Unlock Democracy Management Board

Minutes
24
th
July 2012
Present
Peter Hirst (PH), Finola Kelly (FK), Vicky Seddon (VS) (chair), Stuart Weir (SW), Phil Starr
(PS), Mary Southcott (MS), Stuart Hill (SH)
Apologies
Danny Zinkus-Sutton
In attendance
Peter Facey (PF), Ale !uns"ick (A!), #ack Mai$els (#M)
1 Minutes and Matters Arising
%t "as noted that there "as a correction re&uired in ite' ( o) the *re+ious M, 'inutes, as
Ste*hen Pitta' "as 'iss*elt as Ste+en Pitt'an- Pendin. this correction, the 'inutes "ere
a**ro+ed as a correct record-
VS re*orted on the outco'e o) the 'eetin. "ith # /raha', 0a'*ai.ns and
0o''unication Mana.er, re his 1o2 title and *ay .rade, "ith a reco''endation to con)ir'
his *osition on scale /rade 3 at 4e+el 5, 2ackdated to May 5
st
- His 1o2 title "ould there)ore
2e 0a'*ai.ns and 0o''unication Director- FK in&uired into the a))orda2ility o) this chan.e
and PF re*lied- 6he reco''endation "as then con)ir'ed- FK re&uested an or.anisational
chart, a)ter "hich PF e*lained the structure in detail- We re'inded oursel+es that chan.es
in or.anisational structure "ere 'atters )or Mana.e'ent ,oard deter'ination-
6here "ere no other 'atters arisin.-
2 inances! "ta##! Admin
Management accounts
PF circulated 7 sets o) accounts, one )or !odell )or in)or'ation *ur*oses only and one )or
the 8D 'ana.e'ent accounts )or the 7 'onths to the end o) May 7957- PF ad+ised that
co''itted .i+in. "as do"n 2y around :;,999, 'ost likely due to a .reater than e*ected
dro* o)) in annual su2scri*tions )ollo"in. the AV re)erendu' and "ere *redo'inantly
)or'er 0harter << 'e'2ers- PF also noted that a tele*hone ca'*ai.n ai'ed at ne"
su2scri2ers "ould 2e carried out shortly and that there had already 2een tele'arketin.
"hich had 'ade around :7,999, centred on 4ords re)or'-
The accounts were approved.
"ta##ing
PF ad+ised that there "ere three 1o2 ad+erts 2ein. *laced )or roles at 8D= an >utreach
S*ecialist "ith the 4ocal Works tea'? a 0o''unication Assistant? and a !esearch
Assistant, the latter t"o 2ein. on ; 'onth contracts on 4ondon 4i+in. Wa.e, )unded 2y
#!!6 .rants- 6he !esearch Assistant "ill 2e re*lacin. #M, "ho "ill 2e lea+in. the
or.anisation in Se*te'2er- PF also co''ented that the ai' "as to ha+e the ne" 'e'2ers
o) sta)) recruited 2y the end o) Au.ust- 6here "as then a discussion a2out details, in "hich
A! e*lained that the ad+erts had 2een *laced on the "e2sites o) 2oth 8D and "ork;'*,
and that the closin. date "as in 7 "eeks ti'e- PF added that a hi.h nu'2er o) a**licants
"ere e*ected )or the roles-
PF noted 'ore .enerally that the tea' 'oral "as hi.h and the sta)) had ada*ted "ell to the
ne" o))ice-
VS re*orted that she had conducted her 2iannual e+aluation o) PF@s e*enses )or
a**ro+al-
$ealth and "a#ety
PF re*orted that there had 2een no si.ni)icant chan.es- >))ice Mana.er Si'on Ho"ard had
done his tours o) the 2uildin. and "as in the *rocess o) .ettin. the do"nstairs o))ice ready
2e)ore it is let out-
SH raised the issue "hether the sta)) tea' had a Sa)ety !e*resentati+e, to "hich PF
res*onded no- SH su..ested that the sta)) should 2e o))ered the choice and it "as a.reed
that it "ould 2e *ut to sta)) at their "eekly 'eetin.-
undraising
PF e*lained that there "ere ; .rants to re*ort *ro.ress on- 6he 3s'ee Fair2urn .rant, )or
:AA,999 o+er 7 years, had no" 2een .i+en to the 4ocal Works tea', )ollo"in. the
announce'ent o) the S0A re.ulations-
:(9,999 o) .rants had 2een recei+ed )ro' #!!6 )ro' no" until B5 Dece'2er, "hich "as
the a'ount re&uested, 2ut "ithout the re&uire'ents to do "ork on 3n.lish de+olution? the
)undin. "as )or "ork on 4ords re)or', *arty )undin. and lo22yin.- 6his "as 2ecause #!!6
"anted to )urther de+elo* their *osition on de+olution and su..ested it "as a con+ersation
to ha+e at so'e *oint in the )uture- 6here "as then a short discussion on de+olution and
the 'erits and dra"2acks o) di))erent sources o) )undin.-
PF re*orted that there had 2een a success)ul 2id )or Vote'atch )undin. o) 79,999 3uros
o+er 7 years )ro' the 38 0o''ission@s- 6his "ill in+ol+e holdin. se'inars or con)erences
"ith C di))erent countries in the run u* to the 795; 3uro*ean Parlia'ent elections- PF noted
the i'*ortance o) kee*in. an accurate record o) all *a*er"ork, as the .rant can 2e audited
)or u* to C years a)ter it has )inished-
6here "as also a 2id to the #!06 to )und "ork on Police and 0ri'e 0o''issioners
elections, "hich "as unsuccess)ul-
SH then raised the issue o) le.acies and +olunteered to assist in securin. 'ore o) the'
)ro' the 8D 'e'2ershi*- A short discussion )ollo"ed, includin. the risks o) le.acy
ca'*ai.ns and the 'erits o) le.acy lea)lets-
%PM&
PF ad+ised that the KPM/ re*ort and ho" to *ro.ress )ro' it "ould 2e discussed "ith
#!!6 on 59 Se*te'2er- PF also re*orted that he had 'et "ith Dick !adcli))e )ro' KPM/
and an action *lan "ould 2e )or'ed, "ith the ai' o) takin. a detailed +ersion to 0ouncil
net year- VS had already 'ade so'e su..estions- 6he only constitutional 'atter "as
"hether to hold elections e+ery year, "hich "ould 2e 'ore costly- VS su..ested that the
dra)t action *lan should 2e circulated around the M, )or co''ents 2e)ore .oin. to 0ouncil,
"hich "as a.reed- 6here "as then a short discussion "hich concluded that 2iennial
elections "ere *re)era2le- MS re&uested a co*y o) the KPM/ re*ort, "hich "as later
su**lied to her-
' (odell ) Appointment o# Directors
VS e*lained that ; !odell Directors are directly elected 2y 'e'2ers, "hile B are a**ointed
2y the M,- SH, !ose'ary ,echler, Ste*hen 0arter and 0hristo*her 0arri.an "ere
ori.inally elected, 2ut as SH chose to sit on the M,, Alan De2enha' took his *lace as a
directly elected !odell director- As PS had 2een elected Vice-0hair "ith !odell, and SH
and VS "ere the only others to declare an interest in the roles, VS su..ested that these
three should 2e a**ointed 2y the M,, "hich "as then a.reed-
PS, VS and SH appointed as 2012-14 Rodell Directors.
4 Mem*ership
A list o) ne" 'e'2ers "as circulated )or a**ro+al- PF ad+ised that all the na'es on the list
"ere *aid 'e'2ers and *redo'inantly )ro' internet ca'*ai.ns, such re&uests )or action
on 4ords re)or'- VS noted that there "ere around (( na'es on the list and A! added that
these "ere ne" 'e'2ers )ro' 7A

May- 6here "as then a short discussion on the .ender
2alance o) 'e'2ers? it "as a.reed this should 2e 'onitored- PF also added that there
"ere no )ree 'e'2ershi*s *lanned? the current e'*hasis is to con+ert )ree 'e'2ers into
*ayin. ones-
The new e!ers were approved.
Sta)) then le)t the 'eetin. )or a *articular ite'- See con)idential 'inute-
+ ,ampaigns-Pro.ects
/oter registration
PF re*orted that the ,ill "as in the 4ords, thou.h the 795( ,oundary !e+ie" "as still an
issue and the action re&uested o) the su**orter 2ase "as not "idely taken u*- PF stated
that that 8D "ould 2e seekin. )undin. )ro' the Si.rid !ausin. 6rust and the >ak
Foundation )or "ork on +oter re.istration-
0ords (e#orm
PF noted that .o+ern'ent "ould )ind it di))icult to .et re)or' throu.h "ithout 4a2our@s
su**ort or si.ni)icant chan.es to the *ro*osals, and so our ca'*ai.n "ould )ocus on
4a2our, "ith A! settin. u* net"ork o) 4a2our or.anisations- 6here "as then a discussion
a2out a *ossi2le re)erendu', 5( year ter's and the i'*act o) the current econo'ic
situation-
/ote Match
PF in)or'ed the M, that there "as nothin. )urther to re*ort-
",A
PF ad+ised that no" the re.ulations had 2een announced, the )ocus has 'o+ed )ro'
ca'*ai.nin. to i'*le'entation-
Party unding
PF re*orted that cross *arty talks are on.oin. and that 8D "ould launch its re*ort on trade
union a))iliation )ees the "eek 2e.innin. E Au.- PF co''ented that o) the 5B unions
a))iliated to 4a2our, only B 'ention this )act on their 1oinin. )or's-
0o**ying
A! e*lained that the .o+ern'ent had *u2lished a su''ary o) the consultation res*onses,
2ut i.nored the 5B99 res*onses )ro' the 8D "e2site, des*ite an a.ree'ent )ro' the
0a2inet >))ice- 6he issue "as 2la'ed on a sta))in. chan.e and is currently in the hands o)
Minister Mark Har*er- 6he 7< or.anisations "ho si.ned u* to the ca'*ai.n "ere also
i.nored, 2ut the *etition "as included, thou.h only as a 'ention in an a**endi- A! added
that 8D "ould "ait to see i) correcti+e action is taken 2e)ore launchin. any ca'*ai.n to
ha+e these res*onses reco.nised-
,ounting 1omen In 2,1I3
A! ad+ised that se'inars "ith the 0onser+ati+es and 4i2eral De'ocrats had already
ha**ened, "ith a 4a2our se'inar to ha**en shortly, all o) "hich "ere )inanced 2y
secondary )undin. )ro' #!06- 6here "as then a discussion a2out access to *olitics 'ore
.enerally-
De4olution
PF re*orted that due to a lack o) sta)) ti'e, de+olution is 2ein. re.arded as a de+elo*'ent
cate.ory "ith the "ork 2ein. )or 7-B years ti'e- Since there is no dedicated sta)) ti'e )ro'
any .rants, it is currently 2ein. le)t to PF, thou.h PF added that it should 2e *ossi2le to
dedicate a little 'ore sta)) or +olunteer ti'e to it- 6here had also 2een no ti'e to 'ake
*ro.ress on *roducin. a *a'*hlet on de+olution, )or "hich a s'all a'ount o) )undin. had
already 2een a**ro+ed-
6here "as then a discussion on the i'*lications o) the Scottish inde*endence re)erendu'
on de+olution- %t "as also a.reed that the 1oint 8D F 0F3! ad+isory .rou* set u* 2y the last
M, should ha+e its )irst 'eetin.-
5 A676B
A! added that the #ustice 0o''ittee "ould 2e *u2lishin. their re*ort on F>% the )ollo"in.
6hursday and that 8D "ould 2e *u2lishin. a hal) ter' re*ort on the coalition@s *ro.ress in
Se*te'2er- 6here "as then a short discussion a2out *arty con)erence *lans-
6he net 'eetin. o) the Mana.e'ent ,oard "ill 2e on 6uesday 55
th
Se*te'2er-