| Save the Labour Party |
| CONSTITUTION AND RULES
As agreed at a general members' meeting held in Birmingham on 19/07/03, and amended at the AGM held in Manchester on 29/11/03 to add details to the Committee section (see words underlined). PURPOSE Save the Labour Party’s purpose is to maintain and develop the Labour Party as a democratic socialist and internationalist organisation. AIMS 1. To promote genuine democratic participation and policy development between ordinary Labour Party members and the Party Leadership; together with maintenance and strengthening of the trades union link. 2. To promote a review of contemporary Labour Party structures and processes with the aim of ensuring that the key decisions are made by Party members and affiliates through a genuine democratic process. 3. To work to restore to the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party full consideration and promotion of the contemporary political agenda, and effective control of the organisation and financial structures of the Labour Party in the UK. To work towards achieving these ends there shall be an organisation called Save the Labour Party. RULES Membership and Affiliation Membership is open to all members of the Labour Party. Affiliation is open to all Constituency Labour Parties, other units of the Labour Party and affiliated organisations Associate Membership Associate membership is open to all former and potential members of the Labour Party, who are not currently members of another political party, and who agree with our aims. However associate members will have no voting rights although they will be invited to participate in debates at meetings. Membership Fees There shall be three levels of individual annual membership fee (waged, concessionary for the unwaged and associate). There will also be annual rates for affiliated organisations. Membership fees will be reviewed at each Annual General Meeting (see below). Annual General Meeting The first annual general meeting will be held in the autumn of 2003 and thereafter at intervals of 11-15 months on a date to be decided by the Committee (see below). Six weeks notice of the AGM shall be given to members. Committee There shall be an interim committee of seven members with power to co-opt four additional members. This interim committee shall serve until the 2003 ballot results are declared. Thereafter the committee will be elected by annual postal ballot open to all full members and to be held immediately after the AGM. The AGM shall elect one, and preferably two, procedures officers/tellers to oversee the election and count the ballot papers. This shall be a person or persons who announce that they will not stand in the forthcoming election. The procedures shall be as follows: (i) Within a week of the AGM the Secretary shall call for nominations by e-mail and first class post. (ii) Prospective candidates shall have at least two weeks from the issuing of the notice to provide a self-nomination by the closing date agreed. This may be supported by a statement of not more than 150 words to be circulated with the ballot paper. The Secretary and other officers may request changes in this statement for the sole purposes of avoiding legal action e.g. for libel. (iii) The ballot paper and supporting statements shall be issued within a week of the date of the closure of nominations provided that there are more candidates than the seven elected places. Candidates shall stand for the Committee and not for any specific post. If there are fewer than seven candidates all will be deemed to have been elected and members will be notified within a month. (iv) If there is an election the ballot paper and supporting nominations shall be issued to paid-up members. Members will be given three weeks from the issue of the ballot papers to return the papers. The papers will be counted on a week-end date to be notified to the candidates with time and place to allow observation of the count. The procedures officer(s) will immediately notify the results to the Secretary who will notify the candidates and members of the results. Officers The officers shall consist of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer plus three committee members with power to co-opt four additional non-voting committee members. Financial Rules The organisation will maintain a bank account. Audited accounts will be presented to the AGM. The two auditors cannot be members of the committee Amendment of the Constitution and Rules The constitution and rules may only be amended at a general meeting, by a two thirds majority vote of those present and voting. Changes proposed by the Committee shall be circulated with the calling notice. Members may propose changes provided that these are notified in writing to the Secretary not less than three weeks before the AGM. All proposed changes shall be tabled in writing at the AGM. |