Unlock Democracy Council Meeting

The Library, Conway Hall

21 February 2009
M!UT"#
$re%ent& Nina Fishman, Rosemary Bechler, Tim Williamson, Mick Pitt, Peter Davidson, Alan
Debenham, Vicky Seddon !hair"#
n atten'ance& Peter Facey Director", $ames %raham !am&ai'ns ( !omm)nications
Mana'er", Ale* R)ns+ick De&)ty Director", So&hie Talbot ,--ice Administrator"#
1( )*ologie%
Terry Myers, .elleen Mc/ntyre, Andre+ Pearmain, Mark Valladares#
2( Minute%
0#1The -ollo+in' min)tes +ere a'reed as a correct record2
!o)ncil Meetin' min)tes o- 00 November 0334#
0#0The -ollo+in' min)tes +ere &rovided -or in-ormation2
Mana'ement Board min)tes o- 13 Febr)ary 0335#
Mana'ement Board min)tes o- 5 December 0334#
Mana'ement Board min)tes o- 16 ,ctober 0334#
A%M min)tes o- 00 November 0334#
+( Matter% ari%ing
From !o)ncil Meetin' o- 00 November 5 $)ly 03342
There had been a !o)ncil email cons)ltation abo)t the NPN 37834 acco)nts, +hich +ere then
deemed to be a&&roved# !o)ncil a&&roved this decision#
From the Mana'ement Board min)tes 13 Febr)ary 03352
9#1 The &osition re'ardin' the NovaScarman NS" le'acy +as clari-ied# The c)rrent
strate'y -or dealin' +ith this le'acy incl)des a&&lications bein' s)bmitted -or +ork
s&eci-ically +ith yo)n' &eo&le and takin' le'al advice on +hether the ne+ charity bein'
set )& by :nlock Democracy co)ld event)ally hold the entire le'acy#
9#0 The &osition on Ne+ Politics Net+ork NPN" +as clari-ied# ,nce vario)s administrative
matters are trans-erred -rom NPN to :nlock Democracy, NPN +ill cease to e*ist# The
tar'et date -or this is 1 A&ril 0335#
From the Mana'ement Board min)tes 16 ,ctober 03342
There is c)rrently no ;)or)m -or Mana'ement Board meetin's#
,( Director-% .e*ort
Political overview:
6#1 Peter Facey PF" re&orted that in this &re<election &eriod the economy is the dominatin'
iss)e# The !onservative Party=s recently &)blished &a&er coverin' >ocal %overnment
and decentralisation is an o&&ort)nity -or :nlock Democracy :D" to &ress -or -)rther
reachin' &ro&osals# :D +ill also -oc)s on &arty stances on the ?)man Ri'hts Act in the
&re<election &eriod#
Postcard campaign:
6#0 PF re&orted that the cam&ai'n has been e*tremely s)ccess-)l &olitically i- not entirely
cost e--ective# Fi-teen @ thirty cards are received at the o--ice each day and entered on
the database# Where senders have not ticked the Adon=t contact me= bo* they are sent
details abo)t :D and membershi&# ,nce a s)itable n)mber o- cards have been
received :D +ill -ormally s)bmit them to 13 Do+nin' Street#
6#9 PF +ill &rovide the Blectoral re-orm Society BRS" +ith a -)ll re&ort on the cam&ai'n as
they &rovided C7,333 to+ards the costs#
6#6 /t +o)ld cost C133,333 to re&eat this ty&e o- cam&ai'n and the o&timal time -or it +o)ld
be d)rin' the immediate election &eriod +hen electoral re-orm is in &eo&le=s minds# :D
+ill a&&roach the BRS -or a 'reater &ro&ortion o- costs sho)ld the cam&ai'n be
re&eated#
Anniversary year:
6#D The anniversary lect)re +as a s)ccess thanks to the e--orts o- :D sta-- +orkin' +ith a
minimal b)d'et# The :D brand is no+ 'ro+in' as a res)lt o- anniversary year +ith +eb
search terms )sin' :D res)ltin' in more hits to the +ebsite than searches -or
!harter44# PF )r'ed all !o)ncil members to b)y co&ies o- A:nlockin' Democracy=#
MPs expenses:
6#E PF re&orted on the s)ccess o- this ra&id res&onse cam&ai'n r)n on a minimal b)d'etF a
te*tbook e*am&le o- its ty&e# :sin' email as the lead method o- comm)nication
combined +ith 'ettin' 03 or'anisations, incl)din' !om&ass and MySociety to si'n )& to
a letter &)blished in the %)ardian, the cam&ai'n +as +on in a matter o- days#
6#7 /t +as noted that :D=s relationshi& +ith MySociety sho)ld be c)ltivated# :se o-
in-ormation and comm)nications technolo'y +as seen as -)ndamental to -)t)re
cam&ai'ns as &olitical discontent is increasin'ly e*&ressed thro)'h this medi)m# The
!o)ncil )r'ed that this s)ccess sho)ld be comm)nicated to the membershi& to ens)re
they are ke&t abreast o- the &ositive nat)re o- :D=s +ork#
Page 2 of 5
6#4 The !o)ncil sent its con'rat)lations to :D sta-- involved in the cam&ai'n, &artic)larly -or
their +ork +ith the media and the +ay they are able to res&ond ra&idly to key events#
/( 0u'get an' #trategy
/(1PF re&orted on the b)d'et de-icit and Mana'ement Board=s +ork +ith :D sta-- to red)ce
costs and ma*imise income in the li'ht o- &otential com&)lsory red)ndancies havin' to
be made# The de-icit res)lts -rom the )n)s)al 'lobal economic circ)mstances c)rrently
bein' e*&erienced by all ty&es o- or'anisation < these circ)mstances have res)lted in a
loss o- e*&ected levels o- donationsF -rom increased activity )ndertakenF and -rom a
decrease in ret)rns -rom assets#
/(2The Mana'ement !o)ncil have directed that ann)al b)d'ets sho)ld balance and that
assets o+ned by :D sho)ld remain in :D=s o+nershi& to ens)re -)t)re s)stainability o-
the or'anisation#
/(+The assets &ort-olio com&rises C53k cash reserves in the name o- NPN, C633k cash and
bonds in the name o- Rodell Pro&erties and t+o b)ildin's E !ynthia Street and 97
%ray=s /nn Road" o+ned by Rodell Pro&erties#
/(,PF re&orted that :D com&ares very -avo)rably +ith or'anisations t+o or three times the
sta--in' ca&acity#
/(/The b)d'et, incl)din' the need to make C6D,333 savin's -rom the sta--in' b)d'et, +as &)t
to the vote and carried )nanimo)sly +ith no abstentions#
/(1A re;)est +as made -or :D to &rod)ce &am&hlets on key iss)es, -or e*am&le combatin'
the BNP and the e*tent to +hich local iss)es are no+ 'lobal iss)es#
/(2A disc)ssion -ollo+ed abo)t the balance o- reactive and &ro<active +ork )ndertaken by :D#
/(3) 4ote wa% taken on the %trategy *a*er an' wa% agree' 1 4ote% to 1(
/(9The !o)ncil reco'nised the constr)ctiveness sho+n by :D sta-- d)rin' this di--ic)lt time,
+ere 'rate-)l at the +ay in +hich sta-- had en'a'ed +ith mana'ement=s need to red)ce
costs, and -)lly s)&&orts the Mana'ement Board=s +ish to take sta-- &ro&osals on the
b)d'et serio)sly#
1( Local 5rou*% )greement
E#1 PF dre+ !o)ncil=s attention to the dra-t >ocal %ro)&s A'reement# ?e added that both
NPN and !harter 44 had )sed similar a'reements +ith their local 'ro)&s b)t that it +as
necessary to have a ne+ a'reement in &lace -or :nlock Democracy# This dra-t had
been sent to local 'ro)&s -or cons)ltation and a re&ort +o)ld be sent to the ne*t !o)ncil
meetin'#
Page 3 of 5
2( Member%hi* %%ue%
7#1 VS re&orted on attendance at Mana'ement Board meetin's and the motion that had
been &assed by the Mana'ement Board to make c)rrent s)bstit)te MB members -)ll
members o- the Board# She asked !o)ncil to a&&rove this decision +hich e--ectively
increases the siGe o- the Mana'ement Board#
7#0 The motion wa% a**ro4e'(
7#9 VS dre+ !o)ncil=s attention to the decisions that had been taken by the Mana'ement
Board in relation to la&sed members#
7#6 PF s&oke to his &a&er on e*&enses -or !o)ncil members attendin' the A%M and
o)tlined the advanta'es and disadvanta'es o- the three o&tions# ?e added that his
&re-erence +as -or the or'anisation to o--er to &ay reasonable costs over a certain
amo)nt -or all members or elected members#
7#D VS s&oke in -avo)r o- all members bein' able to claim e*&enses above a threshold level
-or attendin' the A%M so that as many members as &ossible can attend#
7#E PD s)''ested that there +as a -o)rth o&tion, retainin' the stat)s ;)o and not &ayin'
any e*&enses -or members o- co)ncil members attendin' the A%M# ?e added that he
attends that A%M as an individ)al member not as an elected !o)ncil member and that
he has never been asked by a member at the A%M abo)t his role on !o)ncil or the
decisions that !o)ncil has taken# Where ;)eries arose they +ere addressed to the
!hair#
7#7 RB &ro&osed that there sho)ld be a discretionary b)rsary -)nd -or !o)ncil members to
attend the A%M# This +o)ld limit the costs to the or'anisation b)t ens)re that !o)ncil
members +ere acco)ntable#
7#4 Votes +ere taken on &ro&osed amendments to the ori'inal motion#
a6 Maintain the stat)s ;)o < 9 votes in -avo)r 9 a'ainst and 1 abstention# The amen'ment
wa% not carrie'(
b6 That the motion in the &a&er &resented to !o)ncil sho)ld be amended to delete the +ord
!o)ncil so that it +o)ld read That Members be able to reclaim any reasonable travel
expenses in excess of 3 for travel to the A!M from any part of the "# @ 0 votes in
-avo)r, 0 votes a'ainst and 9 abstentions# The amen'ment wa% not carrie'(
c6 That the motion in the &a&er &resented to !o)ncil sho)ld be amended to chan'e C93 to
C63 so that it +o)ld read That $o%ncil Members be able to reclaim any reasonable travel
expenses in excess of & for travel to the A!M from any part of the "# ' 3 votes in
-avo)r, 0 a'ainst and D abstentions# The amen'ment wa% not carrie'(
7#5 The s)bstantive motion +as then &)t to the vote# That $o%ncil Members be able to
reclaim any reasonable travel expenses in excess of 3 for travel to the A!M from any
part of the "# ( 6 votes in -avo)r, 9 votes a'ainst +ith no abstentions# The motion wa%
carrie'(
Page & of 5
7#13 The &ro&osal -or a discretionary -)nd to be established to assist other members to
attend A%M +as then considered @ 6 votes in -avo)r, 0 a'ainst and 1 abstention# The
motion wa% carrie'(
3( H#0C motion
4#1 AR dre+ !o)ncil=s attention to the motion settin' )& a credit -acility +ith ?SB!#
8.2 The Directors o- :nlock Democracy a'ree that the com&any sho)ld o&en a !ommercial
!ard acco)nt +ith ?SB! Bank Plc A?SB!=" and that ?SB! sho)ld be a)thorised to
iss)e !ommercial !ards to s)ch em&loyees as the !hair o- Directors o- the !om&any
the A)thorised Person" may re;)est, namely2<
Mr Peter Facey, !B,
Ms Ale*andra R)ns+ick, De&)ty !B, ( !om&any Secretary
4#9 The A)thorised Person is em&o+ered to si'n the A'reement +ith ?SB! on behal- o- the
!om&any# Mr Peter Facey, !B,, is a)thorised to a'ree +ith ?SB! any amendments to
the a'reement and to deal +ith ?SB! in all o&erational matters relatin' to the said
acco)nt or any s)ch cards that ?SB! may iss)e at the re;)est o- the com&any#
8.4 The motion wa% *a%%e'(
9( Ci4il Libertie% *olicy 'i%cu%%ion
5#1 There +as a disc)ssion abo)t :D=s involvement in civil liberties cam&ai'ns )sin' Risk
assessment -orm E5E and Section 7E o- the !o)nter Terrorism Act as case st)dies#
10( )70
13#1 PD reminded the !hair that the item on Rodell Pro&erties had not been taken#
13#0 PF in-ormed !o)ncil o- the MB=s decisions re'ardin' Rodell Pro&erties and dre+ their
attention to the creation o- a s)b<committee to be chaired by Phil Starr# The s)b<
committee +ill take a more detailed look at Rodell &ro&erties and brin' in the necessary
e*&ertise to ens)re that the assets are e--ectively mana'ed#
13#9 PD asked abo)t the &revio)s interest that had been sho+n in the !ynthia Street
b)ildin' by &ro&erty develo&ers# PF re&lied that there had been no -)rther
comm)nication -rom the develo&ers#
The 'ate o8 the ne9t meeting i% #atur'ay 11
th
:uly 2009(
Page 5 of 5