Motion #18
This motion would commit the Green Party to not hold an in-person Spring Conference until doing so would be more affordable. It also opens the possibility of holding a longer Autumn Conference to help compensate for this.
Conference notes that the Green Party currently holds two annual conferences, one in the spring and one in the autumn. These are expensive events to run and generally cost the party more than is received in ticket income.
Conference notes that there is variation among UK political parties on how many times a year they hold conferences.
Conference notes that Spring Conference also clashes with the run-up period to the May local elections, when many of our members are busy campaigning.
Conference acknowledges that given the present economic climate in the UK and the financial pressures experienced by the Party, it does not make financial sense to hold two of these events every year.
Conference instructs GPEX to indefinitely suspend Spring Conference until such a time as the party’s financial situation has improved to such a standard that to hold a Spring Conference would not be of significant financial detriment to the party. GPEX should report back on this situation at the Autumn 2025 Conference.
Conference further instructs GPEX to investigate whether a four-day Autumn Conference might, given the above, make financial sense - given the economies of scale of holding one, larger event. Additionally, Conference notes that a single, longer conference may attract more members and therefore more revenue from ticket income.
Conference, within Section 10.i of the Green Party’s Constitution, deletes the following wording:
“… and will usually hold an additional Conference each spring…”
and replaces it with the following wording:
“…and may also hold an additional Conference each spring, only when it is financially prudent to do so…”
Conference resolves that in years without a Spring Conference, Enabling Motions currently set to become due at that Spring Conference will now come due at the following Autumn Conference.
Conference resolves that in years without a Spring Conference, coopted roles that would normally be ratified at that Spring Conference shall now be in place until an Autumn Conference.