Conference Agenda Oct 2021 PRINT - Flipbook - Page 12
departures for face-to-face conference and they may have
A huge thank-you to the staff who have assisted and
supported us during the year especially Louisa, Ruby
and Sara.
Category 2 (Not carried out or not completed)
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To update SOC Standing Orders and/or Handbook
to reflect various motions passed at Conferences
viz: To ensure that the annual ballots for the Green
Party Executive (GPEx) and the Policy Development
Committee (PDC) are well publicised and fully
engaged with by the membership, To ensure
that its appointee to the role of ERO takes their
role in overseeing the conduct of the elections
seriously and takes an active role in responding
to complaints and concerns raised about conduct
during elections.
•
To reconsider the proxy system for online
conferences and the 5-vote limit per members and
to bring forward proposals to Conference to change
this (SOC Report Recommendation, A1 Autumn
2020).
•
To improve the webform for submission of motions,
whether using an outside provider or designed inhouse (SOC Report Recommendation, A1 Autumn
2020) with the support of GPEx.
•
To carry out a full review of regulations for national
elections [ERO Report, part of SOC Report Autumn
2020].
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To number motions in the Pre-Agenda process if
all of the possible motions continue to be listed in
one stream on the member website (SOC Report
Recommendation, A1 Autumn 2020).
The main change which we brought forward in the
proxy system in Spring 2021 and which was passed
by conference was to allow members who are
observing the proceedings and voting remotely to
also exercise up to 5 proxy votes, and to allow remote
voters to vote for themselves instead of using proxies,
under section G5 of the revised SOCC. Staff improved
the webform but it is still not as user-friendly as it
could be. The election regulations were not reviewed.
Motions were not numbered, although we have finally
worked out how to list them using Wiki.
Category 3 (Not applicable due to the circumstances
not arising)
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8)
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To ensure with PDC that the Policy Process
presentation at https://members.greenparty.org.uk/
node/59 is updated if the member website changes
(SOC Report Recommendation, A1 Autumn 2020).
To insert three clauses passed in D01 Autumn 2018
‘Facilitating Incorporation of the GPEW’ into the
constitution “when the transfer happens”.
Any other matters or recommendations that do not
affect the running of conference.
We have during the year been represented on
the Framework Oversight Body and are keen to
see the Framework for Ethics and Conduct being
implemented. Documents such as the Spokespeople
code should now be routinely lodged in the
Framework and be readily available to members
which will help to replace the lost ‘resources’ tab
on the previous members’ website. We have also
been represented on the GPRC working group that is
looking at incorporation and the constitution.
9)
Rulings requested and made since the previous
conference.
In the past it was usual for SOC to receive one or
two requests for rulings between conferences. The
workload has considerably increased in recent years
due to complaints processes. It is a slow process
due to time constraints on our volunteer members
and it can take just a day but sometimes months to
research, draft, agree a ruling, despatch it and post
it to the SOC space. It is not always clear at the start
of the process whether a ruling or interpretation of
words in a Party document is the right response; we
may have problems in finding relevant documents or
Party documents may be silent on an issue.
The rulings or replies to requests for rulings as listed
below are:
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Notification of hearings
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Further harm to the Party
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Reviewing anonymity in disciplinary processes
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Leader or Co-Leader Term of Office
Links between DC (Disciplinary Committee) and
DRC (Dispute Resolution Committee)
Card Votes at Conference Plenaries
Votes of No Confidence in a Chair
Disciplinary Cases, Reasonable Adjustment and
Anonymity
Consensus for a Party group
Standing for election against a selected Green
Party candidate
Vexatious complaints
Attendance at GPEx meetings
Regional vacancies on Disciplinary Committee
Training for those in disciplinary process (2)
Proper consideration before expulsion
Can GPRC issue a rebuke
Party Spokespeople