2 Spring 4-5 We’ve Conference updated our 2017 Deadlines Policy process 6 Green exposes secret cemetery 3 Greens go global! privatisation plan GreenActivist Latest news for Green Party members I www. greenparty.org.uk I February 2016 7 Internal new 10 Reform of 11-12 Notices vacancies Conference and Opinion on the Green campaigns Voting working 13 POLICYFEST Party Executive section! group 2016 (GPex) 8-9 14-17 Party for 20-21 Autumn 23-26 Your reports against Conference 2016 contacts in the 18-19 Party A Progressive 22 By-Election Alliance results 27 Advert GREEN ACTIVIST | DECEMBER 2016 | page 2 conference Spring Conference 2017 – Liverpool Deadlines for submitting motions and amendments A motion was passed at Autumn Conference 2016 which changed the agenda deadlines for conferences as follows: If you have any questions about the agenda process or deadlines below, or if you are interested in chairing or co-chairing plenary sessions or workshops at conference, please contact: [email protected] Date Agenda process stages 12 January 2017 Pre-Agenda deadline (midnight) Final date for posting of motions and policy papers to the members’ website 26 January 2017 First Agenda deadline (midnight) Final date for notification of text of motions and policy papers to SOC 9 February 2017 Publication of First Agenda 16 February 2017 Final Agenda deadline (midnight) Final date for posting of amendments to the members’ website 23 February 2017 Final text of amendments to SOC [email protected] (midnight) 9 March 2017 Final date for Late Motions to Conference (See Section A, clause 9 of the SOCC as updated after Autumn Conference ‘16) (midnight) 16 March 2017 Publication of the Final Agenda COMMITTEE ELECTIONS Nominations open on 16 March (coinciding with publication of the Final Agenda) and close at 18:00 on 1 April. Nomination forms will be available on the SOC page of the members’ website. Any questions to [email protected] CONTACT Contact Standing Orders Commitee with any queries on the Agenda (motions to conference): [email protected] Contact Louisa Greenbaum, Conferences Co-ordinator, with any practical queries: [email protected] See next page for more details about Conference GREEN ACTIVIST | DECEMBER 2016 | page 3 conference Greens Go Global! programme Getting involved A draft Congress timetable can be found on There are several ways to get involved in the #Greens2017 website. The programme Congress. If you would like to run a fringe, will include: or ‘parallel’ session, you can apply to do so • Joint plenaries with guest speakers by filling in the online form on the Congress website. The deadline for applications is 15 ext Spring, the Green Party of on the topics of ‘Fighting for hope: from Paris to 1.5 degrees’, ‘Green December. England and Wales will be hosting We are also looking for volunteers to help the first ever joint Congress between Political Democracy from Grassroots to N Government’ and ‘Fighting Inequality by with the running of Congress. Contact Louisa. the Global Greens and the European Green Empowering People’ [email protected] to find out Party from Thursday 30 March to Sunday 2 more. April 2017 at the ACC in Liverpool. The event • A packed programme of parallel will also incorporate our Spring Conference sessions open to all attendees on a Practical Information (Friday 31 March - Sunday 2 April) and with a wide variety of topical subjects predicted attendance of over 2,000 this will • Facilitated ‘Open Space’ discussion There are plenty of accommodation options probably be the largest gathering of Greens ever! sessions in Liverpool and you can find details of them on our website here. We have reserved 300 • Joint sessions for diversity groups, eg Registration rooms at a preferential rate of £65-£70 at European Green Seniors meets GPEW three Premier Inns in the city, and we have Green Seniors Registering for our conference will also give also block booked the local Youth Hostel – you access to the joint Congress. As most • Training sessions on eg empowering all details on the website. You’ll also find Congress sessions will be open to members female politicians practical information about Liverpool and how of all parties, we are encouraging GPEW to get there on the website. We are offering a • Music from the Fab Beatles and Seize members to attend from Thursday when liftshare scheme, and if you book your train via the Day plus film screenings and other the official opening will be held. There is no the excellent Loco2 website, 1% of the ticket entertainment options in the evenings. extra cost for this day. GPEW members and prices is donated to the party! supporters should register via our website • A full itinerary of ‘extra-curricular’ There will be a creche available for children here. We would encourage you to book before options for delegates to book in for, aged between 1 and 11. Details here. January 15 in order to guarantee your place, before, during and after Conference – We look forward to meeting you in as tickets will be limited. walking tours, excursions, etc Liverpool at this unique event! GREEN ACTIVIST | december 2016 | page 4 policy process We’ve updated our Policy Process – how it works and how you can get involved Sam Riches, Green Party Policy Committee Here’s a quick quiz. Suppose you have a to be changed – unless a future motion to great idea for a new Green Party policy, or conference changes that! would like to see an improvement made to The newly revised process aims to actively existing policy. What should you do? reward efforts to research high quality supporting evidence, and also to encourage A. Phone the Green Party office and tell significant consultation both within and the staff all about it beyond the party’s membership. The overall B. Walk up to Caroline Lucas or Jonathan shape is similar to the old system, with Bartley after a public meeting and give discussion online, a First Agenda with a them a letter detailing your exciting chance to propose amendments to motions, plan and a Final Agenda that is used at Conference, but now all deadlines are calculated C. Email the Policy Development specifically for each Conference. Also, we Committee and say that you want to have increased the number of co-proposers meet them for a talk needed from 4 to 12 individual members (or D. Propose a motion to Conference motions can be proposed by a local party, regional party or recognised group within Score: A 0 points, B 0 points, C 0 points, D the party, following formal discussion and 100 points and a gold star. decision-making) – research across a number Yes, it’s that time of year again. Forums for of recent Conference agendas showed that the discussion of ideas for motions to Spring the threshold of four signatories was far too Conference 2017 – which will be held from low, and the motions which passed tended to Thursday 30 March to Sunday 2 April 2017 have been co-proposed by considerably more in Liverpool – are now open on our website: named individuals than the bare minimum. https://www.greenparty.org.uk/conference/ We have not changed the basic principle Our policy process was substantially that any member can float an idea for a revised through a motion passed at Autumn motion, and as before it must be posted in the Conference 2016, but bringing a motion to appropriate area of the members’ website by conference is still the only way for policy the published deadline (and not sent to the GREEN ACTIVIST | december 2016 | page 5 policy process We’ve updated our Policy Process – how it works and how you can get involved (cont.) national office, the leadership team or the on Thursday 2 March 2017; you need three from Policy Development Committee policy@ Policy Development Committee in hopes that other members to co-propose an amendment greenparty.org.uk as soon as possible. they will follow it up!) The deadline for floating with you. Finally, there is also a new category – the an idea for Spring Conference 2017 (the Pre- A key point is that in order to get a motion Late Motion – for significant issues that arise Agenda deadline) is 23:59 on Thursday onto the First Agenda it must be set out with after the Pre-Agenda deadline. Emergency 12 January 2017; then the final version of specific information on what it is you are motions still exist, but we want these to each motion must be submitted to Standing trying to change - including the exact text you be used to react to situations that really Orders Committee through the online proposal want to have debated and where it is intended are emergencies; Late Motions will be the system (which will be made available in due to stand if the change is voted through. You preferred way to respond to events that arise course) by the First Agenda deadline, which don’t need to be this precise to meet the Pre- or change significantly after the Pre-Agenda is 23:59 on Thursday 26 January 2017. We Agenda deadline, but you will need this level deadline, and a specific discussion forum will encourage proposals by a local or regional of detail in the submission by the First Agenda opened on the members’ website for these party, or a recognised group, but if you decide deadline. motions. There will be quite a high hurdle to to propose as an individual member you’ll In addition, if you present your finalised get a Late Motion debated – simply having need 11 co-proposers, and each individual motion along with the formal endorsement missed the Pre-agenda deadline will not be can only co-propose four motions in total.