Unlock Democracy Management Board

8
th
December 2009 at 5.30pm
9 Cynthia Street !ondon "# 9$%
M&"U'(S
Present: Vicky Seddon (Chair), Stuart Hill (Vice Chair) Mick Pitt, Mark Valladares, Terry Myers,
Finola Kelly, Rosemary elcher
!n attendance (sta""): Peter Facey, #le$andra Runs%ick, Matthe% &li'er (minutes)
#s a mark o" res(ect, the meetin) started o"" %ith a minutes silence "or "ello% oard Mem*er
+ina Fishman, &n *ehal" o" the oard, Vicky (raised the %ork that she had done on *ehal" o"
the or)anisation and e$(ressed her condolences to her "amily,
-, #(olo)ies, Minutes and Matters #risin)
#(olo)ies %ere recei'ed "rom Stuart .eir and &%ais Ra/(ut,
The minutes o" the meetin) -0 &cto*er 1223 %ere a((ro'ed on the (ro'iso that t%o ty(o4s %ere
amended,
Matters arisin): Peter in"ormed the *oard that the "undraisin) (a(er had not *een done due to
the Mem*ershi( and Fundraisin) Mana)er, Samir #"him, *ein) o"" on (aternity lea'e, The
oard con)ratulated Samir and his %i"e Claire on the *irth and looked "or%ard to discussin) the
(a(er at the ne$t meetin) in the +e% 5ear,
1, Political o'er'ie%
Peter )a'e his (olitical o'er'ie% o" the (olitical situation mentionin) the +orthern !reland Human
Ri)hts Commission and the SC# #mendment ill,
0, Position on #V
Peter Facey u(dated the oard on the Vote "or a Chan)e cam(ai)n and 6o'ernment4s (lans to
le)islate "or a re"erendum on #V in &cto*er 12--, Peter e$(lained this %ould take the "orm o"
an amendment to its Constitutional Re"orm and 6o'ernance ill,
#"ter much discussion the oard a)reed that 7nlock 8emocracy4s cam(ai)n o*/ecti'e should
*e to amend the ill, callin) "or a (ro(ortional system instead o" #V, and "or a Citi9ens
Con'ention to determine %hich 'otin) system should *e (ro(osed, Peter ad'ised the *oard that
in doin) this the or)anisation %ould annoy some o" our allies %ho "elt that (ersuadin) ro%n to
mo'e a%ay "rom FPTP %as a ma/or ste(: that it could se'erely strain %orkin) relationshi(s %ith
them, The oard acce(ted this *ut a)reed %ith the 8irector that this %as a risk %orth takin),
Con'ersation then centred on the or)anisations (osition i" the 6o'ernment %ere success"ul in
(assin) the le)islation, The oard a)reed that the or)anisation %ould ha'e to *allot mem*ers
to seek their 'ie%s on %hether to su((ort #V, makin) it clear that the or)anisation remains "irmly
committed to the introduction o" a (ro(ortional electoral system "or the house o" commons, The
or)anisation %ould only *allot mem*ers i" there %as a realistic chance that the country %ould *e
"aced %ith a re"erendum (e,), i" 6o'ernment amendment had *een ta*led),
!t %as uni'ersally a)reed that, des(ite reser'ations a*out the o*'ious (olitickin) *ehind the
amendment, that the or)anisation should recommend to mem*ers that %e cam(ai)n in "a'our
o" #V in any re"erendum, The oard a)reed %ith Peter4s assessment that not to do so %ould
e""ecti'ely *e su((ortin) the First Past The Post (FPTP) system to %hich the or)anisation has a
lon) history o" o((osition,
!t %as noted that many mem*ers %ould likely to *e con"used a*out the (ro4s and con4s and o"
the di""erent electoral systems, !t %as su))ested that a )uide *e sent to mem*ers, similar to the
one a'aila*le on the %iki (a)e, The oard a)reed %ith a su))estion *y Vicky that in con'eyin)
our (osition to mem*ers and media alike, the or)anisation should outline a num*er o"
democratic tests %hich they could a((ly to each electoral system, This %ould *e alon) the lines
o" a rankin) system, The oard le"t the e$act detail %ith sta"" to "inalise,
;, Po%er12-2 and 6eneral <lection Plans
Peter in"ormed the oard that Po%er12-2 had decided to retain control o" the cam(ai)n
themsel'es and not dele)ate the hirin) o" re)ional or)anisers to other or)anisations, He added
that %hilst %e %ould continue to coo(erate %ith the cam(ai)n %hen it %as in our mutual
interests, this %ould mean 7nlock 8emocracy issuin) its o%n cam(ai)n material in the "orm o" a
cam(ai)n *roadsheet, The oard a)reed %ith this a((roach,
=, Finances, Sta"", #dmin and ud)et
Peter Facey )a'e the oard an u(date on the or)anisations "inances, He a(olo)ised "or not
circulatin) the ne% >o* 8escri(tion o" the &""ice Mana)er, He (romised to do so *y email, He
then u(dated the oard on the o'erhaul o" the or)anisations administration, s(eci"ically its "ilin)
and data*ase system,

?, &""ice Mo'e
Peter in"ormed the *oard that ha'in) taken ad'ice re)ardin) rents, it had *een decided to mo'e
u(stairs to the third "loor (%here the meetin) %as takin) (lace), not 6reys !nn Road, %ith a
mo'e date (encilled in "or early Fe*ruary, Su*/ect to a success"ul a((lication "or chan)e o" use
"rom the Council, ne)otiations %ould then *e)in %ith the 6o%er School, "or them to mo'e into
the *asement, Peter e$(lained that to sa'e on cor(oration ta$ and administration, the income
"rom this su* let %ould )o to 7nlock 8emocracy, not Rodell, The oard a)reed %ith this
a((roach,
@, Ae)acies and CharterBB Foundation
Peter u(dated the oard on outstandin) le)acies, #le$ in"ormed the oard that the creation o"
The Charter BB Foundation %as (roceedin) a(ace,
B, Mem*ershi( (+e% Mem*ers, +e% Mem*ers Pack)
Mem*ers %ere )i'en the list o" ne% mem*ers and sho%n the mem*ershi( (ack that is *ein)
)i'en to all ne% mem*ers,
3, +e% <m(loyments Policies
Peter and #le$ in"ormed the oard that these %ould *e circulated %ithin the %eek,
-2, #6M Follo% u( and Council <lections
The oard re'ie%ed the #6M minutes and a)reed that Cnon doms4 should *e (laced %ith the
ne% Aondon 6rou(in) 6rou( (Constituency C) to assist in e'enin) out the constituency si9es,
Stuart Hill asked that the "undraisin) letter to mem*ers *e sent to all Council Mem*ers, Peter
a)reed to do so, ho%e'er stated that *ecause o" strict deadlines %ith the mailin) house any
comment %ould ha'e *e %ith the o""ice *y the "ollo%in) day, He also e$(ressed reser'ations
a*out letters *ein) %ritten *y committee, ho%e'er acce(ted that this %ould *e a one o"" case,
Mem*ers %ere told that the Council "orm had already *een (rinted and so no amendments to
this %ere (ossi*le,
--, Aearnin) the lessons "rom the last t%o years o" Council
#head o" the election o" a ne% Council, there %as a *rie" discussion as to ho% lessons could *e
learnt "rom the last t%o years, !deas (ut "or%ard %ere as "ollo%s:
That there *e (delete %ere) yearly elections "or the Chair and Vice Chair
That %hilst candidates "or Mana)ement oard could sel" nominate, candidates "or o""icer
(ositions should *e (ro(osed and seconded *y other Council mem*ers,
6et Council Mem*ers to talk a*out themsel'es a*out their *ack)round at the "irst meetin)
That there should *e >o* 8escri(tions "or the Chair and Vice Chair
That there should *e t%o Vice Chairs
!t %as decided that oard mem*ers %ould re"lect on these su))estions and de*ate them at the
ne$t meetin),
-1, Cam(ai)n and #cti'ity Re(ort
The oard %ere )i'en an u(date on VoteMatch and told that Matthe% &li'er %as in char)e o"
the (ro/ect,
-0, Fundraisin)
Peter )a'e the oard a "undraisin) re(ort,
-;, Pro)ress on Rodell
The oard %ere in"ormed o" the continuin) (ro)ress at 6reys !nn Road, Peter (romised to
circulate the "licker (a)e so that mem*ers could see the (ro)ress o" the re*uildin) %orks,
-=, #,&,
The (ossi*ility o" ha'in) meetin)s outside Aondon %as discussed thou)h it %as noted that
history had o"ten sho% that there %as not a )ood lo)istical (oint "or e'eryone in terms o"
trans(ort links, !t %as a)reed that this %ould *e another area to *e le"t o(en "or de*ate at the
ne$t meetin),
Vicky thanked e'eryone "or comin) and reminded the oard o" the ne$t meetin) on Tuesday 3
Fe*ruary at =,02(m at Cynthia Street,
'he meeting ended at 8.#3pm