Unlock Democracy Management Board Meeting

Mishcon de Reya, Summit House 12 Red Lion Square, London

25
th
March 2!
M"#U$%S
&resent
Robin Anderson, Debby Chay, Vicky Seddon (chair), Stuart Weir, John Jackson
'(ologies
Stuart Hill
"n attendance
Peter Facey, Ale Runs!ick
1) Minutes
"he #inutes o$ the #eetin% o$ &&
nd
January &''( !ere a))ro*ed
2) Matters arising
+t !as a%reed that the )a)er on ,ocal -rou)s and Data Protection !hich had been
a))ro*ed at the last #eetin%, should be circulated.
*) &olitical o+er+ie,
PF re)orted that Peo)le and Politics Day took )lace on the /(
th
0arch and that the
o$$ice !as returnin% to nor#al. He brie$ed the co##ittee on the recent #edia re)orts
on %o*ern#ent )ro)osals $or electoral re$or# and outlined the key #easure on this
Constitutional Rene!al 1ill. "here !as a discussion about the or%anisation2s
res)onse to it i$ the %o*ern#ent )ro)osed introducin% the Alternati*e Vote syste# $or
the House o$ Co##ons.
+t !as a%reed that a )a)er !ould be sent to Council on the )ros and cons o$ di$$erent
electoral syste#s and that the 0ana%e#ent 1oard !ill re)ort to Council on 3nlock
De#ocracy2s res)onse to %o*ern#ent )ro)osals.
-) .inance, Sta// and 'dmin
i) Co#)any #er%er
PF in$or#ed the 0ana%e#ent 1oard that sta$$ are bein% trans$erred onto the Charter
(( )ayroll. He added that Chancellory -ellacot has been hired to %i*e ta ad*ice on
the #er%er and that e)enditure had been incurred by seekin% ad*ice $ro# our
la!yers. "he ad*ice $ro# 1ates, Wells, 1raithe!aite, has already been circulated to
1oard #e#bers.
JJ dre! the 0ana%e#ent 1oard2s attention to the Charity Co##ission2s %uidance on
the ne! )ublic bene$it test $or charities, in relation to the creation o$ the Charter ((
Foundation.
ii) Sta$$
PF re)orted that it had not yet been )ossible to recruit a 4ob share to #ake the
Finance 5$$icer role $ull ti#e but that a )art ti#e accountant !ould be recruited as
soon as )racticable. He added that the 6ducation 5$$icer has been re*ie!in% old
Charter (( citi7enshi) #aterials and has identi$ied that there is a %a) in the #arket to
e)lore ho! schools can be #ore de#ocratic.
+t !as a%reed that the Publications and Pro4ects o$$icer role should be re%raded to
band C skill le*el &. +t !as $urther a%reed that this decision !ould take e$$ect $ro#
the &8
th
0arch &''(.
iii) 1ud%et
PF re)orted a decrease in inco#e as t!o $loors o$ the -rays +nn Road )ro)erty are
e#)ty. He s)oke to the dra$t bud%et and in$or#ed the 1oard that it did not include
)ossible %rant inco#e.
"he dra$t bud%et !as noted and re$erred to Council. +t !as $urther a%reed that i$ any
1oard #e#bers !ished to co##ent on the dra$t bud%et they should contact PF by
e9#ail.
i*) Current Financial Position
PF2s re)ort !as recei*ed.
5) Mem0ers Sur+ey
PF re)orted on the results o$ the recent #e#bers sur*ey and hi%hli%hted the
di$$erences bet!een the )ostal and internet sur*ey results. He e#)hasised that
!hile the results o$ the sur*ey are interestin% and i#)ortant 3nlock De#ocracy
needs to lead the debate and not 4ust res)ond to current trends. PF added that a $ull
re)ort !ill be sent to Council.
'ction &.
1) #e2t 3ouncil Meeting and 3ouncil %lection

PF in$or#ed the 0ana%e#ent 1oard that there are contested elections in t!o
constituencies. All candidates !ill recei*e a letter shortly outlinin% the election
ti#etable or in$or#in% the# o$ their election i$ the constituency is uncontested and
)ro*idin% details o$ the net Council #eetin%. He added that Candy Piercy !ill be
runnin% an induction session at the Council #eetin%.
SW asked about the election o$ the Chairs o$ Council and the #e#bers o$ the
0ana%e#ent 1oard. He re:uested that candidates %i*e state#ents so that )eo)le
can kno! their *ie!s.
PF re)lied that elections !ould take )lace by either the Sin%le "rans$erable Vote or
the Alternati*e Vote de)endin% on the nu#ber o$ )ositions to $ill. "he eistin% Council
has reco##ended that the current co9Chairs re#ain in o$$ice until the ne! Chair is
elected and that the 0ana%e#ent 1oard should ha*e around ; #e#bers !ith u) to <
substitutes.
It was agreed that once elected Council members would be asked for
expressions of interest in standing for Chair of Council or membership of the
Management Board so that other Council members could discuss this with
them. However nominations would remain open until the Council meeting.
4) 3am(aigns and 'cti+ity re(ort
i) Peo)le and Politics Day
PF re)orted that Peo)le and Politics day had 4ust taken )lace. +t !as an educational
e*ent attended by /,('' youn% )eo)le and s)onsored by the 6uro)ean Co##ission,
Parlia#entary 6ducation 3nit, 0inistry o$ Justice and the 6lectoral Re$or# Society.
"he $eedback has been *ery )ositi*e and the 6uro)ean Co##ission are interested
in $undin% other Peo)le and Politics day e*ents althou%h not at the sa#e le*el as
that strea# o$ $undin% !ill no lon%er be a*ailable. "he intention is to run another
Peo)le and Politics day in =o*e#ber &''> and )ossibly to also hold a re%ional e*ent
in 0arch &''> i$ $undin% can be secured.
Sta$$ !ere thanked and con%ratulated $or runnin% a *ery success$ul e*ent.
It was agreed that the venue should be booked for People and Politics day in
ovember !""#.
ii) Citi7ens Con*ention 1ill
PF re)orted that 3nlock De#ocracy had a))lied $or $undin% $ro# the JRR" $or a
Citi7ens Con*ention )rocess in Scotland. He indicated that he should be able to
re)ort the outco#e to the net Council #eetin%.
iii) Vote#atch
PF in$or#ed the 0ana%e#ent board that 3nlock de#ocracy had recei*ed a ?@'''
%rant $ro# JRR" to hel) $und the Vote#atch )ro4ect. He added that Vote#atch
,ondon !ould be launched on the &
nd
A)ril and that this !ould be a )ilot to see i$ the
so$t!are !ould be suitable $or use in other elections.
i*) &'
th
Anni*ersary )ublication
PF re)orted that ne%otiations !ere under!ay !ith Politicos to )ublish the book and
that there !as a )ossibility o$ recei*in% a s#all %rant $ro# JRR" to hel) !ith this.
*) 0ailin%
PF re)orted that the res)onse rate had been %ood at a))ro. @A and that ?//,'''
had been recei*ed to date. He added that #any )eo)le ha*e returned their
)ostcards and had clearly distributed the# a#on% $riends and $a#ily.
!) &u0lications and 5e0
PF re)orted that a #e#bers #a%a7ine !as bein% )roduced and that 0ichael Wills,
the 0inister o$ State res)onsible $or the constitutional re$or# a%enda, !ould be
!ritin% an article.
6) '7B
VS as Chair re#inded board #e#bers that this is the last ti#e this )articular
0ana%e#ent 1oard !ould #eet and that as DC and RA !ere not standin% $or
election to Council they !ould no lon%er be #e#bers o$ the 0ana%e#ent 1oard.
VS co##ented that DC had been a local %rou) acti*ist, #e#ber o$ sta$$, Council
#e#ber and Chair o$ Charter (( and that RA has had a lon% in*ol*e#ent !ith the
local %rou) in 1ath as !ell as bein% "reasurer $or Charter ((. SW added that DC had
chaired Charter (( at a di$$icult ti#e !ith consu##ate skill and di)lo#acy.
"hey !ere both thanked $or all their hard !ork and their co##it#ent to Charter ((
and 3nlock De#ocracy.