Unlock Democracy Council Meeting

University of London Union

26
th
April 2008
Present: Stuart Hill (Chair), Vicky Seddon (Chair), Peter Davidson, Rosemary Bechler, Tim
illiamson, !ick Pitt, "ndre# Pearmain, Peter Hirst, Terry !yers, $inola %elly, "lan De&enham,
Stuart eir, '#ais Ra()ut*
+n attendance: Peter $acey (Chair) "le,andra Runs#ick, -ames .raham, %ate /00lestone*
")olo0ies: 1ina $ishman, H*.* .ri22iths, -ohn -ackson, !ark Valladares, %elleen !c+ntyre*
Stuart Hill acted as Chair 2or the 2irst )art o2 the meetin0*
! Minutes
!atters "risin0:
!inutes o2 the meetin0 o2 the 3nlock Democracy -oint Consultative Committee 4 Council
Saturday 5
th
$e&ruary 6778 #ere a0reed as a correct record*
Vicky Seddon in2ormed the meetin0 that these minutes include more in2ormation than usual
&ecause o2 the im)ortance o2 decisions taken on that day, and in order to in2orm ne# mem&ers
o2 Council o2 the discussion*
Tim illiamson asked the meetin0 i2 the )a)er on the )ros and cons o2 di22erent electoral
systems had &een received* The res)onse #as no &ut it #ould no# &e sent out*
The 2ollo#in0 minutes #ere received 2or in2ormation:
3nlock Democracy !ana0ement Board !eetin0 69
th
!arch 6778*
3nlock Democracy $oundin0 ".! 6:
th
1ovem&er 677;*
2! Change of the company name
The Council #as asked to re2er to the )a)er <1ote on chan0in0 the name o2 the com)any 2rom
Charter 88 =td to 3nlock Democracy =td>* The Chair advised the meetin0 that &y com)any la#,
a ? ma(ority vote o2 those )resent #as re@uired to chan0e the name*
The name chan0e #as a0reed unanimously*
"! #lections for Chair of Council and mem$ers of the Management %oard
i) "dvice 2rom the )revious -oint Consultative Committee !eetin0 4 Council Saturday 5
th

$e&ruary 6778, #as received: )a)er entitled </lections 2or the Chair(s) o2 Council and mem&ers
o2 the !ana0ement Board>*
A
ii) The 2ollo#in0 #as a0reed:
That there &e one ChairB the election to &e &y the "lternative Vote, usin0 sel2 nomination
and the Director actin0 as returnin0 o22icer* That there &e a similar &ut se)arate election
2or Vice Chair*
That the elected Chair #ould &e chair o2 &oth the Council and !ana0ement Board*
That an +nde)endent "r&itrator to ad(udicate on 0rievances 2rom the mem&ers &e
a))ointed only #hen necessary
+t #as a0reed that the !ana0ement Board #ould consist o2 ; mem&ers, #ith C
su&stitutes* Su&stitute mem&ers !ana0ement Board #ould &e invited to attend meetin0s,
&ut #ould not &e e,)ected to attend* They could vote only i2 they #ere su&stitutin0 2or an
a&sent !ana0ement Board mem&er* The su&stitutes #ill &e invited in )riority order,
accordin0 to election votes
+t #as a0reed that a discussion on Honorary '22icers #ould &e taken a later meetin0*
Peter $acey re)laced Stuart Hill as Chair o2 the meetin0* The /lections 2or the Chair took )lace*
There &ein0 only one nomination 2or chair, Vicky Seddon #as declared elected as Chair o2 the
3nlock Democracy Council*
There #ere t#o nominations 2or Vice Chair: Stuart Hill and '#ais Ra()ut* +t #as su00ested that
&oth could act as Vice Chairs* "2ter discussion, the Chair )ro)osed that <the earlier decision to
elect one ViceDChair o2 the 3nlock Democracy Council &e chan0ed>* This )ro)osal #as carried
&y ; votes to 9*
Stuart Hill and '#ais Ra()ut #ere then declared elected as Vice Chairs o2 The 3nlock
Democracy Council* +t #as a0reed that Stuart Hill #ould serve the 2irst year as senior ViceDChair
and '#ais Ra()ut #ould serve the second year as senior ViceDChair*
Vicky Seddon then took the chair*
She indicated that a 2urther 2our mem&ers o2 the !ana0ement Board needed to &e elected*
The 2ollo#in0 nominated themselves or had )reviously indicated they #ished to stand:
Rosemary Bechler, !ark Valladares (not )resent), !ick Pitt, 1ina $ishman (not )resent), Stuart
eir, $inola %elly, Terry !yers* They #ere asked to 2or#ard &y eDmail a mani2esto o2 no more
than 677 #ords &y Tuesday 65
th
")ril* +t #as a0reed that the election &e held &y email, usin0 the
sin0le trans2era&le vote, #ith at least a #eek to vote, the director actin0 as returnin0 o22icer*
&! Directors report
Peter $acey s)oke to his re)ort* He ans#ered several @uestions #ith the 2ollo#in0 res)onses:
The 3nlock Democracy Council as Directors o2 the com)any #ould make any decisions a&out
sellin0 )ro)erty* The mem&ers #ill receive 6 CitiEen ma0aEines annually, the /3 re2orm Treaty
)u&lication and an annual re)ort 2or 1ovem&er 6778* " 0uide to the Sustaina&le Communities
"ct is at the )rinters* " ritten Constitution is not listed as a s)eci2ic cam)ai0n &ut other
cam)ai0ns 2eed into makin0 the case 2or it*
"le,andra Runs#ick res)onded to @uestions a&out the set u) o2 a charity &y sayin0 that there is
no )ro)osal that 3nlock Democracy #ill &ecome a CharityB the )ro)osed Charity #ill &e
se)arate &ut #ith links to 3nlock Democracy* +t #ill have some trustees 2rom 3nlock Democracy
and some inde)endent trustees*
6
There #as a discussion a&out the tactics 2or usin0 the internet to 2urther 3nlock Democracy>s
aims*
The Director>s re)ort #as a0reed*
'! %udget!
The Chair advised that it is the Council>s res)onsi&ility to decide the overall &ud0et* $ollo#in0 a
discussion, the &ud0et #as acce)ted unanimously*
6! (olicy discussion on (roportional )epresentation
The Chair re2erred the meetin0 to the )olicy )a)er on Pro)ortional Re)resentation* +n the
discussion, there #as a 0eneral 2eelin0s that, #hilst reco0nisin0 the resource and tactical issues,
Council #anted to increase our )ro2ile on this*
Council voted a0ainst s#itchin0 our resources 2rom this to makin0 o)en lists 2or /uro elections in
6775 the main )riority
Council voted a0ainst makin0 our 2ocus Fa re2erendum &e2ore ne,t 0eneral electionG rather than
Fno#G or Fas soon as )ossi&leG
The )olicy )a)er #as then acce)ted*
*! Mem$ership survey
There #as a discussion on the !em&ershi) Survey* Peter $acey )ointed out that this should &e
a 0uide not an instruction on )olicy &ecause the desire 2or action 2rom the mem&ershi) has to &e
&alanced #ith the o))ortunities 2or action* +t #as a0reed that the mem&ershi) survey #ill
under)in the discussion 2or strate0y at the ne,t Council meetin0*
8! (roposals on conduct of pro+y votes at the A,M
The )ro)osal #as carried*
-! Dates of future meetings
+t #as a0reed in 2uture, Council meetin0s &e held in $e&ruary and -une* $or this year, the
Director #ill circulate a num&er o2 dates in -uly and early Se)tem&er via eDmail, 2or Council to
indicate their )re2erences*
The Chair thanked the Council 2or their attendance and )artici)ation, and the meetin0 #as
closed*
C