Motion #01
The first Annual General Meeting (AGM) held under the new Standing Orders for the Conduct of the AGM (SOCAGM) occurred after the first agenda deadline for Conference. This late motion seeks minor improvements to SOCAGM revealed as necessary by seeing the AGM operating in practice.
Quoracy
Conference notes that despite overwhelming support at a previous Conference for the reformation of the AGM as a separate meeting to Conference, the 2023 AGM failed to reach quoracy as outlined in SOCAGM.
Therefore, Conferences resolves that in SOCAGM section H9 “Quoracy and majority voting“, where it says:
H9.1 The quorum for the AGM shall be calculated as 0.5% of the paid-up membership ten working days before the date of the meeting. For any decision on a report or amendment, but not for discussion of a report or amendment, the meeting is required to be quorate.
Replace “The quorum for the AGM shall be calculated as 0.5% of the paid-up membership ten working days before the date of the meeting” with “The quorum for the AGM shall be calculated as ⅓ of all those registered to attend the meeting. There must be at least 0.5% of the paid-up membership ten working days before the date of the meeting, or 300 members (whichever is the lower), registered to attend”.
Conference notes that the AGM not achieving quoracy has created an ambiguity about what happens to the reports. This presents the opportunity to tighten up SOCAGM, so if this happens again it is clear how this should be handled.
Therefore in SOCAGM section H9 (Quoracy and majority voting), Conferences resolves to insert new clause H9.5:
H9.5 If the Annual General Meeting does not achieve quoracy, the meeting will be held as though it is quorate, though no reports or amendments will be voted on. SOC will include a recommendation to accept each report (or group of reports) in their report to Conference, which will be voted on prior to approving SOC’s report to Conference. Recommendations to accept reports or amendments may be grouped at SOC’s discretion, though this does not prevent Conference amending SOC’s report to facilitate whatever decision it wishes to make.
Consensus/majority/minority reports
Conference notes that there were instances at the AGM where it was unclear whether certain reports were representative of the views of the committee as a whole, or just of the chair(s) of the committee. It is helpful to take this opportunity to clear up that it is expected that reports should be endorsed by, wherever possible, consensus within the committee (and at the very least by a majority).
Therefore, Conferences resolves to insert into SOCAGM new clause B1.2 and renumber:
B1.2 All reports must be agreed wherever possible by consensus by the body submitting them and a record of this decision must be provided to Standing Orders Committee alongside the report. If consensus is not achieved, reports may be submitted by majority provided this is noted in the report. Those in the minority will have the opportunity to submit minority reports (which are not voted on and are simply for information). Minority reports may only be submitted where the author (or authors) dissented from approving the majority report.
Conferences resolves to, in SOCAGM section D2 (Agenda deadlines), insert new clause D2.5:
D2.5 Any minority reports must be submitted at least five working days before the AGM.
Recognised Groups
Conference notes that at the AGM, there were many questions around which ‘recognised’ groups were due to report, and the management of that process. The clauses of SOCAGM relevant to this are as follows:
· B1.2(e). Policy Development Committee (report to include content provided by all recognised Policy Working Groups);
· B1.2(f). Equalities and Diversity Committee (report to include content provided by all groups recognised by this committee);
· B1.2(j). Campaigns Committee;
· B1.2(l). Groups of members in common as set out in clause 5 (xii) of the Constitution and recognised via the process defined in bye-law 3 referred to in clause 5 (xii) of the Constitution will report: this requirement can be managed through the report of the body which recognises the group.
Conference notes:
· that concerns raised at the AGM include: that Policy Working Groups and Green Party Trade Union Group did not report (through no fault of their own); and that groups recognised by Equalities and Diversity committee found the process of submitting their reports confusing and logistically difficult.
· that Policy Working Groups are recognised by Policy Development Committee and should have reported under B1.2(e) and B1.2(l)
· that Green Party Trade Union Group is recognised by Campaigns Committee and should have reported under B1.2(l)
· that fundamentally, all recognised groups should be treated equally and ought to be able to report directly to the AGM if they wish
· that the AGM lacked clarity over the status of certain groups, and that this situation should be avoided in the future
Conferences therefore resolves to:
· Replace B1.2(e) with “Policy Development Committee. This report must include a list of all currently recognised Policy Working Groups, and may include the reports of such groups (see B1.2(l))”
· Replace B1.2(f) with “Equalities and Diversity Committee. This report must include a list of all groups currently recognised by Equalities and Diversity Committee, and may include the reports of such groups (see B1.2(l))”
· Replace B1.2(j) with “Campaigns Committee. This report must include a list of all groups currently recognised by Campaigns Committee, and may include the reports of such groups (see B1.2(l))”
· In B1.2(l) replace “: this requirement can be managed through the report of the body which recognises the group.” with “. With the consent of the group and recognising body, the report may be included in the report of the recognising body instead of as a separate report.”
· Insert into the end of B1.1(b): “(Standing Orders Committee will ensure all such committees and recognised groups are aware of their responsibility/opportunity to report)” so that it reads: “All elected committees in the Party, as noted at B1.2. (Standing Orders Committee will ensure all such committees and recognised groups are made aware of their responsibility/opportunity to report)”
Proxy Voting
Conference notes that Spring Conference 2023 (Birmingham) voted for an amendment to the motion which introduced SOCAGM, which was stated would enable proxy voting on card votes held at the AGM. Unfortunately, this amendment was insufficiently clear, and therefore, proxy voting was not facilitated by SOC at the 2023 AGM.
Therefore, to reaffirm and give effect to Conference’s previous decision, in SOCAGM Section H10 “Ballot card votes”, Conference resolves to rename to “Ballot card votes and proxy voting” and to insert the following new clauses (to match Standing Orders for Conduct of Conference):
h) A member may appoint a proxy to vote at AGM on their behalf in any ballot card votes. SOC shall issue the attending member a ballot card for each proxy for which they produce acceptable authority (e.g. a letter, email, proxy form provided by SOC or other electronic authorisation).
i) A member who is attending the AGM may represent up to five other members in this way.
j) Proxy votes can only be used in a ballot card vote. The holder of proxy ballot cards may cast the votes in different ways, if so mandated.