Summary September RDLP Executive Committee

As promised to members, I will be providing a high-level summary of the RDLP Executive Committee (EC) meetings which I attend as Branch Secretary. I hope this helps members understand some of the issues discussed and agreed, support transparency and encourage members to become more involved. It also provides members with assurance that I am raising the issues raised with me, with the EC. Please get in touch if there is particular information you would like more detail on. For obvious reasons, the summary is intended to be just that.

Present: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Fundraiser, Women’s Officer, Vice Chair East, MP East, IT officer, Campaigns Officer, Policy Officer, Political Education Officer, Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council, BAME Officer, Youth Officer, Chair of Youth Forum, Disability Officer. Secretaries from Norcot, Tilehurst and Kentwood, Battle, NOR (North of the River), Abbey, Redlands and West Berkshire. Agents for Reading West PPC and Reading East MP.

I did not attend the first EC meeting of this year in August as I was on holiday and replacements for Branch Secretaries to EC meetings are not permitted. Some key areas minuted as having been agreed were:

Actions from the previous EC meeting

• Set up of Local Campaign Forum (LCF)

• Set up of subcommittee for local elections timescale development

• Liaison with Region on complaints

• Progress outsourcing motion actions

• Move EC meetings from 8pm to 7.30pm

• Email members about Pride

Decisions from the previous meeting were

• There were 4 complaints approved to be moved to the All Members Meeting for members to approve a local investigation. One about the use of personal email to email members and the other 3 were linked to comments made on social media.

• “Working Together’ guidelines were adopted.

The main agenda items were around campaigns, finances and fundraising and officer reports.

Campaigns – Discussion took place about the impending General Election and how we manage this. The Campaigns Officer drafted a 12-month campaign plan. There was discussion about local elections and agreement to a deadline of 6 October for applications from members to be local council candidates. A ‘Becoming a local councillor’ session was booked for 28 September for all members and a BAME session on 19 September.

Finances – It was noted the finances were in good order but that we did need to ramp up fundraising. The Executive Officers had already agreed outside the meeting to set up a subcommittee to look at where we might raise funds by cutting current costs in order to increase revenue. A request on the budget was made by the BAME Officer but this was deferred until the Treasurer had time to develop a budget. The Youth Forum do get an allocation of resource as it comes direct from the youth members. A call for funding for software for the Treasurer to manage the accounts was approved.

Fundraising – A number of events were being planned. The first was a 'Meet the EC' event on 8th September, picnic in the park 12-4 with a quiz. The Fundraising Officer also had a sizeable donation from a non-affiliated trade union and there was a good sum raised through the email which went to members asking for donations.

Officer Reports were circulated. I provided comments to the Woman’s Officer on urging the bringing together of women members to discuss priorities or campaigns and helping women members to put themselves forward for election. There was requests to have more discussion and planning of All Member Meetings (AMMs) and political education events but time did not allow for this in this meeting. All reports are circulated to members in advance of the AMM.

I submitted agenda items below in advance which were not included but I circulated them to the EC for consideration at the next EC meeting with accompanying information which were noted in the meeting and will be attached to the final minutes

1. Request to develop a local complaints process guide as for the first time a number of complaints were heading to all member meetings. However, Region has since stated that complaints in Reading should not be investigated by the local party, these will be dealt with through the national process.

2. Request to develop local social media moderation guidelines.

3. Request for guidance on how RDLP work with and promote events or organisations.

4. Clarification on trade union delegates as voting members of EC.

5. Information about Norcot decision not to use ‘Organise’ to communicate with members.

6. Request linked to ensuring all members of the EC are equal in discussions and decisions of the EC.

The next meeting is 3 October 2019 with an AMM before this on the 19 September 2019.