Welcome to the Final Agenda for the Green Party’s Autumn Conference 2005.
An electronic version is available on request as an rtf file (approx. 200kB) from the SOC Convenor, Dean Walton, email address soc(at)greenparty.org.uk. Paper copies are available from Green Party Office, 1a Waterlow Road, London, N19 5NJ, telephone 020-7272-4474.
The members of SOC are Dean Walton (current convenor), Robin Altwarg & Chris Cotton (co-opted). If you would like to join put yourself forward for SOC please feel free to chat to us at any time.
There are various reports, 1 voting paper (Agriculture), 11 policy motions, and 9 organisational motions; 1 motion was ruled out of order and is included at the end of the Agenda.
SOC ruled one motion out of order ‘”O1 Monetary Reform” on the grounds that it breached the ‘2 year rule’. It is useful that the first time the rule has been applied is when the proposed motion is only a day or two short of the 2-year time limit. Some members have expressed concern that SOC have in some way been ‘over-zealous’ or have gone ‘against the spirit of the 2 year rule’. In our defence SOC considered the original motion and amendments that brought the 2-year rule into the Standing Orders. It is our view that Conference quite clearly voted for a 2-year time limit based on a calendar year.
Amendments 7, 8 & 10 to the Section B Agriculture were originally submitted as a single amendment. In view of the other motions received for the same parts of the paper and that there seemed to be no theme between the three sections of the original amendment SOC has decided to propose that this Amendment be taken in parts and has arranged the agenda as such.
The Standing Orders for Conduct of Conference are contradictory on the treatment of policy motions that do not amend the MfSS. SOC had previously sought to rule these out of order and currently holds this position. However SOC decided in agreement with Policy Committee to not rule these motions out of order pending a clarification of the rules via a Constitutional amendment to a future conference.
If you notice any errors in the final agenda please notify the convenor of SOC.
The agenda has been prioritised according to the results of the members’ ballot. 60 Ballots were received of which 59 were valid.
SOC does accept e-mail signatures. The procedure has been simplified by SOC. To sign a motion by email please ensure you include your membership number your local party and if you are the contact for a motion or amendment your address and email address that members can contact you on. Members of Wales Green Party should send the address registered with the Wales membership secretary.
Please help SOC by only enclosing one motion or amendment in each email and by not forwarding transcripts of the debates that have been held by members prior to agreeing to a final version of the text– this also reduces the possibility of error.
There will be elections at Conference for Female Principal Speaker and the following GPEX co-ordinators: International, Policy, Elections, External Communications, Finance, Local Party Support & Publications. Further nominations are invited for these 9 posts so candidates for these positions are not named until the end of the extended nomination period.
The deadlines for receipt of new nominations are:
Before Conference, Thursday 1st September to Dean Walton, SOC Convenor, or myself.
At Conference, 12 noon on Saturday 10th September to SOC at the SOC table
Hustings will be on Saturday afternoon, 10th September.. The counting for ALL positions will take place shortly after the postal ballot deadline, which is Saturday 17th September.
If you have any queries, please ask Green Party central office for contact details. Alternatively you can contact Dean Walton, the SOC Convenor, on 07880-748259 or email soc(at)greenparty.org.uk
Elections will also be held at Conference for these Committees: Campaigns, Policy, Standing Orders, Disputes Resolution, Conferences, Green World Editorial Board & International Committee. For information on these elections please contact the SOC Convenor.
SOC would like to remind everyone that although Standing Orders are suspended when an emergency motion is discussed, it is only Section A that is suspended. This is the section that deals with the requirement to submit motions by the First Agenda deadline.
The section of the standing orders that deals with reasons for SOC ruling motions out of order is NOT suspended. This is Section C9 of the standing orders, which states:
Motions or amendments to motions shall be ruled out of order on grounds of being:In addition, Section G1 of the Standing Orders states:
- contrary to the Constitution
- retrospective in their effect
- ambiguous
- vague
- trivial or requiring no consequential action
- substantially changing policy areas, or having complex implications for other areas, without having passed through the agreed process of consultation or seeks to amend the principles passed in a policy motion or Voting Paper less than two years previously, or if it seeks to re-present a policy proposal which has been debated and defeated at a Conference less than two years previously except where it is proposed by Regional Council and agreed by SOC that the specific exception to that requirement shall be made in respect of an area of Party Policy for which urgent need to update or clarify the policy outweighs the normal consideration of procedure.
Please bear these restrictions in mind when composing emergency motions.
- Emergency motions shall only be accepted provided
- the issue has arisen, or has substantially changed, since the deadline for motions
- the motion is consistent with the MfSS and neither changes nor adds to the text of the MfSS
- No amendments to the Constitution or Standing Orders are permitted under this suspension.
It is SOC’s opinion that Emergency Motions should be limited to no more than 300 words.
The names of those signing motions are included after each motion, up to a maximum of 4 names, although only 4 are required. Where there are more than 4, then the first 4 are listed followed by “+ others”. The principal contact for each motion is indicated by (**) after the name and contact details can be found at end of the agenda before the prioritisation ballot.
Contact details for amendments are typically the first person listed after the amendment.
SOC were asked to consider whether a change to A Regional Party’s constitution introducing a ‘Leader’ and ‘Deputy Leader’ were contrary to the Philosophical Basis and therefore contrary to the GPEW Constitution. SOC considered this question and was unable to reach a decision on this point. The issue at hand was whether or not PB443 applied to just the GPEW as a body in its own right or whether the principle applied to Regional Parties, Local Parties and the like. SOC will review this decision in light of the forthcoming Conference and may need to bring a constitutional motion of its own to clarify the situation if need be to a future Conference.
The accounts for the year ended 31 December 2004 have now been filed with the Electoral Commission. Copies will be available to members at Conference.
The Balance Sheet at 31 December 2004 shows a deficit balance, with liabilities exceeding assets. Whilst to a certain extent this situation has been created by the Electoral Commission's insistence that we include a creditor in the accounts for a proportion of deferred membership income (as explained in last year's Treasurer¹s Report and highlighted in this year's Finance Co-ordinator's Report - included as part of the GPEx Report to this Conference), that shouldn¹t distract us from the fact that the figures for 2004 show real cause for concern.
Even ignoring the deferring of the membership income for year end accounting purposes, the Party has overspent it's general reserve and has therefore had to fund its activities partially from the Greenquest Reserve. There was a large loss for the 2004 accounting year, which is made all the more worrying by the fact that this wasn't actually planned. The budget the Executive was working to had predicted a surplus for the year of almost £18,000. We cannot afford to make such a miscalculation again, so future Executives will need to be working to more cautiously realistic budgets - particularly regarding the income expected to come in which is, by its very nature, more difficult to predict and control.
Two particular areas need to be highlighted, in my opinion. These are Green World and Publications and Trading. Each of these are similar in that the expenditure budgets are expected to be offset to a large extent by matched income from the sale of the materials produced, or in the case of Green World from the sale of advertising space. Whilst those responsible for these budgets did not actually exceed the expenditure budgets they were set, the budgeted income simply did not materialise resulting in large unforeseen deficits in both operations. This is certainly an area which needs tightening up in terms of internal controls and procedures. I have highlighted this point to the Executive who have given assurances on these and other matters that lessons have been learned from 2004 and that the mistakes of last year will not be repeated.
Jonathan Dixon
The Executive owes thanks and congratulations to the membership and local parties for the great job that was done at the General Election. To make such a massive effort so soon after the huge demands of the European Election was a testimony to the commitment and resilience of the activists, especially as the European result, whilst excellent by the standards of other countries, was something of a disappointment to many here. Our performance at the General Election produced not only the largest ever vote but also earned us a new credibility in the political sphere.
Despite the fact that most members were new to GPEX we decided the election themes quickly and settled into the hard work which was necessary to make things happen. Our energies were mostly directed to fighting the general election, and at the same time making sure we did not spend more money than we had. In the aftermath we have taken the opportunity to review both the financial and organisational situation. To a certain extent fighting such important elections two years in a row has taken its toll on the administrative staff, who performed better than ever before, but despite the limited resources available and thanks to the high calibre of our volunteers and considerable input from some GPEX members, Party office is functioning well and continuing to provide media cover. However there are some procedures concerning membership administration which are proving very time-consuming and which must be reviewed.
Fundraising remains crucial. Thanks to some generous donations the Party remains financially stable, but that has also meant taking some hard decisions. However future donors will know their money won’t be wasted.
As Chair of the Executive I have represented the Party at a large number of events and campaigns, establishing links with the Muslim community, the Trades Unions, and others including the Venezuelan Embassy, networking and building contacts on behalf of the Party. As a practising barrister I have used my professional skills to promote the party and the causes we support, including an ongoing challenge to the legality of the war. The reports from my colleagues follow.
Hugo Charlton
I’d like to begin by thanking Geoff Forse for his handover, which was both helpful and encouraging, and to thank him for his 5 years of hard work in the role. Any credit for my work during the year must largely be passed onto Chris Rose, without whom, any Election Co-ordinator would not be able to function. He has, once again, done an outstanding job with limited time, support and resources available to him.
2004/05 has been a tough year for the Green Party. We had fought very hard to keep our two Euro seats in 2004 and make more council seat gains. The party was exhausted financially by this effort. GPEx inherited a financial deficit that had to be addressed. Relatively fixed costs, in terms of keeping membership and internal delivery on track, meant that it was the Elections budget that largely had to bear the brunt of these cuts.
I’m pleased to report that despite these necessary financial cuts for the long-term health of the Green Party, we successfully prioritised the money available in Elections to support the target constituencies. The £2000 made available by the national party supported the improved results we saw in Brighton, Lewisham and Norwich. We also stood the most candidates in a General Election since 1992, our record year, and we retained 24 deposits (in 1997 we saved just one). These were our best ever General Election results.
Our freepost scheme was taken up by more local parties than ever before, and although there are definite improvements to make in the future to systems, the quality of the material was excellent. The addressed freepost had a significant impact in terms of support where it was used. I’d like to thank Richard Lane, Mark Hill and a number of other for their hard work on the scheme.
The new rules introduced by the PPERA mean that we have to compile electoral spending from one year before the date of any election. This has meant increased amounts of paperwork, which I would argue has proved discriminatory against smaller political parties. As I write this report, I am still chasing up information from some local parties. Chris Rose worked hard to support all of our General Election and County Council Election candidates with advice.
We were able to bring on the board the highly respected independent film producer Alex Cox to produce the 2005 election broadcast, from which the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The close links we forged with the Scottish Green Party and the fact that Alex Cox was producing the broadcast, attracted the donation of a song from Franz Ferdinand. This enabled the Green Party to reach out to a younger age group and gave us some excellent coverage. Our online campaigning was very effective, with a number of tactical voting sites recommending a Green vote in Brighton and Lewisham. This can only improve in 2009/10.
As well as the headline grabbing performance of Brighton Pavilion, we made substantial County Council gains. Oxford and Norwich must be held out as examples of local parties that have used our tried and tested Target to Win strategy to break out of City Councils and win County Council seats. They are an example to all other parties and I’m aware that councillors from both areas are willing to offer advice and support to crucial target wards in London and other areas. An elections priority for 2005/06 is to re-establish the successful Target to Win mailouts to support our crucial Council Election campaigns in 2006.
With 70 principal authority councillors, the Green Party is now in reach of the important target of 100 councillors in England and Wales in 2006. In order to reach this target, it will be crucial for us to make real gains, particularly in London, but also in other metropolitan authorities. With the financial situation stabilised, Elections is well placed to support local parties in this upcoming campaign.
Peter Cranie
My first full year as elected Principal Speaker has been exciting and eventful.
With the support of Matt Wootton, the national press team and the Brighton & Hove media maestro Geoffrey Bowden, I was able to deliver the Green message far and wide across a good range of print and broadcast media.
The May 2005 elections were the electoral and media focus of the past 12 months and, as I was also the Party’s number one Westminster candidate, a strategic decision was taken for me to ‘front’ as many media appearances as possible. This strategy worked, as demonstrated by frequent and positive coverage (Newsnight, BBC/ITV news, Radio 4 Today programme, Radio 5 Live, Independent, Guardian, Times etc).
All media coverage has a cumulative effect, and I’m sure it made a significant contribution to winning more council seats nationally and in helping me secure the Party’s highest ever general election vote of 22% in Brighton Pavilion constituency.
As Principal Speaker I attended several GPEx meetings, contributing to the day to day running of the Party. Membership of the Political Committee is also a duty of the post, and I found the telephone conferences of this group to be very helpful.
In the months around the election period I also visited several local parties when they were contesting by-elections or holding special meetings. I think this element of the PS role is vital and, where budget and time allows, should be developed to try and help make connections between our activities at national and local levels.
I have always held that, as a political party committed to achieving change through the political process, we must use our best endeavours to get more Greens elected at every level. This I believe should be our primary continuing objective. There is an ever-increasing need for more strong voices championing a Green agenda that places environmental, social and economic justice at its heart.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Principal Speaker Caroline Lucas whose unswerving support and advice has been invaluable in the past year. Likewise thanks are due to the whole membership who go to make the Party the very special thing it is. I believe that for the Green Party the best is yet to come!
Keith Taylor
Much of our time in this post was taken up with producing Green Activist and several e-newsletters to members.
We should point out for the benefit of the party at large that in our opinion, the co-ordination of core communications with party members ought to be better organised and not fall onto the shoulders of Local Party Support.
From this year's experience, our recommendations, in order to ensure that constitutionally required documents reach party members and that postage costs are saved, and to ensure the efficient use of volunteer time: A timetable of dates for members’ mailings should be kept at party office and widely circulated on an annual basis. This timetable should related to the required dates for mailing to members of information required for SOC/ conference/elections deadlines etc.; mailings of other publications such as Green World and Green Activist to be strictly organised around this timetable in order to save the party postage costs. These mail outs to members should be budgeted for and costs proportionally attributed under the budgets of the different parts of the party organisation requiring use of the mailings. This year due to having to send out Green Activist - in any case a full members mailing, not specifically local party support - it fell on the shoulders of Local Party Support to establish dates for member mail outs and confirm who was undertaking postage, which ate into time available for supporting local parties. It is also a worry that constitutionally required mailings to members, which in other organisations might be organised to a quarterly timetable, appeared to proceed so haphazardly, for a range of reasons, with no established procedure.
In addition to the mailings mentioned above, we also produced and started implementing a strategy document based on recruiting key activists including those formerly active in other parties, distributed the excellent 'Little Green Book' guide to running local parties and a draft local constitution. We have worked closely with Young Greens, who are part of our remit, helping them in efforts to recruit a support member of start and encouraging them to take a more proactive approach to NUS conference.
Young Greens work hard, have recruited many new activists and provide the kind of social support and political education that should be the envy of others in the Party. They provided the basis for strong Party growth in the future. We have also been pleased to see a stream of new activists entering from other parties including a very high profile ex Liberal Democrat executive member, several former Labour councillors and a number of ex-Socialist Alliance activists with strong organisational experience. There is increasing evidence that with New Labour spin doctoring infiltrating ever new areas of British politics many on the radical wing of the Lib Dems, the Labour Left and libertarian socialists see the Greens as their new home.
Approximately 15 new parties have been formed since January although some are relaunches of existing parties. There is also some evidence that more local parties are taking up target to win. We are keen that instead of reinventing the wheel we learn more from the larger parties such as Brighton, Oxford, Norwich, the stronger South/West Yorkshire Parties, etc. and are currently updating the local member site of the Green Party members webpages to provide more details on how to create and maintain such local parties.
Most Party regions have strong local parties, however only two regions (West Midlands and London) have total geographical coverage. Increasingly, local parties based in towns/specific local areas are adopting strategies (shown for example by standing in county elections) for the rest of their county in order increase geographic coverage. The North East region is clearly the weakest in terms of membership and local parties on the ground but we are please to say that efforts are being made to revive Teeside Green Party, which we will be visiting to support. Often local parties are based on the activism of just a handful of individuals. Amongst other advice we have mailed out ideas for key activist recruitment and local fundraising, which we believe will be vital for future growth. We have learnt a lot about how other political parties sustain local parties and would hope we could adapt and adopt some of their more innovative methods.
Local Parties work best where activism is made easy, members are personally contacted, small tasks such as leafleting are used to create involvement, where there is strong culture of political education/mutual learning through speakers and media events and above all where involvement is made as pleasurable and inclusive as possible. The abiding key to a vibrant, active and meaningful local party remains standing in local elections.
Finally if you would like a copy of a draft constitution, a little green book or the strategy document mail Derek Wall (contact details available from central office). Please also attend the Local Party workshops at conference on fundraising and keeping people involved.
Xanthe Bevis and Derek Wall
Although tantalisingly just missing beating the Tories in Brighton Pavilion, we had a good election considering the frighteningly scarce resources, and I am confident that we ran the party's best campaign ever.
I would give the national campaign a 7 out of 10. For the first time, I have felt that all the elements have been a place: an Executive that, while it had its management problems, hung together; smart political expertise; the beginnings of a professional communications strategy and competent creative ideas; capable execution from the press office and good backup from the Freepost scheme feeding into a range of increasingly experienced candidates.
I am especially pleased that we had the most visual campaign ever, with stunts such as the Ice Sculpture of Tony Blair reaching where no Green Party story has ever reached before: the front page of the Guardian (and also the BBC TV news bulletins). This visual element - as well as a general drive to involve more people in the press operation - has been the main contribution that I have added to Spencer Fitz-Gibbon's substantial legacy.
Keith Taylor and Caroline Lucas have really been an excellent and complementary team of Principal Speakers, and Keith of course was an exciting and good-to-work-with lead candidate in Brighton Pavilion, as was Darren Johnson in Lewisham. Thanks are deserved also by Brighton's press officer Geoffrey Bowden. Huge praise must go to Ben Duncan, Caroline's press officer, for his creativity, advice and attention to detail with myself and all of my team.
I owe the greatest debt to my former full-time paid press officer, Ruth Somerville. I cajoled Ruth into taking on a lot of responsibility and she rose to the challenge. She was a very good press officer with a thorough knowledge of the party, who was worth far more than her salary. As much thanks must go to Charlie Woodworth, who has been a sterling unpaid volunteer for the press office, and who has had to endure a lot of tedious office problems while not having all the glamour of the creative press role in an election.
Immense thanks must go to Jim Killock, the Executive's Publications Co-ordinator and designer of most Green Party leaflets and publications. The work that Jim and I did in January on setting the political and communications context for our campaign stood us in good stead for the election. The Green Party's communications strategy is unfinished and this vital work needs continuing. In particular, we must be very clear which voters we are talking to, and with what tone of voice.
The two-man ethical ad agency that Jim and I brought on board, Satellite Marketing Communications, have been excellent also for fostering genuine creativity in our publications and communications.
Excellent support has been given to me and the Press Office team by Elections Co-ordinator Peter Cranie and by Finance Co-ordinator Khalid Hussenbux, both of whom have worked incredibly hard in difficult roles and shown great patience. I'd also like to thank Brian Heatley for being a thoughtful and helpful colleague to work with as Policy Co-ordinator. Tim Turner has also been a helpful and constructive GPRC Co-Chair, and Adrian Oliver and Greg Patton hard-working office staff.
Many thanks of course are due to the actual candidates (of which I was one in the County Council elections, coming 2nd place in Lancaster East, with Labour winning). Candidates and councillors are the real people that make the Green Party, and my only regret is that their experience, perspectives, professionalism and input is not more often seen or felt at the National level of the party.
As Convener of the IT Committee, I am overjoyed that we have finally set-up the new Member's Website at www.greenparty.org.uk/members. Much credit must go to Adam Boardman and Jim Killock for this. This website now gives activists and members many useful resources that have been previously inaccessible, and I hope it will contribute to a new era of empowerment for ordinary members when coupled with the new email list server, which is already making inter-activist communication easier for users to manage.
Matthew LJ Wootton
Margaret Wright and Volker Heinemann, Joint Co-ordinators of International Committee have had a lively year.
Changes to the way the committee is appointed were agreed at autumn conference 2004. It is planned to submit a motion to conference to try to ensure that more women are members of the committee so that the European Green Party's commitment to gender balance may be more readily achieved.
The co-ordinators have also looked at ways of ensuring that delegates to European Green Party Council meetings are selected and approved by International Committee. However, over the past year, the EGP has called meetings at short notice on the subject of the EU Constitution which has occupied a great deal of our time. Short notice does not facilitate democratic decision making. The Council meeting of the EGP held last November in Dublin was dominated by the decision of the EGP to support a campaign for 'Yes' to the Constitution. This resolution was reinforced in February 2005 by a further meeting in Brussels.
Since last Spring Conference, we have participated in further meetings in Brussels, particularly concerning the proposed European Green Foundation, that is expected to receive substantial EU funding for green projects across Europe. Margaret Wright presented a paper at the 'Democracy Platform' in Diybakir, Turkey, looking at the situation of the Kurdish people. She is continuing to work on this matter with links in Diybakir and to KNK in London. She has also spoken at a rally in the House of Commons on the right of Ocalan, the imprisoned Kurdish leader to a fair trial.
Up to the 29 June the committee has met 3 times, usually in the British Library.
We attended and reported to GPRC in January.
We have attended and reported to all GPEX meetings between us. Usually we have both managed to be present.
All European Council meetings were attended by either one or both co-ordinators.
Either Margaret or Volker has chaired the meetings of the MEPs Trust. Volker's financial expertise has proved useful in this regard. We have also attempted to liase between the MEPs, their staff and the wider party. We thank all concerned for their assistance in this work which has required extra effort since Lydia Howitt's job was abolished.
Margaret continues to be an active member of the North Sea Greens and participated in their meeting in Edinburgh focussing on the CFP and coastal development.
Margaret Wright will be attending a summer event hosted by those in Les Verts who supported 'No' to the EU Constitution and who are seeking to reform the EGP so that it can embrace a greater diversity of opinion reflecting the 'No' votes in France and the Netherlands.
The remit for International Committee is very wide. We realise that much of our time is absorbed by matters concerning the EU. However, the EU has a global impact so this does not necessarily mean that our horizons are necessarily limited. Green Party members should be aware that the EGP is expecting us to participate within its structures more fully in the future.
We are operating within the financial constraints currently in force in the GPEW and have taken steps to ensure that we remain within our budget.
We had input to the General Election manifesto at its drafting stage. As election agent for Cambridge, Margaret temporarily handed over the entire international work during the immediate run-up of the elections of May 5th to Volker.
Margaret Wright
Volker Heinemann
Fully paid up members (at 4th August) are 5474, compared with 5124 on 4th Aug 2004, while adding those overdue by up to six months puts the figure up to 7104 this year as against 6361 last year. Following the introduction of the monthly payment option in January, we now (at 04/08/05) have 119 members paying monthly. We also have 392 life members.
It has been a fairly eventful year. The normal position in the office at the moment is two full-time staff. These have been Adrian Oliver, Office and Finance Manager, who has been with us throughout the year, and an Admin Officer, a post filled by Adam Stacey until March. Greg Patton joined last autumn as a pre-university gap year volunteer, and since the departure of Adam we have been paying Greg to do the number two job. He leaves in mid-August and recruitment for a replacement – for which we have had many tens of applications, is well underway. We recruited Pete McAskie, who has done sterling work as a volunteer for several years, as an extra paid staff member for a two-month period when Greg worked for Demos and also over the general election period. Shyamal Kataria, a sandwich student part-way through university, has very recently joined us to work as a volunteer for hopefully eleven months and is just settling in. In addition we have had numerous volunteers including several interns full-time for one or two months and a number of people, mainly London members, who give us one or two days per week. We thank all these people, who have worked very hard and effectively throughout the year, and particularly during the general election campaign. The office did get overwhelmed during the peak of the election campaign, however, and in retrospect, the decision to put the office’s phone number by default on all the freepost leaflets was a mistake, leading to some enquirers not being followed up properly, though we believe all were responded to at least once. It should be done differently next time. Handling the phone calls on Party Election Broadcast evening was satisfactory, we took perhaps 200 calls, nearly all positive, with a team of volunteers at the office. Perhaps 15% went to voicemail, mostly in sharp bursts immediately after the broadcasts. All were dealt with.
Our previous insurers withdrew our general Public Liability Insurance from 31-12-04, apparently because, after numerous queries to check what exactly was covered, they realised didn’t know what they had let themselves in for. This had since mid-2002 provided centrally arranged £5 million Public Liability Insurance for stalls anywhere in the UK. It proved impossible to rearrange such cover, despite contacting dozens of brokers and insurance companies, mostly ones specialising in the non-profit sector. We do however have a £2 million public liability cover, but note that it only covers “non-manual activities” which appears to include staffing a stall, but not erecting it, and certainly not taking part in a demo and e.g. injuring someone with your placard or banner.
The IT at the office, though reasonably effective, really ought to be replaced with something better. We are at risk of outgrowing the current system over the next few years, and we now have a 3 or 4-year window between major elections when we have person time available and some disruption can perhaps be tolerated. We would also like to have a system that can do more to support members and party officials. Any change needs to be managed very carefully, however, to avoid the sort of disruption that the party has experienced at some previous similar changes. And all on minimal spending. We are just starting work on this and will be consulting widely.
Administering the excessive amounts of detail legally required by the donations reporting aspects of the PPERA and maintaining our ‘scheme’ continues to take up large amounts of my and other admin time, not to mention that of local and regional party treasurers.
Tony Cooper
The accounts for the year ending 31st December 2004 have been audited, signed off and submitted to the Electoral Commission.
The auditors have raised various concerns, which I intend to resolve with them in due course. One of their main concerns is that we should not set deficit budgets without sufficient reserves. I have therefore revised the remainder of the 2005 budget to take this into account.
A brief summary of the Balance Sheet, as at 31St December 2004, shows that our liabilities exceeded our assets by £14,372. This has arisen because of the way in which The Electoral Commission has insisted we present our accounts. We are expected to accrue for unused portions of annual membership subscriptions rather than consider the whole amount as income on receipt. The required adjustment has the effect of increasing our liabilities at the end of 2004 by £38,000. In my view, this distorts our accounts rather than giving a true and fair view of the state of the Party’s affairs. I intend to make a representation to the Electoral Commission, requesting dispensation from this requirement.
The deferring of membership income has contributed to a deficit of general funds as at 31st December 2004 of £44,094.
On election to this post I realised that the Party’s finances and internal controls needed significant improvement. At the present time, The Green Party could be seen as a leaky bucket, with holes that need plugging. With this in mind, I have rearranged my work commitments to contribute approximately two days per week to this role. There will be a gradual and continuing improvement in financial controls, reporting, financial management and planning, and fundraising. GPEx has been receiving increasingly accurate and timely financial reports on a regular basis.
There continues to be a considerable constraint on budgets and spending due to major elections in consecutive years and a lack of external fundraising. Seven months into 2005, having imposed challenging constraints on spending, we are on track for our zero budget.
I would like to thank 2004/5 GPEx Co-ordinators for their co-operation and for accepting the necessary budgetary discipline.
Finally, the March 2005 appeal to members raised £37,672 and I would like to thank members for their continuing financial support.
The four regular GPRC meetings have been mostly well attended by regional representatives, fulfilling one of the main functions of GPRC which is to act as a forum liasing between all parts of the party. Currently, all the regions have two representatives except the North East with no representative and West Midlands with one. At the start of the year, Bridget Green retired as Co-chair, to have a baby, and Irene Willis was elected to replace her. Tim Turner is now retiring after 2 years as Co-chair.
Our meetings are held in different regions allowing us to meet local party members and members to attend the meeting if they wish. We have now appointed a Meetings Co-ordinator to liase between GPRC and local parties hosting a meeting, so that the maximum benefit is gained for all involved. If your local/regional party would like to host a meeting, please contact your regional reps.
All GPRC meetings are open to members of the party and your regional reps are always ready to listen to your views, complaints or ideas for developing the party.
The manifesto for the general election was approved by GPRC in Jan 2005. A policy statement on city academies was approved in April 2005 (see appendix). GPRC and Policy Committee have reviewed the standing orders for GPRC-approved policy statements and are now proposing amended standing orders for approval by conference.
An amendment to House of Commons selection by-laws was approved by Spring Conference. Where there are 20 or fewer members in a constituency, the local party can now decide to ballot the whole local party membership, rather than just the members in the constituency.
A selection procedure for nominations to the House of Lords was approved by Spring Conference and the process of selecting a new nominee has been initiated.
Spring Conference referred back a set of rules for local authority candidate selections proposed by GPRC. GPRC will seek approval for a revised set of rules in future, but in the meantime, they are available as guidance for local parties drafting their own selection rules.
GPRC approved the nomination of three general election candidates for constituencies where there were no local parties. We remind prospective candidates wishing to stand in this situation (or their regional party) to contact GPRC at the earliest opportunity should a general election or by-election be likely to arise.
GPRC agreed to continue the agreement with Wales Autonomous Region in Jan and we hope that some current administrative difficulties can be resolved. Spring Conference voted to remove the provisions for any further autonomous regions from the constitution.
There has been little development of strategy this year, but now the Euro and general elections are well behind us, now is surely the time to reconsider strategy. GPRC would like to ensure that GPEx and the wider party are fully involved in the process of strategy development.
GPRC is exploring ways to ensure better co-operation between Party bodies at a national level. April GPEx and GPRC meetings met alongside each other but there was little opportunity for discussion. GPRC is also looking at ways to improve its own functioning within the Party as well as conduct of its meetings.
GPRC acknowledges the hard work of GPEx members, particularly during the election campaign and appreciates that co-ordinators often have to take decisions in difficult circumstances. However, GPRC has been concerned at some decisions and actions of GPEx co-ordinators this year and wants to ensure that future GPEx co-ordinators avoid similar pitfalls and mistakes. In particular:
The July GPRC meeting passed the following resolution:
“GPRC censures Matt Wootton for not keeping to budget and not adhering to agreed financial procedures. GPRC is concerned at instances of Matt Wootton's poor working relationships with other Green Party Members. This is unacceptable. GPRC recommends to him that he does not stand for re-election to GPEx next year.”
The party, as ever, is struggling to maintain a service to its members and to fight elections on a budget far smaller than those of other parties. We would like to acknowledge all the voluntary effort that went into making the elections such a success on limited resources and also to thank staff who went way beyond the call of duty in the months before the elections.
A new 'Little Green Book' guide for local parties has been produced and is now available from the Local Party Support Co-ordinator. GPRC is keen to see the development of a new guide for new members as well as resources for local parties on the members section of the website.
GPRC is keen to see development of support and resources in specific areas, such as fundraising, media work and membership recruitment and retention. GPRC is looking at local parties with the best (and worst!) record of membership retention to see if any lessons can be learnt.
GPRC is looking at various disability issues and ways to improve accessibility within the Party and in external relations and publicity. GPRC has agreed that accessibility issues with Party Office must be addressed at the earliest opportunity.
Following a paper from John Street, two members of Conference Committee discussed the increasing difficulties with hosting conferences, at the April GPRC meeting – in particular the difficulty of finding cheap venues. We have established a group to look at the issues and also hope to get feedback from attendees at Autumn Conference.
Following the motion passed by conference a working group has been created with members of GPRC and Margaret Wright from GPEx. They are looking at gender balance, firstly within the party and secondly to encourage more women to stand as candidates for election.
A draft motion has been prepared for the next conference, which will be discussed at this conference and there is a questionnaire asking opinions regarding various strategies that the party could adopt.
We are also starting women only training sessions to develop election skills.
Concern has been expressed that emergency motions can be overly complex, or bind the party to a policy or action that has not been properly discussed. GPRC is looking at options for addressing these concerns and others.
GPRC is looking at ways of dealing with disputes within local and regional parties. However, GPRC has not had to address any such disputes this year.
A member whose membership had lapsed was barred from re-joining the party.
The GP is opposed to the development and expansion of City Academies. They are contrary to the GP’s policy on non-selective publicly funded education accountable to local control. The GP is also opposed to the redesignation of 11 to 16 schools as this takes away the choice.
Approved by GPRC April 2005
Appendix to GPRC and Policy Committee Standing Orders: Green Party Policy Statements that are agreed by GPRC and not by Conference
Agreed by GPRC July 2005/Agreed by Policy Committee July 2005/Adopted by Conference September 2005
1.1 Policy Statements are an expansion, extension or extrapolation of existing Green Party policies and are normally approved by Conference.
1.2 Between conferences such statements may be adopted by GPRC.
1.3 GPRC approved policy statements shall not contain new policy and must be clearly supported by existing policy.
2.1 Policy Statements shall contain clear policy positions and/or commitments and should not generally contain preambles, arguments or explanation.
2.2 A proposed Policy Statement shall be written in a form suitable for publication by the Party. It shall not normally exceed 1000 words in length. Policy Committee shall, as part of their involvement under para 4.1 below, if they consider the Policy Statement to be too lengthy or if they consider the text to be unsuitable or misleading, précis or redraft a Policy Statement in consultation with the proposer.
3.1 The initiator of the request for a Policy Statement should appoint somebody from within their own ranks to "lead" on the project. It shall be that person's responsibility for ensuring that the Policy Statement is prepared and submitted to GPRC.
3.2 The project leader should immediately inform the Policy Committee, via the Policy Development Co-ordinator, that they wish to produce the Policy Statement.
3.3 It is the project leader's responsibility to appoint somebody to draft the proposal, or to decide to draft it themselves if they prefer.
4.1 If time permits, Policy Committee shall provide the following additional information:
4.2 Proposed Policy Statements and Policy Committee's views shall be included within the agenda papers for the next relevant meeting of the Regional Council, and should, if there is time, be initially submitted to GPRC's Policy Statements Approval Sub-Committee (see para 5.3 below).
5.1 Regional Council shall elect a Policy Statement Approval Sub-Committee of 3 members from within its ranks, one of whom will be any elected GPEX Policy Development Co-ordinator Friend.
5.2 The role of the Approval Sub-Committee shall be to consider any proposed Policy Statements prior to submission to a full Regional Council meeting.
5.3 Copies of the proposed Policy Statement shall be circulated to the Approval Sub-Committee members for consideration as soon as it has been prepared. The Approval Sub-Committee members shall discuss the proposed Policy Statement with its initiator/s, project leader, Executive Policy Co-ordinator and appropriate Policy Working Groups as they see fit.
5.4 The Approval Sub-Committee shall ensure that the proposed Policy Statement is submitted to the next full Regional Council meeting agenda along with recommendations as to whether it should be accepted, rejected or amended.
6.1 The Approval Sub-Committee's views shall be taken into consideration by Regional Council, but shall not be binding upon Regional Council when making its final decision.
6.2 Proposed Policy Statements should only be subject to minor amendment by Regional Council.
6.3 A two-thirds majority of the Regional Council members present shall be required to pass, amend or delete a Policy Statement. The Approval Sub-Committee shall keep a record of GPRC votes relating to Policy Statements and inform the Policy Development Co-ordinator of the same.
7.1 A rapid policy statement is a policy statement that is needed urgently and which goes through the procedure set out below.
7.2 A rapid Policy statement must be commissioned by one of the External Communications Co-ordinator, a Principal Speaker, the Campaigns Co-ordinator, the Policy Development Co-ordinator, the Chair or one of the Co-chairs of GPRC.
7.3 It must be unanimously approved by a panel comprising the Policy Development Co-ordinator, the Approval Sub-Committee, a representative of the relevant Members Working Group (or a representative of Policy Committee if there is no such recognised Members Working Group). Members of the Panel must appoint deputies to be involved if the member is unavailable.
7.4 If such a rapid Policy Statement is not ratified by the next meeting of the Regional Council then it ceases to be a Policy Statement at the end of the meeting.
8.1 Policy Committee shall ensure that all Policy Statements adopted by GPRC are included with all other policy statements in the Manifesto of Policy Statements.
8.2 GPRC should include all Policy statements adopted in a given year in its report to conference.
8.3 Policy Committee may make recommendations to GPRC from time to time concerning the minor amendment and deletion of Policy Statements.
There is one voting paper this conference on Agriculture. This is brought under the procedure in the Standing Orders that requires Policy Committee to choose a section of the MfSS for review if there are no other voting papers. We have chosen agriculture partly because much of the policy was quite old, partly because it is a key area for us, but also because the Agriculture Policy Group was willing to take on the task. We will need to choose a further chapter for review next conference and would welcome suggestions; the willingness of a policy group to do the work is always an important factor. There are no less than 11 policy motions, some of which are quite substantial and contentious, and a further policy motion on monetary reform that has been ruled out of order by SOC. On reviewing these motions (and also two motions in Section D on intellectual property and open source software which have a large policy content) the Committee has become concerned by the number of motions that involve quite substantial and long term policy that have not been expressed as amendments to the Manifesto for a Sustainable Society (MfSS). We do think that it is important that motions containing important and long term policy should be properly integrated into the MfSS, both because that is where people expect to find them, and to ensure the overall coherence of our policies. We are grateful to those who have taken the trouble to express their motions this way for this conference, and are always willing to help proposers formulate their motions in an appropriate way. Last conference there were some problems because SOC ruled out of order some motions that were effectively policy statements. We and SOC were asked to review the situation, and we came to an agreement with SOC about how they would interpret the rules for this conference (though this did not effect the Monetary Reform motion). This is not however a satisfactory long term solution, and we will be discussing with SOC some small amendments to the rules.
Last conference passed enabling motions on Culture, Media and Sport and on Government and Administration. In both cases the work is being lead by members of the Committee, and with the General Election in between we are not in a position to bring draft voting papers to this conference. However, we will be running workshops on both topics, and if you want to get involved in this work please come to those workshops. Last Autumn conference asked the Committee to review our policies on Land Value Tax and Council Tax. After setting up a group and consultations, we brought some interim proposals to last conference, largely to slightly alter our policy on Council Tax. However, the main job remains, which is either to produce some rather more worked through proposals on Land Value Tax or to produce an alternative. We have made no further progress on this as we are waiting for the results of an external research project covering some of the same ground, and will get on with this work when that research is available.
We have agreed with GPRC a new procedure for these statements which is appended to the GPRC report.
An important part of the Committee's work this year was concerned with the General Election Manifesto. We think that the procedure was not as good as it could have been, and there will be a workshop at this Conference to consider how we might better go about this in the future. During (and for a surprisingly long period after) the election the Committee handled an ever larger volume of mainly e-mail policy enquiries, and requests from outside organisations for our position on a wide range of topics (and special thanks here to Jonathan Dixon who covered all this while I was away in the first part of April). We also provided briefing to our candidates. The main feedback we have had on this was positive, with requests in particular for more on the other parties policies (especially material to separate us from the Lib Dems) and on small firms and young people.
While the volume of policy motions for this conference hardly suggests that interest in policy making is at a low ebb in the party, we are a little concerned that a number of the policy working groups and policy e-mail lists are inactive, and that perhaps the volume of debate and consultation before motions are put to conference is not always as much as it should be. We would urge members to get involved in policy groups and lists, and to revive those that are inactive; there are welcome signs in particular that the Education Group is to be revived. We need real help with the exciting and difficult work on culture media and sport, and with the rather less exciting but very necessary work to sort out our policies on government.
As Policy Co-ordinator I have been blessed with and relied heavily upon an exceptionally able, informed and energetic committee this year, but, I have sadly to report, an exclusively male one! I am very grateful to them, and hope they will stand again next year. However, please do not let that put newcomers off from standing, especially if you can do something to end the male monopoly!
Brian Heatley (Policy Co-ordinator)
No report submitted.
At the time of writing this report DRC are not dealing with any outstanding disputes, and have not been approached for help in the period after Spring Conference.
This does not mean there are no disputes.
We contacted one party to a dispute that became public knowledge and were able to discuss the issues with that person.
We are aware of a breakdown in relationships in some parts of the Party which are currently being dealt with without the assistance of DRC.
DRC continues to observe how Party member's energies are invested in disputes. Committee members would naturally prefer to see this energy directed into constructive political activity instead, and would therefore welcome suggestions as to how this might be achieved.
The major piece of work currently being looked at by DRC is to review the employment procedures of paid Party employees because DRC have an important role in one of these procedures - in this case with the Anti Harassment policy - where DRC have a duty to assist paid Party employees. It is clear that further work is needed to ensure the procedures can be implemented effectively if they are ever needed.
We need members with suitable skills and commitment to put themselves forward for election to Dispute Resolution Committee at this Conference.
DRC are also needing to update the list of members with appropriate experience and skills who are able and willing to assist DRC with dispute resolution within the Green Party.
Dave Wall
DRC Co-ordinator
July 2005
The MEP Trust's primary task is to act as agent for the England and Wales Green MEPs, managing certain monies and operating as the employer of their staff – both in the UK and in Brussels.
The Trust meets quarterly in London and is currently made up of the following members: Jean Lambert MEP, Caroline Lucas MEP, Margaret Wright (Co-International Co-ordinator), Volker Heinemann (Co-International Co-ordinator), Irene Willis (for GPRC), Tony Cooper (for South East region), John Street (for London region), John Nairn (finance), and Emma Hallett (personnel).
There have been significant staff changes, with a majority of the staff now having changed since the Euro election. Jaime Eastham, Lydia Howitt, Gemma Stunden and Justin Wilkes have all left and new staff include Danny Bates, Morwenna Holland, Erica Hope and Cath Miller. Ben Duncan now works solely for Caroline and Paul Steedman's role has changed from being Caroline's UK assistant to being the Trust's (part-time) finance officer. Helen Frew, Andrea Smith and Keith Taylor continue in their same roles. All posts are currently filled.
The MEPs have issued and disseminated a number of publications over the past year, including the production of two editions of MEPs In Action, constituency newsletters, outreach leaflets and Making Tracks. There was a high level of information dissemination at Spring conference. There should be more (free) material available at the MEPs stall at this conference, so please visit the stand. Jean and Caroline have both been disseminating monthly email newsletters through the year. These are designed for both party members and the public, and are available on their websites. Anyone wanting to receive the newsletter directly should leave their email details at the MEPs' stall. These reports cover the detail of the MEPs work. More information can be had at the stall and at the 'meet the MEPs' session at this conference.
The UK office has seen a successful IT upgrade. The Trust is reviewing how far MEP publications are accessible, with a view to increasing accessibility and possibly offering publications in non-standard formats. A carbon offsetting policy has been adopted which covers both MEPs and staff.
Trust spending continues to be within budget.
4 August 2005.
No report submitted.
At the 2004 Autumn conference and AGM in Weston Super Mare, Anna Baker, Laura Davenport, Leila Kiersch, and John Street were elected to conferences committee. The vacancy was filled by Chris Whitehouse in March following elections at the Spring Conference 2005, Chesterfield. Shortly after that conference Laura Davenport resigned her post - the team are very grateful to her for all the help and time she gave since her original election in spring 2004. Warm thanks are also extended to the local parties of Sheffield and Lancaster who have helped and without whom conferences wouldn't happen.
Conferences continue to run within budget, however, the possibility that this will not remain the case was raised with GPEx and GPRC. The principal reason for giving this warning is because of the difficulties experienced in finding suitable and affordable venues. The committee has started using external conference venue finder services to help in this.
Other difficulties experienced and envisioned for future conferences included co-ordinating conference mailings with other party publications in an attempt to reduce costs, paying for the crèche, and locating crash space. Health and Safety considerations and the demands of insurance companies means that halls are increasingly reluctant to consider overnight stays.
Venues and dates have been provisionally booked for 2006. These are:
Conferences committee
Leila Kiersch, Anna Baker, John Street & Chris Whitehouse.
Delete the existing section of the MfSS on Agriculture (paragraphs AG100 to AG619) and replace it with the following:
AG100 The GP's aim is to create an ecologically sustainable and fair society. Our agriculture policy seeks to pursue this aim with respect to the production of food and other agriculturally derived products. In stating this policy we acknowledge that the soil is the basis of wealth upon which all land-based life depends and that "sustainable" must be understood in a holistic, earth-wide context. We recognise the fundamental importance of those who work on the land.
Delete and that ‘sustainable’ must be understood in a holistic earth-wide context.
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
AG101 The Agriculture policy cannot be taken in isolation from other policies; in particular it relates very closely to the forestry, food, land and countryside sections and also the sections on animal rights, economy, energy, the marine environment and others. It is related to the population policy in that we need to balance our ways of obtaining resources for living with population and productivity of the land; there must be an optimum population whose needs can be met sustainably from our land resources.
Delete AG101
If this falls
Delete AG101and replace with:
The Agriculture policy should be reviewed in the context of other policies. See the cross references throughout
Amendments 2 & 3 submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
AG102 Current industrialised, intensive farming methods of agriculture are not sustainable in that they:
Background to AG102 Delete ‘of agriculture’
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
Delete AG102 d)
If this falls
AG102 d. Delete and replace with harm rural communities mainly through job losses.
Amendments 5 & 6 submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
If this falls
In AG102: d. destroy rural communities through mechanisation and loss of jobs and have a devastating impact on the farming community
,
add amalgamation of farms,
after through
.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
g. lead to massive imports of food and other materials which cause suffering in other countries where productive land is used for exports., add
, animal feedafter
food.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG102 h. Delete
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
If this falls
In AG102, add and renumber h. lead to the outbreak of diseases such as BSE and foot and mouth disease.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
In AG102 n. Delete in the majority world
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
AG201 It has been shown that small, labour intensive farms and small scale growing in allotments and gardens produce far more per unit area than large, capital intensive farms. More benign methods of growing are just as productive as conventional methods.
AG202 There is an ever growing demand for organic food, held back only by the artificially high extra cost of organic produce (and the artificially low costs of inputs to chemical based agriculture).
Replace:
AG202 There is an ever growing demand for organic food, held back only by the artificially high extra cost of organic produce (and the artificially low costs of inputs to chemical based agriculture)with:
AG202 There is a growing demand for organic and locally produced food, held back by the higher cost of organic produce (compared to the artificially low cost of chemically based agriculture), lack of availability and lack of information.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG203 Many "alternative" crops for textiles, fuels, paper and other industrial uses are being trialled.
AG204 Various methods of growing more sustainably and organically are being pioneered; in particular permaculture, agroforestry, forest gardening and perennial crops.
AG205 Much land which is currently unproductive could be used for small scale production, especially in gardens, schools, parks and derelict urban areas.
AG206 Massive reductions of greenhouse gas emissions are needed to stem climate change. Current agricultural practice makes a big contribution to emissions through food miles and the burning of fossil fuels in the manufacture and transport of agrochemicals. Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas and agricultural activities, including ruminant emissions and rotting vegetation, are significant sources. Industrially produced nitrogenous fertilisers are believed to be the main source of nitrous oxide, another important greenhouse gas. Conversely, reafforested land acts as a carbon dioxide sink.
In AG206 replace:
Current agricultural practice makes a big contribution to emissions through food miles and the burning of fossil fuels in the manufacture and transport of agrochemicals.with:
Current agricultural practice makes a substantial contribution to emissions through food miles, production and transport of animal feed and the use of fossil fuels in the manufacture and agrochemicals.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG207 Small scale growing and mixed farming would give more flexibility and resilience as climate changes.
AG208 Genetic engineering will not solve the problems created by industrial agriculture, it can only add to them. Genetically manipulated organisms (GMOs) will give large profits to a few multinational corporations, as opposed to making farming easier or more efficient. GMO crops will crossbreed with wild varieties and species and may transfer genes for herbicide and pesticide resistance and antibiotic resistance. This will affect wildlife areas, diversity of crops will be reduced and GMO crops will be vulnerable to pests and diseases. GMO crops which are designed to produce bio-pesticide toxins are likely to create insect resistance in the target species thus creating the need for more chemical and biotechnological pesticides. The GMO plants may be toxic to the natural predators of the target organisms, to non target organisms and to beneficial insects. Use of GMO crops to produce toxins will undermine organic agricultural techniques which rely on the use of related but naturally produced toxins. Potentially GMO crops could cause irreversible damage to the ecology of this planet and damage the health of the people on it; we must apply the precautionary principle.
Replace AG208 with the following and renumber:
AG208 Genetic engineering will not solve the problems created by industrial agriculture, it can only add to them. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will give large profits to a few multinational corporations, as opposed to making farming easier or more efficient.
AG209 GM crops can cross-breed with wild varieties and transfer genes to other species, posing a long-term threat to wildlife and biodiversity. Genes for herbicide resistance can be transferred to other plants, creating 'super weeds' and necessitating the use of ever-stronger herbicides. Herbicides used with GM crops have been shown to harm both wildlife and human health. GM crops which are designed to produce bio-pesticide toxins can create insect resistance in the target species, thus creating the need for more chemical and biotechnological pesticides. Such crops may be toxic to the natural predators of the target organisms, to non-target organisms and to beneficial insects. In addition, use of such crops to produce toxins undermines organic agricultural techniques which rely on the use of related but naturally produced toxins.
AG210 The use of GM crops in developing countries has proved disastrous to farming communities. Not only have the crops failed in many cases, but they undermine the diversity of local seed varieties with monoculture GM crops designed to secure profits for multinational biotech companies.
AG211 Despite widespread introduction of GM foods in the US and elsewhere, the potential dangers of GM foods to human health have not been properly investigated and risks remain considerable. Potentially GM crops could cause irreversible damage to the ecology of this planet and damage the health of the people on it. We must therefore apply the precautionary principle.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
If this falls,
AG208 Delete all references to GMO crops and replace with GM Crops.
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
AG209 Animal based food production systems are much less efficient at providing food energy and protein than plant based methods.
AG300
AG300 g. Delete but within a Europe wide framework of environmental standards
.
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
(Targets and timetables will be set to cover one parliamentary term.)
AG400 To increase substantially the proportion of land designated organic.
AG401 To minimise the use of harmful non-organic substances in the treatment of soil, crops and animals by farmers and growers.
Replace existing AG401:
To minimise the use of harmful non-organic substances in the treatment of soil, crops and animals by farmers and growers.with:
To minimise the use of harmful substances in the treatment of soil, crops and animals by farmers and growers; to protect farmers, rural dwellers and consumers from the use of these substances.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG402 To encourage benign methods of pest and disease control.
AG403 To encourage non commercial food production and the use of land not normally employed for productive growing, including urban areas (see LD204).
AG404 To minimise transportation of food and other agricultural products, especially live animals.
Add a new paragraph after AG404 and renumber:
To encourage and develop initiatives promoting marketing of local produce.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
Add and renumber:
AG405 Import/export of the same foodstuffs should be minimised.
AG406 Energy use in agriculture should be minimised. (See EN508)
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others
AG405 To increase substantially the amount of woodland and wilderness cover in Britain; to restore hedgerows, ponds and other habitats.
AG406 To reduce the size of farms and encourage mixed rotational cropping and more labour intensive methods in all localities.
Replace existing AG406
To reduce the size of farms and encourage mixed rotational cropping and more labour intensive methods in all localities.with:
To prevent the further loss of small and family farms and discourage the amalgamation of farms; to reduce the size of farms and encourage mixed rotational cropping and more labour intensive methods.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG407 To encourage producers to use their own local or traditional seed varieties.
AG408 To encourage diversification to crops other than food and fodder.
AG409 To reduce the amount of livestock kept on land which could be used for other food crops or afforestation .
AG410 To define and promote a sustainable, healthy diet as a basis for deciding what food crops to encourage.
AG500 To be able to fulfil all our basic food needs locally.
AG501 To grow as many other products as we can to meet our basic needs (e.g. for textiles, fuel, paper) on a local or regional basis.
AG502 To enable all communities to have access to land which can be used for growing for basic needs. (see LD200-LD206)
AG503 To ensure that all growing systems use only natural, renewable inputs and that all organic waste outputs are able to be recycled back into the soil or water system.
AG504 To maximise our woodland/forest cover to help maintain carbon dioxide at an acceptable level. (see F300 and following)
AG505 To protect habitats so that biodiversity is maintained.
AG506 To prevent monopolies and other concentrations of power in agriculture
AG507 To decrease our dependence on animal products and ensure that all domesticated animals are kept in humane conditions.
AG508 To ensure that our use of the land and demand for food and goods is not detrimental to people or biodiversity in other parts of the planet.
AG600 Give financial help and advice to farmers making the transition to organic and biodynamic growing, mixed rotational cropping, small scale growing, permaculture ventures, agroforestry and ventures which will restore or create diverse habitats. Phase out all subsidies which contribute to environmentally harmful agricultural practices.
AG601 Facilitate farm box schemes and direct links between growers and local consumers including local green markets. Provide pump priming funding to set up locally owned and controlled "Organic and free range marketing co-operatives". Set up a non profit making organic produce marketing board.
AG601 Delete green markets
and replace with farmers’ markets
.
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
AG602 End set-aside. Encourage instead the planting of productive woodland, non food crops and plant based waste treatment systems. Design these to enhance the protection and creation of wildlife habitats. (see CY500 and following)
Add a new paragraph after existing AG602 and renumber:
Discourage monopolies and concentrations of power amongst processors and distributors which place unreasonable demands on production and farm-gate prices.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG603 Introduce environmental taxes which reflect the true cost of harmful inputs, transportation, packaging and waste.
AG604 Introduce a Land Value Tax. LVT, by eliminating speculation in land and stabilising prices, will encourage local people, particularly the young to remain in agriculture. Together with the Green Party's policy of enhanced land use planning, LVT will encourage more small, labour intensive productive ventures such as permaculture as well as co-operative ownership patterns. (see Land section and also CY530)
AG605 Introduce measures such as a citizens income scheme, protection for part time workers and shorter working hours which will free people to devote time to growing their own food (see EC750-53).
AG606 Support local free nurseries for plants which are productive and beneficial to the environment.
Add a new paragraph before existing AG607 and renumber:
New developments on agricultural and green belt land will be strictly limited. (See LP302 & LP400)
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others
AG607 Introduce planning guidelines which will encourage the setting up of non commercial and small scale low impact growing enterprises and their associated dwellings.
AG608 Encourage the setting up of small scale rural enterprises related to woodland, energy, textile crops and plant-based industrial products. (see LD206)
AG609 Introduce community land access schemes.
AG610
AG610 Delete methods
[in final sentence] and replace with agriculture’
.
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
SOC Note – [in final sentence] added by SOC.
AG611
AG611 Delete sustainable
before nutrition
.
Submitted by Hazel Dawe, Steve Dawe, Angela Cantwell & Nicky Gregory
(See ED369).
Encourage and support educational links between schools and farms respecting the principles of sustainability..
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG612 Remove EU regulations controlling permissible seed varieties and the right to patent animal or plant material.
Add to existing AG612:
Press for a national and international ban on the patenting of life-forms, including agricultural crops and animals. (see ST360 & AR410)
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
Add a new paragraph after existing AG612 and renumber:
Press for local food procurement policies to be allowable under EU and WTO rules. Encourage local food policies in all public services, institutions and government offices.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
Add a new paragraph after existing AG612 and renumber:
Phase out and ban all intensive/industrial livestock farming, including poultry and fish farms, which involve overstocking, heavy use of feed, chemical or fossil fuel inputs, pollution or inhumane conditions for livestock.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG613 Introduce regulations to discourage the feeding of grain to livestock. Ban live animal export immediately and phase out unnecessary animal transportation within the UK. (see AR406).
In AG613:
grain,
, imported crops, fishmeal and slaughterhouse products.
Press for WTO rules to be changed to allow import bans on the basis of cruelty and prohibit imports of animal commodities not produced humanely..
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG614 Ban substances which represent the greatest threat to the environment because of their toxicity, persistence and capacity for bio-accumulation. Phase out the use of synthetic chemicals which do not meet organic standards set by the Soil Association. In the longer term, ban the use of environmentally and socially harmful methods of growing and treating food and other agricultural products (see also AG603).
In AG614, replace:
Ban substances which represent the greatest threat to the environment because of their toxicity, persistence and capacity for bio-accumulation. Phase out the use of synthetic chemicals which do not meet organic standards set by the Soil Association.with:
Ban substances which represent the greatest threat to the environment or health through their toxicity, persistence or capacity for bio-accumulation. Phase out the use of synthetic chemicals which do not meet UK and international organic standards.
Add a new paragraph after existing AG614 and renumber:
Introduce stringent regulations to protect rural residents and communities from the use of pesticides and other chemicals, to include a ban on the use of any synthetic chemicals near homes, schools, workplaces and any other places of human habitation and compulsory recording and notification of spraying activities.
Add a new paragraph after existing AG614 and renumber:
Introduce stringent regulations to monitor and prevent run-off of agricultural chemicals and nutrients into adjacent land and watercourses, to include pollution from fish farms.
Add a new paragraph after existing AG614 and renumber:
Legislate for a strict liability regime which makes farmers liable for misuse of harmful substances. Ultimately the government and chemical manufacturers would be liable for poisoning of employees, rural dwellers or consumers, harm to wildlife, pollution of watercourses or accumulation in ecosystems.
Amendments 31 to 34 submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG615 Introduce a food security clause at the World Trade Organisation to allow countries to protect their domestic agriculture from foreign imports up to the point of self sufficiency.
AG616 Safeguard organic food growing standards and ensure that agricultural products are labelled to show any non-organic treatments (see FD205-212).
AG617 Apply the precautionary principle to the regulation of genetic research and its application to safeguard against irreversible damage to the ecology of this planet (see AG208). Ban the introduction of genetically modified organisms and their products in all agricultural systems of production including human and animal feed. Ban the transgenic manipulation of animals for any agricultural purpose. Safeguard against any genetic modification which is made in the pursuit of profits, rather than the interests of people, animals and biodiversity.
In AG617...Ban the transgenic manipulation of animals for any agricultural purpose.
Add genetic or
before transgenic"
.
Add a new paragraph after existing AG617 and renumber:
While GMOs still exist in our food supply and environment, establish and uphold the rights of consumers, farmers and local authorities to choose GM-free food and to establish GM-free zones. Legislate for a strict liability regime which makes bio-tech (GM seed) companies fully liable for any losses through contamination or harm caused to wildlife or human health
Amendments 35 & 36 submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, George Graham, John Norris & others.
AG618 Maintain systems for the independent monitoring of water quality and the application of standards.
AG619 The Green Party recognises the vital role that allotments have to play, particularly in maximising the potential for urban food growing. Allotments need to be recognised for their environmental, health and social benefits. These include: the provision of fresh affordable food, a reduction in “food miles”, the provision of open space and wildlife habitats, the reduction of waste through composting and the absence of food packaging, physical exercise, educational opportunities, and a contribution to community life. The Green Party will introduce the following policies:
The Friends of the Earth Climate Change Bill introduces the concept of year-on-year targets for tackling Climate Change. It highlights the ineffectiveness of distant targets within the political system. As a Party wishing to take effective action to avoid dangerous Climate Change, we should adopt the framework of annual targets for emissions reduction.
Delete CC110, replace with:
Delete CC203, replace with:
CC203 UK emissions in 2003 were 7.5% below the 1990 baseline. We should aim to steadily reduce CO2 emissions from fossil fuels to 10% of their 1990 levels by 2050. To achieve this, we will target a 6% annual reduction in UK CO2 emissions, and establish effective mechanisms for getting back on track should an annual target be missed.
Replace the last two sentences of CC201:
Simple climate models consistent with IPCC findings suggest that global average emissions need to be reduced by 75-80% by 2050. Following the principle of convergence (see CC244) this requires UK emissions to be cut by 85-90%.with:
Simple climate models consistent with IPCC findings suggest that global average emissions need to be reduced by 65-80% by 2050. Following the principle of convergence (see CC244) this requires UK emissions to be cut by 80-90%.
Motion proposed by Jon Hooper**, Tony Cooper, Ricky Knight, Rosemary Brian
This motion implements the principle of contraction and convergence at a sub-national level, by introducing a system of tradable quotas for carbon dioxide emissions in the UK. The system outlined is based on that devised by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
Reorder so that C.4 International Activity comes after C.1 Targets [This section in International Activity sets out our support for Contraction and Convergence (C&C) as the basis for international agreements on emissions reductions and explains the principles of C&C.].
Delete C.2 Emissions Reductions in the UK and C.3 The Climate Change Levy and the UK's National Emissions Trading Scheme and replace with:
C.3 Emissions Reductions in the UK.
CC230 The principles of C&C would also provide the basis for reductions in emissions within the UK, through the introduction of a system of tradable quotas. This system should cover all emissions of carbon dioxide produced by burning of fossil fuels in the UK. On introduction of the system the total carbon quota would be equivalent to current emission levels, but would reduce year on year to meet the targets set out in C.1. Carbon quota would be needed for all purchases of electricity (if not from a renewable source), air flights and direct purchase of fossil fuels including gas, coal, petrol, diesel and fuel oil. Consideration would be given to also including long distance train travel. A system for buying and selling quotas would be established.
CC231 A proportion of the total quota would be distributed free of charge to all eligible individuals in the UK, with all adults receiving an equal amount. The remaining quota would be sold to organisations (public, private and voluntary) by a system set up by the government.
CC232 In addition to the introduction of quotas there would be a major programme of investment in energy conservation, energy efficient appliances, public transport and renewable energy technology, so that people are able to live within their quotas. This investment would be achieved through a programme of public spending and through the revision of technical standards, such as building regulations and standards for energy efficiency of appliances. The details of these measures are set out elsewhere in the MfSS. See in particular:
- AG206 (Agriculture)
- LP403 (Building Location)
- LP501-506 (Conservation in Buildings)
- EC786 (UK Taxation).
- EC921 (International Economic Management)
- EN500-510 (Energy Conservation)
- EN800-807 (Renewables)
- EU521-2 (Transport within the EU)
- F202 (Forestry)
- HO501-2 & 605 (House Building Standards)
- TR010 (Transport – Aims)
- TR040-049 (Renewable Fuels)
- TR063 – 066 (Charges and Taxes)
- TR100-102 (School Transport)
- TR200 (Public Transport)
- TR300 (Personal motorised transport)
- TR300 (Freight)
- TR430-1 (Shipping)
- TR500-3 & 550 (Air Transport)
CC233 Government should institute a national publicity campaign on the threats from climate change, the need to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other green house gases, and how individuals can play their part in this.
Proposed by Anne Chapman**, Caroline Lucas, Tony Cooper & Matthew Wooton.
This motion aims to encourage greater local support for renewable energy projects.
CC223 We will publicise the various ways in which measures to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions can provide immediate benefits to our quality of life, our economy and the environment, as well as delivering long-term benefits by tackling Climate Change.
EN407 District Energy Authorities to provide Public Advisory Services, responsible for maintaining and publicising authoritative information on all aspects of energy sources, efficiency and conservation measures.
Local ownership of wind power, by farmers and cooperatives should be encouraged.Renumber existing EN809 to EN810, and insert new EN809 section:
EN809 Renewable Energy developers to provide a fund for the local community. The fund would primarily subsidise the energy bills of local residents and businesses, on a sliding scale according to proximity, and any excess would go into community projects of the local Councils’ choosing. Regional Energy Authorities to be responsible for setting the levels of the funds and subsidies, and managing the distribution.
EN803 Additional emphasis will be placed on the benefits of renewable energy projects that demonstrate significant new innovation towards achieving greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness, particularly those pioneering under-utilised energy sources such as biomass, wave power, tidal power and solar power.
Motion proposed by Jon Hooper**, Ricky Knight, L’Anne Knight, Rosemary Brian.
The current Climate Change policy needs updating in its referencing of the Kyoto Protocol, which has now been ratified. Also a few numerical assertions it makes as though they were facts are tendentious or simply wrong. This motions corrects these problems. It makes no substantive change to party policy.
Minor updates and corrections to Climate Change policy
Background (revised mid-2004)to
Background (revised mid-2005).
By COP7 in November 2001 most of the details of the KP were finalised and by 2004 it had been ratified by all the major industrialised countries except the USA, Russia and Australia. It commits them to reductions averaging 5% from a 1990 base by 2010to
By COP7 in November 2001 most of the details of the KP were finalised and by 2004 it had been ratified by all the major industrialised countries except the USA and Australia. Following Russian ratification it came into force in February 2005. It commits industrialised countries to reductions averaging 5% from a 1990 base by 2008-2012.
In 2003 this absorption fraction dramatically decreased from about 55% to about 20%. It is still, in July 2004, unknown why this is so.to
In 2003 this absorption fraction dramatically decreased, though it is still, in June 2005, uncertain why this is so.Also delete
at around 20%from the penultimate sentence.
CC100 The Green Party's primary objective is the safeguarding of the climate, as far as possible, for future decades and generations; or as the UNFCCC puts it,By appendingThe avoidance of dangerous anthropogenic change to the climate.
We support the broad scientific and NGO consensus that has emerged in the last few years that that means limiting the global mean temperature rise to 2C above pre-industrial levels
Simple climate models consistent with IPCC findings suggest that global average emissions need to be reduced by 75-80% by 2050.. Correct this to be what conference agreed in autumn 2004
Simple climate models consistent with IPCC findings suggest that global average emissions need to be reduced by 75-80% by 2030.
The UK's commitment under the EU basket agreement reached in conjunction with the Kyoto Protocol is a reduction in the 6-gas basket by 15% by 2008-2012" to make it read " The UK's commitment under the EU basket agreement reached in conjunction with the Kyoto Protocol is a reduction in the 6-gas basket by 12.5% by 2008-2012
Proposed by Tony Cooper**, Anne Chapman, Chris Keene & Jon Hooper
We believe that part of the existing planning policy is vague and open to many interpretations. This motion aims to clarify the role of local communities in the planning process, and improve the consistency of the planning policy regarding renewables.
LP102 Planning decisions should always be made at the most local practical level. The deemed regional, national or global importance of proposed developments should be weighed alongside the needs and expressed opinions of the local communities in the areas in which they are sited.
Planning approvals and operating consents will be dependent on the plant being built to high standards and on proposals having demonstrable community support.
Motion proposed by Ricky Knight**, Jon Hooper, L’Anne Knight, Rosemary Brian.
To be debated if motion on tradable quotas is passed.
This motion amends our policies on eco-taxes to make them compatible with tradable quotas for carbon dioxide emissions.
Eco-taxes
Replace EC783 with:
The principle way of reducing UK carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels will be through a system of tradable quotas (see CC230). A resource tax on fossil fuels may be levied to reflect other environmental impacts of their production and use.
EC785: delete:
In the case of fossil fuels, CO2 emissions will be taxed in order to discourage their use and reduce their effect on climate change. This will be done by basing the level of taxation on the carbon content of the fuel.
EC786 Add to end:
Energy intensive products imported from countries which have not entered an international contraction and convergence based agreement to reduce green house gas emissions (see C2.), or which are not meeting their obligations under such an agreement, will be taxed on import to reflect the green house gas emissions produced during their manufacture and transport.
Delete the policy paper on Carbon Tax.
Proposed by Anne Chapman**, Tony Cooper, Jonathon Sear, Matthew Wooton
SOC Note – Caroline Lucas was mistakenly listed as a proposer of this motion, Caroline Lucas did in fact propose Motion C02 (original reference C30).
In order to reduce the amount of torture, political imprisonment, disappearances and other human rights abuses worldwide, the Green Party will call for the world's governments to have their performance on human rights monitored and published regularly, with a view to bringing legal and non-violent pressure on the regimes with the very worst human rights records.
Insert Prevention of human rights abuses, conflict prevention and
resolution,
at the beginning of IP 320, to read :
IP320 Prevention of human rights abuses, conflict prevention and resolution, global environmental research and agreements on the conservation and rational use of the planet should be the primary roles of the U.N.
Prevention of human rights abuses, conflict prevention and resolution, promotion of sustainable human development, coordination of humanitarian aidat the beginning of IP320.
as well as the prevention of human rights abuses, conflict prevention and resolution, promotion of sustainable human development, coordination of humanitarian aidat the end of IP320.
Insert new IP 321-4 and renumber:
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
IP 321 The international community cannot stand back and allow gross human rights abuses to take place. The emergent Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine promises to legitimise UN intervention in cases of ethnic cleansing and genocide. However, military intervention should always be a last resort, as modern wars inevitably cause death and injury to civilians, and the post conflict situation may be problematical, as is shown in the case of Iraq.
Therefore the Green Party will press for the use of a United Nations Index of Human Rights to restrain governments that commit human rights abuses.
Delete as is shown in the case of Iraq
from the proposed new IP321.
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
Re-write 2nd para of proposed IP321 to read:
Therefore the Green Party will press for the use of a United Nations Index of Human Rights to monitor governments that commit human rights abuses and to provide an explicit basis for seeking to restrain such regimes.
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
IP322 All governments will have their human rights record continuously assessed by a UN agency set up for that purpose. A scale measuring several indices of human rights, which will be finalised by agreement at the UN level, but will be centred on the following
A score reflecting their performance will be allocated to each state on an annual basis.
Re-write the second sentence of the proposed IP322 to read:
A scale will be established measuring several indicators of human rights performance. The scale will be finalised by agreement at the UN level, but will be centred on the following abuses:
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
Re-write the list of indicators in IP322 as follows:
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
IP323 Once the Index is installed, Governments with the worst record of human rights as measured on this Index will be referred to the International Court of Justice or the International Criminal Court. If the Court finds that their human rights performance falls below set limits, the regimes will be given time and assistance to improve their record. In the event of non-compliance, the matter will return to the Court, and if found at fault, the regime will suffer penalties in terms of their privileges in the fields of finance, diplomacy, transport and trade. The severity of the penalties will increase as their human rights performance deteriorates, and decrease as their human rights performance improves. The penalties will be targeted to hurt the ruling elite rather than the general population.
In the proposed IP323, replace the words set limits
with accepted legal standards
.
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
In the proposed IP323, replace in terms of their privileges
with in terms of its members’ privileges
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
IP324 At the same time, countries lying just above the level at which legal action will be taken will be offered help and advice to improve their human rights performance.
Move PD511 to what is currently IP325 (or IP321 if this motion is not passed) and renumber. IP325 and IP326 would therefore read:
IP325 The current structure of the UN Security Council, with permanent seats for France, the UK, the US, Russia and China, is undemocratic and unworkable due to the right of veto. All permanent seats on the UN Security Council should be abolished, all nations should take a seat in turn, continents should be represented in proportion to their populations, and decisions should be made by a 2/3 majority. In the absence of this reform, we would accept a mandate given by a 2/3 majority of the General Assembly and by the relevant regional organisation of the UN.
IP326 Increased European and Middle East support for the UN should be used to mitigate the effects of USA's dominance and fluctuating funding.
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
Insert at the end of PD510 …or the curtailing of extreme human rights abuses, as indicated by the UN Index of Human Rights described in IP321-4
, so that it reads:
…While recognising that the old concept of sovereignty and the nation state has its limits and problems, erosion of this principle, however, carries the danger of legitimising international intervention, which is neither invited nor strictly defensive. Any erosion of national sovereignty within the UN Charter must therefore be on very limited and closely controlled criteria such as the prevention of genocide or the curtailing of extreme human rights abuses (as indicated by the UN Index of Human Rights described in IP321-4).
Submitted by George Graham, Noel Lynch, Brian Heatley, Matt Follett & others
Motion proposed by Richard Lawson, Rosy Knifton, Rebecca Lewis & others
This motion sets out a position from which the Green Party can articulate its qualified support for anti-social behaviour orders.
Delete 6 and replace with
The current use of ASBOs does not address the underlying causes of the behaviour it seeks to control, which arises out of inadequate policing and insufficient resources being devoted to areas of deprivation, and in particular a failure to cater for young people and other minorities. Asbos also offend against the principle that the criminal law should apply equally to all.
(Asbos are now frequently breached and the problem of enforcement remains, and in fact leads to an increased use of custody. They are also inappropriately used against groups such as protestors and prostitutes.)
However there is a need in exceptional cases for additional controls beyond the existing criminal law to deal with the behaviour of some people. We therefore accept there will be in certain circumstances a need for a civil injunction (Civil Law Injunction Programs - CLIPS)to be taken out on behalf of individuals or the local community against a persistent offender, and that will be issued and enforced by a Crown Court judge.
Submitted by Hugo Charlton, Jane Charlton, Matt Follett, David Lane & others
The responsible use of Asbos and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts can play a meaningful role in combating crime, the fear of crime, and anti-social behaviour in particular. The new powers which Asbos and related instruments afford the community, police and judiciary must be used wisely in order to ensure that the correct balance between the rights of the victim and the rights of the perpetrator is struck.
Amend B as follows -
Asboswith
CLIPS
and anti-social behaviour in particular. The new powers which Asbosand replace with
The new powers which these orders
The responsible use of Asbos and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts can play a meaningful role in combating crime and anti-social behaviour in particular. The new powers which Asbos and related instruments afford the community must be used wisely .........etc etcwill now read
The responsible use of CLIPS and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts can play a meaningful role in combating crime. The new powers which these orders and related instruments afford the community must be used wisely .........etc etc
Submitted by Hugo Charlton, Jane Charlton, Matt Follett, David Lane & others
Delete B. Conference therefore recognises that:
and replace with Insert as CJ339
Submitted by Policy Committee
Proposed by Shahrar Ali* (Brent and Harrow GP) Cllr David Ford, Brian Orr, and Pete Murry.
The rationale for this motion is that Primary Care Trusts now have the powers of the former Local Health Authorities and Family Practitioner Committees. The internal market as described here and GP Fundholding no longer exist.
In existing
H321 To promote decentralisation and accountability, District Health Authorities and Family Practitioner Committees will be merged as unified Local Health Authorities. Health Authorities will be supervised by, and accountable to, elected Local Government. Co-operation between Health Authorities to improve services will be encouraged. The role of Community Health Councils as users' advocates will be developed to provide greater assistance to individuals in difficulties or disputes with the health services. Legislation will be introduced to allow individuals access to their medical records.Replace
District Health Authorities and Family Practitioner Committees will be merged as unified Local Health Authorities. Health Authoritieswith
Primary Care Truststhus the first two sentences are combined into one which reads
To promote decentralisation and accountability, Primary Care Trusts will be supervised by, and accountable to, elected Local Government.
Replace Health Authorities
in sentence 3 with Primary Care Trusts
.
Replace Community Health Councils
with Patients Forums
in sentence 4.
Delete H326.
Proposed by Stuart Jeffery**, Dr Richard Lawson, Steve Dawe, Hazel Dawe.
SOC Note – the full Agricultural Policy has also been brought to this Conference by Policy Committee.
MfSS Europe policy calls for abolition / withdrawal from the CAP and CFP. However, this is not fully supported by the Agriculture or Fisheries policy and is out of step with NGOs and other European Green parties. This motion proposes working for radical reform of the CAP and CFP.
EU540 The Green Party has consistently opposed the EC/ EU Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy. Neither meets the criteria of sustainability and subsidiarity, and both have proved expensive failures in practice. The CFP in particular has led to over exploitation and even destruction of fisheries following the removal of national control. We wish to see both the CAP and CFP abolished.With:
EU540 The EU Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policies have failed to meet the criteria of sustainability and subsidiarity and have proved very expensive in practice. We wish to see radical reform of the CAP and CFP to protect ecosystems and encourage rural development (see AG602-4 and FI400). Greater control should be returned to the national and local level.
EU541 However, we recognise the need for a framework of European legislation...Delete:
However
EU553 The resources available to these structural funds are insufficient, and would be more so when the needs of Eastern Europe and transnational regions partly in and partly outside the EU were taken into account. We would press for their increase at the expense of other EU spending which we do not support, such as the CAP.Replace:
such as the CAPwith
such as some CAP spending
AG602 The EU Common Agricultural Policy has failed to meet the criteria of sustainability or subsidiarity and has proved very expensive in practice. We will work for continuing radical reform of the CAP to respect subsidiarity and to protect the environment and rural livelihoods.
AG603 Subsidies should support farm incomes, increasing biodiversity and rural economies. Subsidies must not favour over-production or large mechanised farms over small-scale labour intensive farms. Decisions on subsidies should be taken at the local, regional or national level wherever possible.
AG604 The CAP must respect differences in local circumstances, protect traditional agriculture and prevent further intensification as a result of EU enlargement and greater competition.
AG605 The dumping of EU food surpluses on developing countries' markets must cease and the costs of storage for food surpluses should be borne by producers
FI400 We will work to release Britain from the Common Fisheries Policy of the EU. In the short term we will take every opportunity to ameliorate its worst features by the actions detailed in this section.With:
FI400 We will work for radical reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy to protect the marine ecosystem, return control of fisheries to the national and regional level where possible and to provide alternative employment to fishing communities. In the short term we will take every opportunity to ameliorate the CFP's worst features by the actions detailed in this section.
IP264 British support for the Common Agricultural Policy should cease.
We will work for withdrawal of the UK from the CAP and replacement of the CAP with systems of state regulation and support that encourage ecological farming practices and rural development.
We will work for continuing radical reform of the CAP to respect subsidiarity and to protect the environment and rural livelihoods.with:
Whilst pressing for radical reform of the CAP to respect subsidiarity and to protect the environment and rural livelihoods, we will work for withdrawal of the UK from the CAP and replacement of the CAP with systems of state regulation and support that encourage ecological farming practices and rural development.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, Shahrar Ali & John Norris & others.
We will work for withdrawal of the UK from the CFP and replacement of the CFP with systems of state regulation that protect fisheries and the marine environment.
In the medium to long term, we will work for replacement of the CFP by systems of state regulation and support.
Submitted by Tim Turner, Clive Lord, Shahrar Ali & John Norris & others.
Motion proposed by Tim Turner*, Brian Orr, Shahrar Ali & Richard Lawson
None provided
The Green Party recognises that a secret ballot is an essential of democracy. The current system of generalised postal balloting is incompatible with this. It is open to intimidation, vote buying and theft of ballot papers. It therefore opposes the general use of postal and other forms of remote balloting for public elections. Remote voting should only be available where it is unreasonable to expect the voter to attend the polling station.
Delete the last sentence and replace with:
The Green Party will therefore oppose any plans for the further use of 100% postal voting in elections. We support the principle of any individual being able to apply for a postal vote but welcome moves to implement safeguards against the abuse of this opt-in system.
Submitted by Adrian Ramsay, Robert Rijkhoff, Adrian Holmes, Janet Bearman & others.
Proposed by Joseph Healy*, Noel Lynch, Paul Ingram & Graeme McIver
Now is a fortuitous time, given growing public and media support for the idea, for the Green Party to prioritise the campaign for electoral reform. Proportional Representation in Parliamentary elections would benefit the Green Party considerably.
Proposed by Ricky Knight**, L’Anne Knight, Rosemary Brian & Denis Knight.
Many areas of human activity - health provision, education and freedom of creativity - are currently hampered by excessive Intellectual Property Rights which prevent access to and dissemination of knowledge.
World policy on Intellectual Property is decided by an unaccountable body that is unduly influenced by lobbyists for powerful rights-holders who demand ever stronger protection.
As a party committed to social justice, the Green Party should seek to ensure that intellectual property regimes are designed with the needs of people, not big business, in mind. If we are to promote the idea that we hold the earth in common, we should resist the privatisation of knowledge and culture.
The Green Party notes with concern:
On the positive side, the Green Party is pleased to note examples of projects that pursue models of open collaboration and information-sharing pioneered by Free/Open Source Software developers:
This Conference resolves that the Green Party will:
Delete (i) &(ii)
Amendment submitted by Hugo Charlton, Jane Charlton, Matt Follett, David Lane & others
Motion proposed by Peter Lockley, Matthew Wootton, Jon Nott & Derek Wall
This motion seeks to avoid this year's £14k overspend of Green World recurring by bringing Green World into the Executive's budget process and therefore into line with other Green Party expenditure.
SOC Note – changes between the original & new version have been highlighted in revised text.
Conference notes:
In the Constitution of The Green Party, change the current Green World section as listed below:
to read:
- The Party shall publish Green World at least four times a year to all its members without additional charge.
- Green World shall be designed to be suitable for circulation and sale outside the Party.
- The aim of Green World shall be to assist the Party to fulfil its constitutional aims.
- There shall be an editorial board, consisting of:
The appointment of an editor or editorial team shall continue until the appointee(s) or the board wish to end the appointment. In either case three months notice in writing shall be given prior to the date on which the appointment shall end.
- Five voting members to be elected at the Annual Conference.
- The following non-voting members:
- An editor or editorial team.
- A regional councillor, nominated by GPRC, whose function on the board shall be to represent GPRC in order to ensure maximum cohesion between the operations of Green World and of Regional Council.
- A member of the Party Executive, nominated by GPEx, whose function on the board shall be to represent GPEx in order to ensure maximum cohesion between the operations of Green World and of the Party Executive.
- Any other members, whom the elected members of the board may co-opt in order to assist the board's work.
- The role of the editorial board shall be to ensure that Green World fulfils its aim, in accordance with the Standing Orders for the editorial board.
- The elected members of the board shall appoint an editor or editorial team, by advertising throughout the Party and arranging appropriate appointing procedures. If an editorial team is appointed, the board shall nominate one of the team to be executive editor, who shall be the chief point of contact between the editorial team and the editorial board.
- The editor, or the editorial team under the direction of the executive editor, shall be responsible for executing the production of Green World and shall be accountable to the Party through the editorial board. The board and the editor/editorial team shall jointly strive to ensure that the contents of Green World is at all times legal, decent and honest.
- The newspaper shall be financed by a proportion of the membership subscriptions agreed from time to time by the Party Conference and such income as may be raised from sales and advertising.
- The Party shall publish Green World at least four times a year to all its members without additional charge.
- Green World shall be designed to be suitable for circulation inside and outside the Party.
- The aim of Green World shall be to assist the Party to fulfil its constitutional aims through the retention of members.
- There shall be an editorial board, consisting of:
The appointment of an editor or editorial team shall continue until the appointee(s) or the board wish to end the appointment. In either case three months notice in writing shall be given prior to the date on which the appointment shall end.
- Five voting members to be elected at the Annual Conference.
- The following non-voting members:
- An editor or editorial team.
- A regional councillor, nominated by GPRC, whose function on the board shall be to represent GPRC in order to ensure maximum cohesion between the operations of Green World and of Regional Council.
- A member of the Party Executive, nominated by GPEx, whose function on the board shall be to represent GPEx in order to ensure maximum cohesion between the operations of Green World and of the Party Executive.
- Any other members, whom the elected members of the board may co-opt in order to assist the board's work.
- The role of the editorial board shall be to ensure that Green World fulfils its aim, in accordance with the Standing Orders for the editorial board.
- The elected members of the board shall appoint an editor or editorial team, by advertising throughout the Party and arranging appropriate appointing procedures. If an editorial team is appointed, the board shall nominate one of the team to be executive editor, who shall be the chief point of contact between the editorial team and the editorial board.
- The editor, or the editorial team under the direction of the executive editor, shall be responsible for executing the production of Green World and shall be accountable to the Party through the editorial board. The board and the editor/editorial team shall jointly strive to ensure that the contents of Green World is at all times legal, decent and honest.
- The newspaper shall be financed by the Party Executive and such income as may be raised from sales and advertising.
Proposed by Matthew Wooton**, Howard Jago, Jim Killock & Peter Cranie
SOC Note - a series of notes and references were included with the original motion but these have not been reproduced in this agenda.
SOC Note – the numbering in the original motion of the final section was incorrect – this has been corrected and the two amendments that made reference to the original numbers have been corrected accordingly.
Free/Open Source Software is community-led, and distributed in a way that is open to all to use, modify, learn and adapt freely. Free/Open Source Software is an opportunity to rejuvenate sustainable, diverse local democracy and economic control; putting people and planet, before profit. This motion seeks to mandate just that.
The Green Party stands against monopoly and unfair competition, but also in favour of fair trade and global justice. In supporting local development and appropriate technologies, we should look to the open and democratic use of Free/Open Source Software.
The Green Party notes:
Many countries are adopting Free/Open Source Software including Brazil, India, Chile and China because of cost savings and the opportunity to develop local expertise. Such moves can release local economies in poorer regions from dependency on Western monopolistic concerns.
Using free / open source software is a crucial way in which those individuals in poorer regions of the world can be enabled to stay within their communities and contribute their expertise, rather than moving away and contributing to the 'brain-drain'. (ref 4)
The GP strongly opposes
This Conference resolves that the Green Party will:
This conference further notes that this motion does not seek to have a bearing on internal organisational or software issues.
Replace mandate
with urge
throughout (ie in iv, v, & vi)
Amendment submitted by Hugo Charlton, Jane Charlton, Matt Follett, David Lane & others
Delete (v) and (vi)
Amendment submitted by Hugo Charlton, Jane Charlton, Matt Follett, David Lane & others
Proposed by Peter Lockley*, Derek Wall, Jon Nott & Jim Killock
By seeking a name change from ‘co-principal speakers’ to ‘co-leaders’, this motion is designed both to heighten our public and media visibility and to reinforce these roles and our practice, without in any way deviating from our ‘principles’ (sic) as set out i