NEC/Minutes/31st October 2011

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31 Oct 2011

Attending

Gavin Meredith (GM)

Loz Kaye (LK)

Andy Halsall (AH)

Apologies

Harley Faggetter (HF)

Phil Cooke (PC)

Minutes

The previous minutes from 24th October unanimously approved.

OWS to be referred to as OWS LSX

Matters Arising

AH to assist MF in preparing to take and issue future minutes.

HF to receive Handover from Miah Gregory (MG) - Todo

GM to follow up on paperwork with EC - Awaiting response

HF to pass LK his phone number. - Done

GM to put together a Press release relating to the PPUK and the occupy movement. - Ongoing.

LK to pass address information for Peter Liddell to the board. - done

AH to send statistics email to the NEC - not done but will be minuted today.

AH did not put out existing policy positions due to other commitments.

LK put out some of the discussed policy positions from Wednesday.

Actions from this meeting

Replace the 2011 page on the website AH with wikileaks - Wednesday.

Blog post email to round it off - AH.

GM to put together a Press release relating to the PPUK and the occupy

LK and AH talk about next steps on Thursday. 10am.

LK to contact Harry wrt releases.

AH to get involved in both.

AH Blank mandate

GM to email sogden on the facebook page and ensure a link to the party was included.

GM to put together a Press release relating to the PPUK and the occupy

AH/LK continue putting out existing policy positions.

AH to get stats from ED regularly.

Policy

LK stated that he felt the process had gone well so far and highlighted that it was coming to an end soon. LK also stated that we should aim to remove the policy 2011 pages. GM asked for confirmation on the closing date and whether it would be a good idea to keep the process up. GM felt that we could continue to take suggestions in this manner. AH stated that we had to move forward with the policy process but that the site would remain in place. LK stated that he felt that localised versions of it weould be useful and that it was now right to start broadcasting that this was a greats success and that we want to start acting on what people have said. AH stated that he had spoken to local moderators with regard to doing this for local elections and had a positive response but would prefer to run it in house.

AH stated that he would aim to replace the page on the website by wednesday and put together a blog post email to round it off. LK and AH would talk about next steps on Thursday. 10am.

AH stated that he wanted to look at a way of doing this in an ongoing fashion. LK agreed, registrationless and easy as possible.

Occupy

LK stated that there is a lot of interest in this and that he wanted to attend the occupatuin. LK stated that building on connections would be sensible. LK also felt that whilst he wasn't aware of the statistics, that there had been a huge boost in followers on the back of OWS, more so than our bread and butter issues.

GM stated that OLSX are happy to see a pirate in their midst and were happy that we are supporting the right to protest element. GM also stated that Finsbury square has been handed notice to move on by the council, GM felt that this was something that the party should look at. LK asked if there were any links to that because he felt it was important to flag up. GM stated it would be easier to get a court order for finsbury square.

GM also asked whether the NEC was aware of the injucntion being sought against the strikes on the 30 November. LK felt that the coalitions message on civil liberties was false and that practicality trumped any belief in this.

GM stated that he felt that there was a lot that we stand for that was involved in this. AH asked about leafletting on the ground at OWS. GM stated that it might be harder to do it on the ground even SWP are on the periphery. LK pointed out that we needed more members on the ground but that Manchester was a bit of a dead duck with regard to occypy at the moment and that London was symbolically more important in any case.

AH would aim to put together a new front page element with GM.

Press

LK stated he wanted to reinvigorate press. Initiating stuff has become more difficult and members feel that there is a clique of members who dominate everything, whilst we are screaming out for people to get themselves involved. AH stated that LK and AH hadn't been great at delegation and would look to improve that, the issues there are that things do need to be driven.

With regard to the press mailing list, It should really be harry coordinating. AH wondered whether HP was aware of the mailing list, GM said he was.

AH was asked to poke HP on the mailing list and GM to monitor.

Assange

Ruling coming up on Wednesday. LK pointed out that we should be in a position to have a stateement available on the issue regardless of how it goes. GM stated that our position should be clear regardless of the result. LK stated that he felt we were in a different position than even a few months back, the sentiment toward assange was not what it has been, but felt that the party needed to maintain the principle and standing fast in defending whistleblowers.

LK felt that UK politicians had washed their hands of the issues due to diminishing media attention. GM stated that we should focus on the ruling, he would be extradicted without him having been charged. That needs to be in the forefront. AH stated that the statemnt should be clear on the primary issue of the finding and then go over the main points.

Owyer

LK has been talking with interested people and stated that they feel that the emphasis should be that linking is not a crime in the UK or the US. GM reiterated that it isn't a crime AH stated that we needed to focus on that. AH also stated as there is a Sheffield local issue here he would try to link that in with the local stuff.

Stats

AH gave stats for the week.

[Note - must find a good way of putting these out]

LK wanted stuff to go out every week. AH outlined his views on membership communications. LK stated that he felt that there was a lot going on that needed to be communicated.

AH asked whether we had tweeted anything recently on membership, GM suggested that the beginning of October may have been the most recent. AH stated he didn't really get the facebook stats, and had difficulty matching it in to the incomming traffic to the PPUK website. LK stated that he felt there was an awkwardness about it due to privacy settings etc.. GM stated that the facebook page didn't have a link to the party website. LK stated that there were ways of making it look better and that we should do that. GM was to email sogden on the facebook page and ensure a link to the party was included.

AOB

GM raised the issue of the blank mandate and stated that he had taken a payment in cash and is paying hosting. GM also wanted to point out that RMS will be at the hub manchester november the 5th.

AH - Pointed out that he would have new Rackspace invoices to pass to GM for accounting.

LK made his Appologies for the 7th november he would be in brussels for populism the future of european politics.

Actions

//ACTION - Replace the 2011 page on the website AH with wikileaks - Wednesday. //ACTION

//ACTION - Blog post email to round it off - AH. //ACTION

//ACTION - GM to put together a Press release relating to the PPUK and the occupy

//ACTION - AH/LK continue putting out existing policy positions.

//ACTION - LK and AH talk about next steps on Thursday. 10am. //ACTION

//AATION - LK to contact Harry wrt releases.

//ACTION - AH to get involved in both.

//ACTION - Blank mandate

//ACTION - GM to email sogden on the facebook page and ensure a link to the party was included.