Evidence 20 unlisted: Ann Were’s e-mail to caucus of WGP Council 15.4.13.

Item 20 15.4.14

Ann Were’s e-mail to Chris Simpson/Chris Were/Pippa Bartolotti/Owen Clarke/John Matthews

Re: members newsletter  Ann Were, aiming for suspension as 'incompetent'

From:	ann were <ann_were12@yahoo.co.uk>
To:	chris <christopher_s@####>; pippa bartolotti <pippa@pippa-bartolotti.co.uk>; Chris were <chriswere@gwentgreenparty.org.uk>; Owen Clarke ; John Matthews
Subject:	Re: members newsletter
Date:	Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:07:50 +0100 (BST)

Dear Chris,

I don't agree.

The job descriptions are meant as guides, only, and don't need a motion to conference to change them as I don't think they form part of the Standing Orders or Constitution. I don't think it is right to include "gossip" in the newsletter - his word, not mine.

It doesn't seem right to me that he can include a piece that comes from a non Green Party website, is inaccurate, and to which the parties involved cannot respond, especially when it is so critical of Green Party procedures. As you rightly pointed out, the whole disciplinary procedure was confidential.

More than that, the newsletter was supposed to have been published by the 1st March so that the notification for the Special conference would be in line with the constitutional requirements. It wasn't sent until the 9th March. It also included the information for the Euro nomination process where the deadline for nominations was 16th March. As it happens, I made a mistake with the deadline for nominations on the members website - putting 16th April by mistake - but it would have had to have been extended anyway. 

I also can't find anyone who gave him an up to date membership list so I don't think it went out to everyone  that it should have. This is probably why you never received it!

When I asked Pippa to send out a reminder, I got a further two inquiries regarding the Euro nominations. 

All in all, he was completely incompetent at the job. It wouldn't have been so bad if he had admitted that he was struggling and asked for help, but he didn't.

I don't think we can suspend him at this stage but, if we ratify the regional and local complaints procedure in May, that will give us the authority to do so if we decide to go down that route. 

Regards,

Ann

Ann Were. 

    

---

From: chris <christopher_s@####>
To: ann were <ann_were12@yahoo.co.uk>; pippa bartolotti <pippa@pippa-bartolotti.co.uk>; Chris were <chriswere@gwentgreenparty.org.uk>; Owen Clarke; John Matthews 

Sent: Sunday, 14 April 2013, 20:15
Subject: Re: members newsletter

Dear All,

    Somehow, I missed out on the original circulation of the newsletter. Max has re-sent it to me and I have had time to read it and think about the situation.

    I have read Pippa's suggested actions, and I think she is over-reacting.

    First off, let us look at the actual job description. For newsletter editor, there is only one bullet point for "responsibilities":

·       Editing, production and distribution of Green Wales, the WGP internal newsletter

    If you look at the collective responsibilities of all WGPC officers, they are given in the JD as:

Collective Responsibilities

·       Taking corporate responsibility for the running of Wales Green Party

·       Implementing the Party's political strategies

·       Exercising financial control and efficient management of the Party's resources. Elected members of Wales Green Party Council are jointly and severally liable for the Party's finances.

·       Consulting closely with local Green parties within Wales

·       Providing day-to-day direction of the Party

·       Being a formal, open, and accountable leadership team

·       Being responsible for Party Office and its employees

·       Representing the Party to other organisations

    What has happened is that some of us were surprised at the tone and content of this last newsletter. But if you look at the actual job description, there is NO guidance at all about what the tone and content should be. Max I am sure will say that the items he put in the newsletter were what he thought members throughout Wales should be told about. I do not think that anything much can be done between AGMs; because if anyone wants to avoid a repeat of this, then they will have to alter the JD via a motion to the annual conference. (It is too late to put one to this coming special conference.)

    The alternative is that the WGPC meeting coming up in May lays down some interim guidelines to "help" the new newsletter editor keep to more acceptable content. This cannot, however, be retrospective in any way; and I do not think there is any mileage in trying to discipline Max for this last issue.

    For the same reason, I do not see any point in having a phone conference about this.

Yours,

Chris S

----- Original Message -----

From: ann were

To: Chris Simpson ; pippa bartolotti ; Chris were ; Owen Clarke ; John Matthews

Sent: Friday, April 12, 2013 5:22 PM

Subject: members newsletter

Dear All,

Sorry, I've let this slip a bit.

What do you want to do about Max and the newsletter?

Do we want to have a telephone conference before the next meeting or shall we leave it until May to deal with it?

When we do challenge him about it, what do we want the outcome to be? Would a full apology be enough or would we want to take things further? I think we should have an idea of where we want to go with it.

We could adopt the local and regional complaints procedure at the next meeting and then follow that.

What do you think?

Ann

Ann Were.