Motion #08

Change the Governance Structures of the Party

Synopsis

This motion changes the composition of the party’s Regional Council and the Executive in line with previous consultations to make them more accountable, democratic (elected proportionally), representative of the party as a whole, and better able to carry out any delegated tasks in order to achieve the party’s aims.

Motion

SOC Note: This motion will require a 2/3 majority to pass.

Part One: The Council

This motion calls on Conference to amend Clause 6 of the constitution as follows:

Replace current clause 6 (i) which sets out the purpose of GPRC with the following:

(i) There shall be a Green Party Council (GPC) which shall be responsible for managing the Party’s culture, wellbeing, and governance; creating the political strategy; and setting the political direction of the Party between conferences.

(ii) It will be responsible for supporting and advising the Green Party Executive and holding the Executive to account for the delivery of the political strategy.

Retain current clause 6(ii) regarding policy statements, renumbering to 6(iii).

Retain current clause 6(iii) regarding democratic procedures, renumbering to 6(iv).

Replace current clause 6(iv) regarding elections by region with the following, now numbered 6(v) which increases the size of the Council to better reflect its responsibilities and introduces proportional representation:

The Council shall consist of 36 ordinary members. Each council member’s term will be for three years and 12 people will ordinarily be elected every year, using a single transferable vote (STV) process, as part of the annual ballot. Any member who has been a member for over two years will be eligible to stand.

There shall be a cap on representation from each region such that no further candidates from a given region will be elected if their election would mean that more than one quarter of the total ordinary council members would be from any one region.

Notwithstanding the regional cap, if following the Annual Ballot the results would produce a Council with fewer than 4 people of colour serving as ordinary or additional members, then up to two additional seats will be created and filled by the top placing people of colour who were not elected. Note that identification as a person of colour is self-determined, and that any vacancies in additional member posts are not filled as though they were casual vacancies.

Insert clause 6(vi):

For the purpose of term limits as set out in Section 5 Clause 20, terms will be considered non-consecutive and will not be counted towards these limits if they are at least 11 months apart or where a member was first elected to a partial term to fill a vacancy.

Insert clause 6(vii):

The Leadership Team i.e. the Green Party Leader (or Co-Leaders), the Deputy Leader (or Deputy Leaders), the Leader (or Co-Leaders) of the Wales Green Party, and the Deputy Leader (or Deputy Leaders) of the Wales Green Party will be voting members of the council. Where a position is a job-share, the role will have a single vote. The two Young Greens Co-Chairs will be voting members of the Council and will have one vote each. The Chair and Treasurer of the Executive, plus the CEO and the convenors or co-convenors of the International Committee and the Trade Union Liaison Committee will be non-voting members of the Council.”

Replace current clause 6(v) regarding casual vacancies with the following, now numbered 6(viii):

Casual vacancies on the Council shall be filled at the next Annual Ballot, for the length of the original term of the casual vacancy they are filling. The Casual vacancies will be elected alongside the full term vacancies using STV over three consecutive selections.

The first selection will be for 12 seats plus the total number of one and two year casual vacancies, and will be drawn from all candidates in the election.

The second selection will be for 12 seats plus the number of 2 year casual vacancies, and will only be drawn from candidates selected in the first selection. Those unsuccessful in the second round are selected as 1 year casual vacancy role holders.

The third selection will be for 12 seats, and candidates drawn only from those successful in the second selection. Those unsuccessful in the third selection will be selected as 2 year casual vacancy role holders. Those successful in the third selection will be selected as three year term role holders.

Retain current clause 6(vi) regarding meeting frequency, now numbered 6(ix).

Retain current clause 6(vii) regarding quoracy, now numbered 6(x).

Replace current clause 6(viii) regarding co-chairs with the following, now numbered 6(xi) which is more inclusive:

Every year at its AGM the Council shall elect by secret ballot from within its number two co-chairs, at least one of whom must be a woman or a non-binary person (noting that gender is self determined), and it shall elect a secretary and a treasurer.

Retain current clause 6(ix) regarding recall of Council members, now numbered 6(xii).

Retain current clause 6(x) regarding recall of the Executive, now numbered 6(xiii).

Retain current clause 6(xi) regarding recall of the Leadership, now numbered 6(xiv).

Retain current clause 6(xii) regarding appeals to recall, now numbered 6(xv).

Replace current clause 6(xiii) regarding reports at meetings with the following, now numbered 6(xvi) which allows for greater accountability:

The Council may request with reasonable notice any member of the Green Party Executive, regional coordinator or the chair(s) of any recognised affiliated group to attend one of its meetings to report on their specific area of responsibility.

Those requested to attend may send another officer in their place.

Retain current clause 6(xiv) regarding records of business, now numbered 6(xvii).

Insert clause 6(xviii):

The Council will be run according to its Standing Orders which may be amended by a two thirds majority of those Council members voting.

Insert clause 6(xix):

The Appeals committee of the Council will be elected according to the Standing Orders of the Council. The committee will operate according the Standing Orders for Party Discipline.

Insert clause 6(xx) which allows workload to be better shared and delegated:

Where a body requires or otherwise permits one or more members of the Green Party Council to sit ex officio on the body either as voting members or otherwise, the members shall be chosen by the Council from among its own membership in accordance with its own standing orders, without respect to any others (i.e. if the co-chairs of the Council are referenced in the standing orders of another body, the Council may choose another of its members to act in their place).

Insert clause 6(xxi), moved from the executive section

xxi) The Party Leadership Team (see 6.vii) shall nominate persons to Spokesperson roles who shall each be responsible for covering a designated area of policy. They shall be appointed only subject to ratification by the Green Party Council, who may approve or reject any nomination. The Council may recall any appointed Spokesperson except the Young Greens Co-Chairs who shall be the Youth and Students Spokespeople.

And amend Clause 9 of the Constitution (Annual Ballot) as follows:

Add to Existing Clause 9) 1), a new part (f) Members of The Council;

And renumber as needed (including references). Delete the term “Regional Council” throughout Clause 6 and elsewhere in the Constitution and replace it with “Council” as required.

Part Two: The Executive

This motion calls on conference to amend Clause 7 of the constitution by deleting the existing Clause 7 and replacing it with the following:

GREEN PARTY EXECUTIVE

i) There shall be a Green Party Executive (hereinafter referred to as the Party Executive or GPEx) which shall be responsible for the operation of and day-to-day direction of the Party and for executing the political strategy. Certain duties and responsibilities are reserved to other Party bodies specified in this Constitution, in particular Conference, Standing Orders Committee, Green Party Council, Disciplinary Committee, Appeals Committee and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. The authority of the Executive does not extend over those reserved duties and responsibilities.

ii) The Leadership Team (see 6.vii) will be voting members of the Executive. Where a position is a job-share, the role will have a single vote. The two Young Greens Co-Chairs will be voting members of the Executive and will have one vote each. The CEO will be a non-voting member of the Executive.

The following additional voting members are elected to serve for two years:

a) Chair;

b) Treasurer;

c) Seven ordinary members.

iii) Elections for the GPEx Chair, Treasurer and Ordinary member posts shall be by a ballot of all members of the party with voting included within the Annual Ballot. The Chair and Treasurer shall be elected in one year in individual ballots by instant run off, at the same time as the Leader(s) plus Deputy Leader(s), and the ordinary members in the next year by a seven-seat single transferable vote, so that the two-year terms of the two groups are staggered.

iv) Subject to the collective responsibility of the Executive set out in 7 i), 7 xvi) and elsewhere in section 7 or other clauses of the constitution, within one month of the election of the Ordinary Members, GPEx will set out what their areas of responsibility are such that between the Chair, Treasurer and Ordinary Members, GPEx takes accountability for all sub-committees of GPEx and their individual accountabilities are aligned to the Party’s structures and staff responsibilities. This will be done using an appropriate methodology, to ensure an acceptable workload and that each Party Executive’s skills are matches to their portfolio.

v) Procedures for the election of Leader and Deputy Leader(s) or Co-Leaders of the Green Party and their duties and responsibilities are outlined in Section 8 of this Constitution.

vi) Candidates for the GPEx Chair, Treasurer and Ordinary Member positions shall have been a member of the Party for the two complete years preceding the date of close of nominations, and shall be required to complete a standard application form. Nominations of candidates must be supported by the signatures of a minimum of ten members of the Green Party of England and Wales. Or, if they have been a member for a minimum of one complete year preceding the date of close of nominations, their nomination must be supported by a majority of the Green Party Council’s members in attendance at a quorate official meeting of that body.

SOC Note: The text which has been struck through in blue below was found to be Out of Order since it creates an ambiguity within the motion

vii) Members of the Party may be nominated for no more than one GPEx post at any one time, and no member may hold more than one post on the Party Executive at any one time. Members of the Party Executive may not hold any other elected office in the Party at national level. Members of the Party may be nominated for both Leader and Deputy Leader(s).

viii) The Party Executive shall meet as necessary and at least once every two months.

ix) A quorum of the Party Executive shall comprise a majority of the total membership eligible to vote.

x) The Party Executive may from time to time create such sub-committees as it considers necessary for the efficient conduct of its business and shall determine their terms of reference, powers, duration and composition at least annually, retaining responsibility for the conduct of such sub-committees and accounting for the conduct of those sub-committees to the Annual Conference. Any such sub-committee shall include at least one member of the Council.

xi) The Party Executive shall appoint the National Election Agent and in addition may create such posts as it considers necessary.

xii) The Party Leadership Team shall nominate persons to Spokesperson roles who shall each be responsible for covering a designated area of policy. They shall be appointed only subject to ratification by the Green Party Council, who may approve or reject any nomination. The Council may recall any appointed Spokesperson. The Young Greens Co-Chairs shall be the Youth and Students Spokespeople.

xiii) The Executive shall elect from among its elected members a deputy chair, to assist the chair in their duties, and to act in the role of the chair at any time when the chair is unable to do so. Such elections are to take place at least annually and by the end of November each year.

xiv) By a two-thirds majority of its membership eligible to vote, the Party Executive may suspend from office any member of the Party Executive, if there is evidence of sustained conduct which in the opinion of the Party Executive is against the interests of the Party, subject to any decision of the Council under Clause 6(xii) and subject to the right of such a member to appeal.

xv) In the event of 20% of constituted Local Parties petitioning the Council to recall the GPEx Chair, Treasurer or Ordinary Member, such a member shall be under suspension until a new ballot has been held for that post at a date to be determined by the Council.

xvi) In the event of a casual vacancy (i.e. one not arising in the normal electoral cycle) for a GPEx Chair, Treasurer or Ordinary Member position a replacement shall be appointed in an acting capacity by the Party Executive until the next scheduled ballot is held. An acting replacement will not have voting rights

xvii) The responsibilities of the Party Executive shall include the following at the national level:

a) to implement the decisions of the Annual Conference;

b) to ensure the proper financial oversight and administration of the Party and fundraising for its operations;

c) to act as the Green Party’s employer of Green Party staff;

d) to keep records of its business, which it shall provide to the Council and make available to the membership of the Party;

e) to present a full written report on its activities and on the financial state of the Party to the Annual General Meeting;

f) to present to the Annual General Meeting a plan for intended activities for the next 12 months

xviii) The Chair, and other Executive members that the Council may from time to time invite shall attend every meeting of the Council to report on the work of the Party Executive, without prejudice to Clause 6 (xiii).

SOC Note: a proposed amendment was here found by SOC to be Out of Order for being trivial, since it amounts to a minor textual amendment which SOC can achieve by itself. The text of the proposed amendment is noted in Appendix 8 for clarity.

xviii) The Chair, and other Executive members that the Council may from time to time invite, shall attend every meeting of the Council to report on the work of the Party Executive, without prejudice to Clause 6 (xiii).

And amend Clause 9 of the Constitution (Annual Ballot) as follows:

Amend existing Clause 9) 1) b) to read: (b) GPEx Chair, Treasurer, and Ordinary Members;

Part Three: Changes to Committees

Rename Section 15 CAMPAIGNING to 15 CAMPAIGNS COMMITTEE

Amend Clause 15 (Campaigning), to make consistent the relationship with GPEx in light of the changes made to GPEx above, so it reads:

i. There shall be a Green Party Campaigns sub-committee (hereafter called the Campaigns Committee) which shall be convened by a specified member of GPEx as set out in 7 iv, and shall be responsible for organising campaigning, consistent with the Objects and Aims set out in part 3.

ii. The Campaigns Committee shall include five members elected at the Annual Conference, with vacancies to be filled by election, or by co-option to be ratified at an intervening conference.

iii. The role of the Campaigns Committee shall be to support and enhance agreed messaging and lobbying related to parliamentary and local council campaigns designed to change the law and policies in pursuit of the Political Strategy; and to give local Green Parties and individual members opportunities and resources to take part in non-electoral campaigns on issues of local and national importance.

iv. The Campaigns Committee shall provide a report to each Annual General Meeting.

v. The Campaigns Committee is a sub-committee of GPEx.

Amend Clause 16 International Committee, to make it a working group of the Council consistent with the Council leading on political issues, and to remove repetition in the current constitution and to require a report to be made annually at conference so it reads:

16 INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE

i. There shall be a Green Party International working group (hereafter called the International Committee) which shall be convened by a convenor or two co-convenors elected by the members of the committee.

ii. The International Committee shall include six members elected at Annual Conference with vacancies filled by election or by co-option to be ratified at an intervening conference.

iii. The role of the International Committee shall be to support the work of the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) and organise the International work of the party. This includes, among other things, selecting delegates and / or representatives to meetings of fellow Green parties and groupings of Green parties worldwide.

iv. The International Committee shall provide a report to each Annual General Meeting.

v. The International Committee is a committee of the Council.

Add new Clause 17, renumbering other clauses in the constitution as needed, to create a Trade Union Liaison Committee to coordinate the Party’s relationship with the trade union movement and other workers’ organisations:

17 TRADE UNION LIAISON COMMITTEE

I. There shall be a Green Party Trade Union Liaison working group (hereafter called the Trade Union Liaison Committee) which shall be convened by a convenor or two co-convenors elected by the members of the committee.

II. The Trade Union Liaison Committee shall include five members elected at Annual Conference with vacancies filled by election or by co-option to be ratified at an intervening conference.

III. The role of the Trade Union Liaison Committee shall be to support the work of GPEW and coordinate and strengthen the Party’s work with the trade union movement and other workers’ organisations.

IV. The Trade Union Liaison Committee shall provide a report to each Annual General Meeting.

V. The Trade Union Liaison Committee is a committee of the Council.

Amend Clause 20 Equalities and Diversity Committee , to make consistent the relationship with GPEx in light of the changes made to GPEx above, so it reads:

SOC Note: a proposed amendment was here found by SOC to be Out of Order for being trivial, since it amounts to a minor textual amendment which SOC can achieve by itself. The text of the proposed amendment is noted in Appendix 8 for clarity.

Amend Clause 20 Equalities and Diversity Committee, to make consistent the relationship with GPEx in light of the changes made to GPEx above, so it reads:

20 EQUALITY EQUITY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (EEDI) COMMITTEE

i. There shall be a Green Party Equalities Equity Diversity and Inclusion sub-committee (hereafter called the EEDI Committee) which shall be convened by a specified member of GPEx as set out in 7 iv.

ii. The EEDI Committee shall include five members elected by Annual Conference with vacancies filled by election or by co- option to be ratified at an intervening conference.

iii. The EEDI Committee shall also include a representative of each group that is recognised as a Members Working Group by the EEDI Committee.

iv. The EEDI Committee shall provide a report to each Annual Conference.

v. The role of the EEDI Committee shall be to support the work of GPEx to improve Equalities Equity Diversity and Inclusion within the Green Party.

And renumber as needed (including references). Delete the term “Regional Council” throughout Clause 7 and elsewhere in the Constitution and replace it with “Council” as required.

Part Four: Transition

Council

Following the passage of this motion we will transition to the new format of the Council as follows: At the first Annual Ballot after the passage of this motion, exactly 12 Council seats shall be up for election. At all future Annual Ballots, 12 seats shall ordinarily be up for election for three year terms in addition to any elections to vacancies as set out above.

At the conclusion of the first Annual Ballot after the passage of this motion, any current members of the Regional Council will transition to become full voting members of the Council, with their terms expiring in line with their existing mandate. If any such Regional Councillor either leaves the Council or is elected to the Council in their own right, the Region which elected them as a Regional Councillor shall not replace them.

Executive

Following the passage of this motion we will transition to the new format of Executive as follows: At the first Annual Ballot held in an even numbered year after the passage of this motion, the terms of all incumbent members of the Executive will expire – and the Chair and Treasurer of the Executive will be elected to ordinary two year terms. This shall also apply to the Leader and Deputy leader roles, which shall be elected in the same year as the Chair and Treasurer per section 7 above. The seven ordinary members shall be elected first for a term of only one year, and at any subsequent Annual Ballot in an odd numbered year shall be elected to an ordinary term of two years.

Part Five: Incorporation

Conference instructs the Council through its Party Structures Working Group to bring further motions to enable the incorporation of the Party or to make further constitutional reforms to the structure of the Party, which will be heard as reports at Conference.