) (8 December):
Shannon/Foster – RESOLUTION: “That the email be put on Spintcom and the website for members to debate and reply to.”
(Agreed)

(d) All other correspondence
None

7. Any other business

(a) Further floor resolutions from the 2018 Autumn Delegate Meeting

i. Johnson & Hart: “This ADM urges the EC to investigate what preparations are necessary to restructure the party in line with a regional structure along with activity groups.”
Shannon/Chesham – RESOLUTION: “That and ad-hoc committee consisting of no less than 3 be set up to investigate the ADM resolution and to report to the next ADM on their findings. The time limit for nominations being set to the Friday before the April EC meeting.”
(Agreed)

ii. Tenner & Chesham: “This ADM recommends the EC to investigate a simplification of the Party’s departmental committee and officer structure.”
Chesham/Shannon – RESOLUTION: “That the Enquiries and Advertising Committees be merged, that the Campaigns and Media Committees be merged, that the Library and Archives Committees be merged, and that the Universities and Colleges Committee be abolished”
(Carried 4-1-3)
Comrade Foster will investigate further alterations to the Committees’ structure and reasons for.

iii. Comrade Thomas to report on the Tribune.
A draft letter to John Briggs has been written regarding legal advice.
The byline on their website has been taken down/cannot be found. However we still have received no reply.
Dee/Foster – RESOLUTION: “Defer dealing with this until next month. Comrade Dee to investigate if the byline is gone entirely.”
(Carried 7-1-0)

iv. Comrade Cox reports on the front door.
Unable to open the front door a week prior, had to call out a locksmith which cost £210. This was due to a very slight movement in our shopfront caused by the work being done next door. The building owner has reimbursed us.

v. Comrade John Lee stands down from active work within the party.
Tenner/Foster – RESOLUTION: “That the EC thanks Cde John Lee for his decades of dedicated work on the Advertising and Enquiries Committees and wishes him well.” (Agreed)

Comrade Chesham has agreed to undertake this work temporarily.

vi. Renewal of the Big Issue advert.
Shannon/Hart – RESOLUTION: “That it be renewed.” (Agreed)

(b) Call for nominations for subcommittees and appointees
Chesham/Shannon – RESOLUTION: “That a call out be made to fill committee vacancies with a time limit for nominations being set to the Friday before the April EC meeting.” (Agreed)

(c) Summer School subsidy (raised by Cde Foster)
Chesham/Kennedy – RESOLUTION: “That the charges remain the same.” (Agreed)

8. Nomination of Chair for the next meeting
Deferred

9. Electoral Commission returns
Up to date

Meeting adjourned – 4:50PM

[ALB]

(c) Report of the Election Committee (27 December)
Outdated

The Election Committee’s report raised three points, only one of which — a council by-election in Lambeth — was outdated by February (because the EC had deferred consideration of the report at its January meeting). The other two — a possible general election and the UK having to organise elections to the European Parliament — are by no means outdated, both because of Brexit uncertainty.

The EC did discuss later in the meeting the possibility of a general election in noting that South Wales branch were prepared to contest a seat in Cardiff in that event.

If Brexit is delayed beyond June then there would have to be European elections in the UK in May. Nobody knows whether or not this will happen but it can’t be ruled out as “outdated”.

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