SE England minutes - Guildford 2010-04-03

From Pirate Party UK Wiki

The South East England region held a meeting at Rodboro Buildings in Guildford on the 3rd April 2010 from 15:00 to 18:00.

Attendance

• Andrew Tindall
• Azrael / StephenO
• lkcl / Luke Leighton

Total: 3

Minutes

Meeting was informal. No set agenda.

Campaign

• Main Parties have been campaigning for months now.
  • We're behind, but possible leeway given the fact we're a minor party, and recently formed.
• £500 deposit doesn't necessarily have to be retained by votes, merely getting 50 new people to join the party would cover it.
  • An achievable goal to strive for, compared to getting over 2000 votes.
• Discussion of mailshot details, Andrew to check specifics on this.
  • Discussion of what should be on mailshot.
    • Something about the candidate and his views, as well as general party info.
• Not done any local press yet. Need to get going.
  • Need to get more press details: Checked WH Smiths for local papers after meeting, Andrew to get contact details.

Luke's non-pirate policies

• UK Sovereignty.
  • Concerned over amount of law coming from EU, but agrees with free trade agreement, etc.
• Wants more accountability in software development, similar to Engineering.
  • NHS IT System affair wouldn't happen if there was legal accountability.
  • Wants a British Royal Society of Software Engineers.
• Concerned over pointless and ineffectual laws.
  • The ban on protesting outside of parliament, that doesn't stop the guy who caused the ban.
  • Some apparent law about ban on selling squirrels door to door.
• Critical of UK-US Extradition Treaty. Very one-sided.

Pirate Policy Clarification

• The policy on databases/ID Cards/the National Identity Register were unclear and need to be clarified.
  • Databases are good - wouldn't want to be excluded from NHS database, for example.
  • However, one overall database for everything, requiring biometric ID cards, etc. not good.

Conflict of Policy with other Pirate Parties

• Question of how differing copyright terms, etc. between the Pirate Parties might undermine reforms at a European level.
  • If multiple parties achieved seats in 2014 EUs, would different parties voting for different copyright terms cause reform to fail?
  • Should discuss with Duke at some point, due to his involvement with PPI.

Post-GE2010

• Cost of 2014, with EU election, likely General Election, and locals that year and the previous.
  • Maintaining funding up to this point.
    • Would be nice to have some large-scale investment, but will probably have to rely on small donations.
    • How to keep people involved and donating, with seemingly little happening between now and 2014.
      • Is it worth running in Regional Assembly Elections?

Next Meeting

• Rather than specify a time/place, find out what works for members, organise around that.
• Should be monthly, and preferably not on same day as London meets.
• South-East region sucks, geographically.

Post-meeting

After finishing the meeting, we walked into the city centre to check WH Smiths to find out what the local papers were. Also did a circuit of the area, with Luke handing out project postcard leaflets, talking to Surrey residents.

• Given it was a Saturday (and apparently a market day), quite high chance that some may have been South-West Surrey constituents.