Democracy Management Board Minutes

12
th
April 2011, Top floor, 6 Cynthia Street, ondon !1 "#$
Present: Vicky Seddon (chair), Phil Starr, Tamsin James, Stuart Weir, Finola
Kelly, Nan Sloane and Peter Hirst
n attendance: Peter Facey and !le" #uns$ick, Simon Ho$ard
1 Apologies, Minutes and Matters Arising
%ark Valladares
Minutes
The minutes $ere amended to re&lect that Finola Kelly (FK) had sent her
a'olo(ies &or not )ein( a)le to attend the last meetin(* The amended
minutes $ere then a''ro+ed as an accurate record*
2 %olitical o&er&ie' and (es campaign
Peter Facey (PF) u'dated the %ana(ement ,oard (%,) on the meetin(s
-. had held on House o& /ords re&orm* He re'orted that a dra&t ,ill is
e"'ected in mid %ay, althou(h as this had )een initially 'romised in
.ecem)er, this date may sli'* The dra&t )ill is likely to include 'ro'osals
&or an 012 elected second cham)er usin( a 'ro'ortional electoral
system* & the dra&t )ill is 'u)lished this $ill )e the immediate &ocus o&
-.3s $ork a&ter the re&erendum*
Stuart Weir (SW) asked i& -. $ould )e su)mittin( e+idence to the
4ommission on a ,ill o& #i(hts &or the -K* PF a&&irmed that this $ould )e
the case )ut that there had not yet )een a call &or e+idence* He
e"'lained that most human ri(hts or(anisations took the +ie$ that all
en(a(ement $ith the 4ommission should sim'ly &ocus on de&ence o& the
Human #i(hts !ct and not 'ro'ose anythin( ne$* This is not -.3s +ie$*
Vicky Seddon (VS) asked a)out the outcome o& discussions $ith PS!*
PF outlined the chan(es that had )een made to the e"'enses re(ime
&ollo$in( the recent consultation*
PF u'dated the %, on 'ro(ress $ith the 5es to Fairer Votes (56FV)
cam'ai(n and re'orted that the &irst re&erendum )roadcasts &rom )oth
sides had no$ )een aired*
FK re7uested that there )e a &ull de)rie& on -.3s in+ol+ement $ith the
56FV cam'ai(n includin( the e"'erience o& seconded sta&&, a&ter the
re&erendum*
%, thanked sta&& &or all their hard $ork on the re&erendum cam'ai(n*
) %arty Conferences
!le" #uns$ick (!#) s'oke to her 'a'er and 'ro'osal &or -.3s 'resence
at the 'arty con&erences in 6188*
(Tamsin James) TJ a(reed $ith !#3s analysis and su''orted the
'ro'osal outlined in the 'a'er* She commented that many other
+oluntary sector or(anisations are cuttin( )ack on their $ork at the 'arty
con&erences this year*
Nan Sloane (NS) recommended $orkin( $ith other or(anisations to hold
9oint e+ents at the 'arty con&erences*
SW su((ested that -. should run a lecture series on to'ical issues that
are &undamental to our democracy )ut not areas $here $e necessarily
ha+e 'olicy or a current cam'ai(n* n 'articular he 'ro'osed lectures on
the im'ortance o& cor'orate interests in our democracy and the Ne$s o&
the World 'hone hackin( scandal*
PF s'oke in &a+our o& recruitin( acti+ists at other styles o& e+ents $here
'eo'le are not already su'er acti+ists &or a 'articular cause*
The 'a'er $as a''ro+ed*
* Budget
PF started )y 'ointin( out 6 chan(es in 'resentation &rom 're+ious years
:$hen money has not )een s'ent in 're+ious years it no$ comes into
the current year as income* The other relates to ;(rants< $here there is
income o& =>1,111 included* This is antici'ated income since $e are due
to em'loy a (rant raisin( 'erson and can reasona)ly e"'ect to raise this*
Pre+ious )ud(ets ha+e )een unduly 'essimistic*
The e"istin( de&icit has closed* With this )ud(et $e ha+e set hard
tar(ets and ha+e interro(ated each area* t $ill not )e easy to reach )ut
the tar(et is to )reak e+en*
! re'lacement o& the 'u)lication o&&icer has not )een included? i& $e
em'loy a (rants &inder $e $ill still )e the same si@e as )e&ore )ut $ith an
additional &undraisin( 'ost* 4a'acity &or $ork has reduced )ut there is
)etter o''ortunity &or (rant income* t is too )i( a (am)le to try )oth*
t $as a(reed $e $ould re+ie$ the structure a&ter the re&erendum* FK
$ants somethin( &or June %, meetin(*
Salary assum'tion in the )ud(et is A*02 )ut sta&& are $illin( not to take
the #P o& A*BC2 (see later)* n 're+ious years $e ha+e not )ud(eted
the #P increase &rom !'ril* Dther assum'tions relate to Vote %atch
(V%)* This )ud(eted income should )e easily achie+ed* The .aily
Tele(ra'h is keen to do V% on )oth the %ayoral elections and the
#e'u)lican 'rimaries*
-. is like a E le((ed stool : stron( mem)ershi' )ase, stron( (rant )ase
and o$n asset )ase* ,oth the (rant and asset income ha+e )een hit*
Turnin( to mem)ershi' income $e no$ ha+e email lists o& A1F>1,111
and ha+e ne+er tried to raise money &rom this )e&ore* We no$ ha+e a
$e)site and tools* 56FV raised =811,111 )y email donations* ,y shi&tin(
to email &rom 'ost in res'ect o& the donor )ase $ill kee' costs do$n*
The )ud(et $as a''ro+ed $ith the 'ro+iso re sta&&in(* t is also 'ro'osed
that the )ud(et is re+ised Gu'dated &or each council meetin(* This $ill
reduce lar(e num)er o& notes e"'lainin( de+iations &rom the )ud(et in
res'ect o& the mana(ement accounts*
+ $inances, Staff , Admin
Salaries
-. and its 'redecessors ha+e al$ays used #P to calculate annual
salary rises* The &i(ure to use &or this year is A*BC2, ho$e+er the sta&&
(i+en they had an additional *C2 last year ha+e o&&ered to take this into
account &or this year (i+in( a &i(ure o& A*AC2*
-sin( 4P $ould (i+e a lo$er &i(ure o& E*C2* There &ollo$ed a
discussion as to $hat the Not For Pro&it sector is no$ usin( F #P or 4P*
t a''ears that 4P is )ecomin( the norm* This is a matter to consider &or
ne"t year* PF $ill ad+ise sta&& that this 'ossi)ility is )ein( considered*
!(reed to (i+e sta&& A*AC2 increase &rom !'ril 6188*
#odell
#odell )ud(et, a(ain $e are tryin( to )e as accurate as 'ossi)le* ,ud(et
$as a(reed*
%ana(ement accounts
The de&icit $ill not )e the same at the end o& the &inancial year, &or
e"am'le it does not include the =A1,111 &rom No+as Scarman* There is
also a le(acy that $ill no$ come in ne"t yearHs accounts* PF con&irmed
that the de&icit is estimated do$n to =C1FI1,111 $ith a 6 year o+erall
de&icit o& =E1,111*
n these accounts the im'act o& the re&erendum can also seen* We
)rou(ht in a lot more money )ut then s'ent more*
FK en7uired ho$ much $as donated to the cam'ai(n* PF said that the
'u)lished &i(ure o& =6A,111 $as &or 6 months ('u)lished )y 5TFV) and
-. $as only a$are o& this $hen it $as 'u)lished* The mana(ement
accounts ca'ture $hat $e ha+e (i+en in cash terms ie =E1,111, some o&
this directly &rom mem)ers, the last =81,111 came &rom the last a''eal*
The money raised &rom tele'hone &undraisin( $ill a''ear as a donation*
The sta&& costs do not include PFHs time and the use o& Jrays nn #oad*
S4!: there is one contractor and 8 em'loyee $ho is on a 8 year
contract*
The mana(ement accounts re'ort $as acce'ted*
6 -odell
VS F !t the last %, meetin( there $as a 'a'er re(ardin( directors* t
caused a disa(reement )et$een 6 lon(standin( #odell directors and this
)oard* There no$ needs to )e a clearer distinction )et$een %, and
#odell*
PS e"'lained that he looked at #odell and its %em K !rts and $as
concerned a)out the control directors could e"ert, $ith a 7uorum o& only
6* Solicitors ha+e ad+ised -. on the 'rocess o& modernisin( #odell* !t
the recent #odell meetin( the identity and status o& the shareholders
$as con&irmed and at the ne"t meetin( (an !J%) the directors are to )e
a''ro+ed )y the shareholders* The shares are held in trust )y nominees
$ho can )e ad+ised or instructed ho$ to +ote )y the %,*
VS has 'roduced a 'a'er lookin( at the &uture connection )et$een the
%, and the #odell .irectors* PF F %, needs to decide today ho$ they
are to ad+ise the shareholders in res'ect o& the !J%, $hether to lea+e it
to the shareholders as ho$ to +ote, to ad+ise them or instruct them to
+ote in a 'articular $ay* The 6 resolutions )e&ore the !J% are to
a''ro+e the accounts and to con&irm the a''ointment o& the e"istin( I
directors as directors*
t $as a(reed to ad+ise the shareholders to +ote &or the a''ro+al o& the 6
resolutions*
! short discussion took 'lace re(ardin( $here and ho$ the &uture
directors o& #odell are a''ointed and $hat constitutional sa&e(uards
may)e needed*
. /nterns
!# 'resented a 'a'er on interns at -. in li(ht o& recent headlines* !
discussion took 'lace* t $as a(reed there $ould )e no more un'aid
internshi's and that a +olunteer 'ro(ramme $ould )e 'ut in 'lace*
0 SCA , 1ote Match
S4!
Jo+ernment has 'u)lished re(ulations* !ll assurances the minister
made ha+e disa''eared hence the L.% cam'ai(n* t is e"'ected some
611 %PS $ill si(n*
Vote %atch
We did one in reland and also deli+ered one &or /eeds -ni+ersity* They
had their hi(hest e+er turnout in any election: 81K students used V%,
some third o& the total students* There is no$ com'etition &rom similar
'roducts, such as True 4olours in ,el&ast* Dn 'ositi+e side, there is no$
an L#S 'ro'osal to o&&er V% to other or(anisations &or internal elections*
We ha+e a 'ool o& 'eo'le here $ith e"'erience, T is no$ outsourced
and i& %atthe$ Dli+er le&t the methodolo(y is still here*
" A2B
FK raised issue o& $here cash reser+es are to )e in+ested*
10 Date and time of ne3t meeting: C*E1 on Tuesday >
h
June 6188
(Note su)se7uently this date $as chan(ed to 8A
th
June to accommodate
sta&& lea+e arran(ements)
Meeting closed