Unlock Democracy Management Board Minutes

14
th
June 2011, Top floor, !ynthia "treet, #ondon $1 %J&
'resent( Vicky Seddon, Phil Starr, Stuart Weir, Peter Hirst, Finola Kelly, Nan Sloane,
Mark Valladares
)n attendance: Peter Facey, Alexandra Runswick, Sion Howard
1 *pologies
!asin "aes
2 Minutes + Matters arising
Add #nlock to the headin$ o% the inutes and the inutes o% the M& eetin$
'( A)ril are a))ro*ed+ !here were no atters arisin$+
, &inance, *dministration and "taff
Peter Facey ,PF- s)oke to the ana$eent accounts+ !he .otto line %i$ure at
the end o% year was /(',000 ,as o))osed to a .ud$eted de%icit at /12,000-+
Vicky Seddon ,VS- asked whether there was a cash%low )ro.le3 PF con%ired
there was not+ MV asked in res)ect o% the *ariance %i$ure whether this should
now .e a 45 %i$ure rather than /400+ 6t was a$reed that the *ariance %i$ure
should in %uture .e 45 or /',000+ 6t was also su$$ested that Rodell .e ad*ised
o% this chan$e and in tie they i$ht wish to chan$e+
PF )resented the current sta%% structure3 #7 is tryin$ to %ill the $rants
%undraisin$ )osition and re)orted that we are not deletin$ the )u.lications
)osition since we want to ha*e one, )resently that role is .ein$ co*ered .y
other sta%%+
Finola Kelly ,FK- said that when lookin$ at the or$anisational chart, she would
like e*eryone8s $rade )ut in and that Ste*e Shaw as a contractor .e )ut in a
se)arate .ox+ She would like to know 9ily Randall8s :o. descri)tion+ PF
ex)lained 9R carries out e.ershi) work such as data.ase and u)datin$
records whilst in res)ect o% outreach she works with local $rou)s and acti*ists+
PF was asked whether the structure is the ri$ht one and what is the contractors8
)olicy+ He clari%ied that Ste*e Shaw8s )osition is inherited and he does work %or
other ca)ai$ns, hence he has reained sel% e)loyed+ 7an Flana$an who
works with Ste*e is e)loyed .y #7+
PF a$reed to circulate a new or$anisation sheet with )ay $rades and 9ily8s
:o. descri)tion+
PF noted that a e.er o% sta%%, Matthew ;li*er, was )resently on )aternity
lea*e+ !he M& )assed on its .est wishes+
PF then distri.uted the new e.ershi) list+ !his contains ',20< )aid u) new
e.ers %or consideration .y the M&+ !he .ulk o% these cae %ro the =>> list
and )riarily in A)ril+
Unlock Democracy Management Board Minutes
14
th
June 2011, Top floor, !ynthia "treet, #ondon $1 %J&
4 -odell
Phil Starr ,PS- re)orted that he had a direct a$enda re$ardin$ trans)arency
and control o% Rodell+ First he wanted to secure direct $o*ernance and second
directors who can ake decisions+ !he Rodell A?M was the %irst sta$e with the
a))ro*al o% the @ )re*iously a))ointed directors and the clear
acknowled$eent that the owner o% the shares is #7+
PS continued that he did not consider that sensi.le decisions had )re*iously
.een ade in res)ect o% Rodell, with incoe now su%%erin$+ !his a%%ects #7+
Further decisions re$ardin$ the acti*ity o% Rodell need to .e ade .y )eo)le
who know )ro)erty and in*estents+ !he Ad*isory &oard ,A&- is to .e setu) to
deal with this technical detail and they need to re)ort to soe.ody, %or exa)le
Rodell directors+ Most i)ortantly the A& ust ha*e )araeters and know who
they are re)ortin$ to+
PS also considered that the stewardshi) o% the co)any is a worry since the
assets could .e cashed in without )ro)er controls so the M& need to .e ha))y
with where in*estents are ade and the le*el o% risk+
A discussion then took )lace re$ardin$ the 2 directors8 o)tions contained in the
)a)er )re)ared .y SH+ !his discussion co*ered the identity o% nonAM&
directors, the lack o% clarity re$ardin$ decision akin$, what Rodell stands %or,
di%%erin$ and )ossi.le con%lictin$ interests .etween #7 and Rodell and the need
%or sa%e$uardin$ the assets o% Rodell+
!he M& a$reed the %ollowin$:
' that Rodell is a )ro)erty co)any and should there%ore act as one
1 the directors should .e a ix o% M& e.ers and nonAM& e.ers
,who and how to .e a))ointed to .e considered .y =ouncil- and
2 that there should .e sa%e$uards in )lace to )re*ent Rodell akin$
decisions that con%lict with #78s interests+
6t was a$reed that M& would recoend to =ouncil that there should .e <
directors ade u) o% ( %ro the M& and 2 others+
6n addition, PS is to )re)are ters o% re%erence includin$ an in*estent )olicy
%or Rodell %or =ouncil+ Su$$estions %ro M& e.ers would .e welcoe+
. */ -eferendum
PF in%ored the M& re$ardin$ the a%terath to the re%erendu+ !he co)any
Bes in May 10'' is currently .ein$ wound u), its e.ers were the Ci.eral
7eocrats, 9RS and #7 with %oral accounts .ein$ )resented to the 9lectoral
=oission in Au$ust+ &oth 9RS and #7 are ha*in$ con*ersations with local
$rou)s, acti*ists and !&P+
#7 has o%%ered %ree e.ershi) %or one year to !&P acti*ists+ !his is in line
with )re*ious )ractice, as in the o%%er in Au$ust last year o% %ree e.ershi) to
Power 10'0+ #7 is also in consultation with local $rou)s and is talkin$ to soe
>< out o% '00 existin$ $rou)s ,soe ha*e already disa))eared-+
PF continued that soe #7 e.ers and su))orters wonder why there are 1
or$anisations such as 9RS and #7+ 6n this context #7 will take its direction
%ro its e.ers+ 6t should .e noted that 9RS are seekin$ to .roaden their
reit+
!he )a)er that has .een circulated is honest .ut the Dcolour8 has .een
reo*ed+ M& should note that this docuent is %or internal )ur)oses only+
FK %la$$ed u) )otential issues re$ardin$ %ree e.ershi)+ PF re)lied that
indi*iduals ha*e to o)t in+ With Power %ro a list o% 24,000 a.out 1E2,000 took
u) e.ershi) o% which a.out @40 ha*e .ecoe )ayin$ e.ers+ !here are
(4,000 on the !&P list and so %ar 400 ha*e o)ted in+ !here is an o*erla) o%
20E(05 .etween the Power and !&P lists+ #7 has )resently @,100 )aid u)
e.ers+ !he o%%er could result in u) to an extra ',000 )ayin$ e.ers+
!here will .e a deadline %or o)tin$ in at the end o% Au$ust+ !his will .e on the
next eail+ FK ad*ised that #7 could still .e o)en to le$al challen$e+ PF
con%ired that at the oent the constitution is s)eci%ic re$ardin$ settin$ o%
e.ershi) %ees Nan Sloane ,NS- su))orted FK re$ardin$ the )ossi.ility o% a
le$al challen$e and the %act that courts take a traditional *iew o% what
constitutes e.ershi) o% an or$anisation+ MV )ro)osed that the A?M
e)owers the M& to ake these o%%ers
MV enFuired a.out the cost o% su.scri)tions and the cost o% ser*icin$ e.ers+
PF ad*ised that su.s are /'1 and /1( with ost e.ers donatin$ in res)ect
o% a))eals+ !he a*era$e e.er )ays /@4 a year and to ser*ice each e.er
costs /@ includin$ A?M, elections and sta%% costs+ A )erson has to .e a
e.er .y the end o% Au$ust to acFuire *otin$ ri$hts at the A?M+ M& is to note
that the o%%er o% %ree e.ershi) should close at the end o% Au$ust and take a
)ro)osal to the A?M to authorise M& to *ary the e.ershi) %ee, includin$
those already o%%ered+
A short discussion took )lace as to what #7 can take out o% the re%erendu+
=hair re)orted that !asin "aes had o.ser*ed that #7 ust )rotect its
re)utation and inde)endence while FK %elt #7 needs to ha*e a te)late %or
%uture )artnershi) workin$+ AR considered it i$ht ha*e .een .etter to su))ort
the AV ca)ai$n .ut not .e )art o% it+ Peter Hirst thou$ht it $ood that @ illion
*oted in su))ort o% chan$e+ PF considered the key and challen$e %or a ulti
ca)ai$n or$anisation is to ensure that it can )rotect its a.ility to ca)ai$n
across its whole a$enda in this situation+
MV o*ed that the )a)er .e endorsed and thanks $i*en to the sta%%+ !his was
a$reed+
Unlock Democracy Management Board Minutes
14
th
June 2011, Top floor, !ynthia "treet, #ondon $1 %J&
'olitical Update and &uture "trategy
PF o.ser*ed that %ollowin$ the re%erendu o))onents o% re%or are con%ident+
Cords re%or has and will always .e hard, des)ite that he .elie*es that
)ro$ress can .e ade durin$ this ter+ 6n Se)te.er the issue o% )arty %undin$
coes u) where there is the )ossi.ility o% akin$ )ro$ress on lo..yin$
trans)arency+ With the SNP $ettin$ a a:ority in Scotland the whole issue o%
the %uture sha)e o% the #nion coes into shar) relie%+
!he )ositi*es %or #7 are that in 100< we had a ailin$ list o% 1E2,000 and now it
is '01,000+ #7 has an o))ortunity to recruit new e.ers, since it is now
e*ident that there is a $rou) o% )eo)le who ha*e a hard *iew on aintainin$ the
status Fuo+
MV ad*ised the M& o% the 2 Ci. 7es a))ointed to the :oint coittee set u)
on Cords re%or who are Cord !aylor, Viscount !hurloe and &aroness Scott+
!he coittee is eant to .e re)ortin$ the end o% Fe.ruary+ !his is considered
hi$hly unlikely+
A .rie% discussion took )lace re$ardin$ the contents o% the HoC re%or .ill+ PF
concluded that he was o)tiistic since the o.:ecti*e was to ake )ro$ress and
there is a year to i)ro*e the .ill+ !here is a need a )ick a %i$ht: i% the HoC is to
exercise )ower then it ust ha*e a andate+ #7 e.ers are keen on PR so
there is an o))ortunity here+ VS o.ser*ed that #7 would $ain in credi.ility+
0 'reparation for !ouncil
!he e.ershi) sur*ey needs co)letion, constituencies need to .e looked at
in )re)aration %or the A?M+
12 *3B
PF raised concern at soe recent coents .etween council e.ers and
others in o)en eails raisin$ Fuestions re$ardin$ indi*idual e.ers o% sta%%
and co)yin$ in that sta%% e.er+ !his daa$es the relationshi) .etween the
sta%% and =ouncil+ 6% there is to .e criticis, it should .e done a))ro)riately .y
contactin$ PF+
FK coented that it is not clear %ro where )a)ers ha*e .een coissioned
whether sta%% or M&+ 6t was a$reed that the ori$ins o% any )a)er .e%ore the M&
will .e ade clear+
VS on .ehal% o% the M& wish Alex and "aes ha))iness %or their weddin$ on
"uly G
th
and in %uture+
%2 !he next eetin$ will .e held at 4+20) on !uesday G
th
Au$ust 10''+
102 !he eetin$ closed+