January 2019 EC minutes

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    MINUTES OF THE 1ST MEETING OF THE 116TH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF GREAT BRITAIN HELD AT HEAD OFFICE ON SATURDAY 5th JANUARY 2019

    [Note: These minutes have been adopted by the EC]

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

    Apologies: C.Dee, N.Kirk

    Meeting opened at 1:05PM

    1. Election of Chair: M.Tenner
    Chesham/Foster – Agreed

    Item 2d(i)A brought forward:
    (d) Matters arising from the September 2018 meeting minutes

    i. Re call for nominations for 2019 Party Officers and Executive Committee
    A. Accepted Executive Committee nominations by Lancaster of Cdes C.Dee, P Shannon and L Stevens
    (Forms B received on 3, 4, and 4 November, respectively)
    Hart/Foster – RESOLUTION: “That the nominees be accepted and that they take their seats at the EC.”
    (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 November 2018 meeting

    i. E-mail from the Assistant Secretary re minuting of Notices of Business (30 December):
    Shannon/Foster – RESOLUTION: “The EC gives thanks to Comrade Miller for his email and we will endeavour to follow the correct procedure in future.”
    (Agreed)
    Shannon/Foster – RESOLUTION: “That the original wording to item 2d(i)v of the December EC minutes be restored with the addition of changing forenames to surnames. (Comrade Shannon reports in his now further understanding of the situation of the website and that the decision to clear payment was premature. However D&F are being amicable in dealing with the outstanding issues with his input along with Kirk and Culbert. He notes that there was no after care payment agreement and that this should be the forethought next time.)”
    (Carried 7-0-1)
    Shannon/Chesham – RESOLUTION: “That the amended minutes be adopted.”
    (Agreed)

    (b) Amendment and adoption of the Standing Orders of the Executive Committee (see p. 14)

    Shannon/Stevens – RESOLUTION: “That item 6 of the EC standing orders be replaced with the following: “EC resolutions shall be decided by majority vote or general agreement and that EC decisions should henceforth be made online only rarely, and in cases of urgency and certainly not regarding matters of payment or
    those requiring exchange of views.”
    (Previous item 6: The EC meeting may take a break midway, and aim to finish at or before 17:00.)
    (Carried 8-0-0)
    Foster/Shannon – RESOLUTION: “That the amended standing orders be accepted.”
    (Agreed)

    (c) Matters arising from the Standing Orders of the Executive Committee

    i. Renewal of our registration as a political party (Standing Order 29)
    Shannon/Chesham – RESOLUTION: “That the matter be referred to Comrade Buick.
    (Agreed)

    A. Floor resolution from the 2018 Autumn Delegate Meeting (Tenner & Shannon):
    “That the ADM confirms the decision of Conference to appoint Comrade P. Hart as our ‘Leader’.”
    (Dealt with at last EC meeting)

    ii. Review and updating of the register of trustees and bank signatories (Standing Order 29)
    The trustees as elected shall be recorded and defer the notice of business until dealing with bank signatories in the treasurers report.

    A. Report of the Treasurer on bank signatories (29 December):
    Fred Allen to be removed from bank signatories list. No cheque books off the premises, no more than 2 books per account.
    Santander: C.Alvarenga, O.Bond, M.Browne, R.Cox, W.Martin, G.Thomas, J. Vein, S.Watkins, N.White;
    Nationwide: F.Allen, C.Alvarenga, R.Cox, G.Thomas;
    HSBC: C.Alvarenga, R.Cox, P.Deutz, G.Thomas, N.White.
    Chesham/Shannon – RESOLUTION: “That the 5 names given be removed from the Santander signatories list: W.Martin, G.Thomas, J.Vein, S.Watkins (no longer a member), N.White.”
    (Carried 7-1-0)

    Break at 2:47pm – Resumed at 3:00pm

    (d) Matters arising from the September 2018 meeting minutes

    i. Re call for nominations for 2019 Party Officers and Executive Committee
    A. Accepted Executive Committee nominations by Lancaster of Cdes P. Shannon,
    C. Dee, and L. Stevens (Forms B received on 3, 4, and 4 November, respectively)(Dealt with after election of chair above)

    B. Nomination by West London of Cde T Hart for Auditor (carried 5–0–0 on 4 December) and Cde Hart’s acceptance of same with a cover letter/supporting statement
    Shannon/Stevens – RESOLUTION: “That the nominee be appointed.”
    (Agreed)

    C. Message from the Assistant Secretary (30 December):
    Foster/Hart – RESOLUTION: “That Comrade Miller’s message be acknowledged and noted. The EC will be mindful of the time constraints in future.”
    (Agreed)

    (e) Matters arising from the December 2018 meeting minutes

    i. Re §2(d)iii (50 Clapham High Street), e-mail from Cde Chesham (13 December):

    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 and payment confirmation be received with thanks.

    (f) Notices of Motion
    None

    (g) Notices of Business

    i. “That we consider the inconsistencies in our publications and postal rates.” (Chesham)

    Cde Chesham reported he had drawn up a revised price list for the EC’s consideration.
    Shannon/Tenner – RESOLUTION: “That the report  be accepted and the list forwarded to the Internet Committee and SSPC”
    (Agreed)

    (h) Matters outstanding from previous minutes

    i. Cde Alvarenga to report on photocopier repairs
    Deferred

    ii. Website outstanding issues/web design
    D&F are creating a work manual for us to use so that the Internet Committee can run and manage the website.
    Foster/Stevens – RESOLUTION: “The EC thanks Comrades Culbert and Kirk for their work on the website, and asks 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)”
    (Carried 8-0-0)

    iii. Tribune
    Chesham/Shannon – RESOLUTION: “The EC requests that Comrade G. Thomas be asked to approach John Briggs on recommendations in dealing with the Tribune in a case of Intellectual Property with reference to the Tribune’s byline “Britain’s oldest democratic Socialist publication.”
    (Carried 6-2-0)
    Comrade Hart is to send letters to various organisations supportive of the Tribune.

    3. Forms A and F

    Form A for Jordan Levi (from the USA, in the absence of a functioning WSPUS, via the Membership Applications Committee)
    Shannon/Chesham – “That the form A be accepted.”
    (Agreed)

    Form F for Tom Smith (Deceased)
    (Accepted)

    4. Treasurer: Report of the Treasurer (29 December)

    Santander current account cashflow of £50,000 in September. ATM card from HSBC should not have been issued, allows one person access to cash of up £500 a day.
    Cox reports that the disk he was to attempt to read does contain the Parliament pamphlet, among others things that he will look into.
    Chesham/Stevens – RESOLUTION: “That the card be handed to the Treasurer and that it be cancelled.” Current holder: G.Thomas
    (Carried 8-0-0)

    (a) Electoral Commission Compliance Warning
    Noted

    (b) 2017 Corporation Tax return
    Noted

    (c) The IT Upgrade

    i. Broadband Upgrade
    The rate from Plusnet is more than initially thought due to ourselves not being a business.
    Shannon/Tenner – RESOLUTION: “That we accept the recommendations by the Treasurer regarding the details of package and pay as you go and leave the matter to the Treasurer to deal with.”
    (Agreed)

    ii. Computer set-up arrangements

    A meeting between the IC and the IT upgrades contractors to be set up.

    P.Shannon leaves the meeting at 4:54pm

    M.Foster leaves the meeting at 5:20pm

    5. Reports of Party Officers, Party Appointees, Subcommittees, and Departments; discussion of advertising, campaigns, and The Socialist Standard

    As per item 7c of the December minutes the EC were to discuss reorganising the party committees.
    Deferred with priority for next month and that the item be on the table until it has been resolved.
    Existing committee members to remain in post until dealt with.

    Meeting adjourned at 5:25pm

    All other items deferred until next meeting

    (a) Report of the Publications Committee (3 September, via Cde Robin Cox):

    (b) Report of the Ballot Committee (20 December; see p. 18):

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

    6. Correspondence

    (a) Matters of urgency

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

    i. Resolution from Kent & Sussex (carried 4–0–0) and supporting statement:

    ii. Resolution from Kent & Sussex (carried 4–0–0) and supporting statement:

    (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

    ii. World Socialist Party (India) Executive Committee minutes, December 2018:
    https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/forum/topic/wspindia-dec2018-ec-minutes/7

    iii. E-mail from the World Socialist Party (New Zealand):

    This is now being sent as an official letter from the party. Replies would be appreciated

    (d) All other correspondence

    7. Any other business

    (a) Further floor resolutions from the 2018 Autumn Delegate Meeting (see p. 27):

    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.”

    ii. Tenner & Chesham: “This ADM recommends the EC to investigate a simplification of the Party’s departmental committee and officer structure.”

    iii. Summer School Report
    Foster reports that the price of booking the venue for Summer School will increase, but that the prices for members and subsidies will remain the same. Topic of Summer School not yet decided.

    iv. Pamphlet
    The EC agrees to authorise Comrade Tenner to reprint 500 copies of the pamphlet “From Capitalism to Socialism”

    (b) Call for nominations for subcommittees and appointees

    8. Nomination of Chair for the next meeting

    9. Electoral Commission returns

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