[Item 5]
11.3.13
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Bartolotti’s more expanded reaction to the March Newsletter (copied at end)
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Attached Message
From:
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pippa bartolotti <pippa@pippa-bartolotti.co.uk>
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To:
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'Max Wallis'
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CC:
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wgprc@lists.greenparty.org.uk
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Subject:
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Re: [WGPC] FW: Wales Green Party Newsletter / Special Conference
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Date:
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Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:11:31 -0000
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Confidential to WGPC only.
Max, you will be aware of the items I am referring to - the ones
regarding gossip on @greenleaks (the newsletter is not a place for gossip) and the GPRC 'secret courts' comment which is an opinion which you might hold(though without having been through the process yourself, and therefore uttered in the absence of first hand information), but which is entirely defamatory of the Green Party as a whole, and a long standing process
which has been respected for some years. Perhaps you are suggesting that GPRC
has been working on disputes very well in all cases, except the two you
mention, either way, the newsletter is not a vehicle for mischief or personal opinion.
Mark France, who is not known to me, and as far as I'm aware has nothing
to do with Wales, was a member who was expelled for repeatedly calling for
use of guns and violent revolution, as well as intimidating the local party
- including standing in front of member's houses wearing face-mask and balaclava. Hardly the behaviour expected of a Green Party member. I have
no idea why you brought this case up, except to show just how well GPRC is working.
Also singled out for your special attention was Anne Greagsby, who
continues to make unfounded and defamatory assertions about members of the Green Party, and indeed the Green Party in general. Someone with the interests
and philosophy of the Green Party at heart would simply not act this way.
This is yet another example of how well GPRC is working.
Using the members newsletter as a campaigning device to ask members to contact the very hard pressed David Murray on issues outside his remit
is misleading and unproductive.
Really Max, it seems to me you are trying to force the Green Party in Wales to break apart by encouraging inward looking fault finding and griping about individuals, rather than outward looking support, which is essentially what
Really Max, it seems to me you are trying to force the Green Party in Wales to break apart by encouraging inward looking fault finding and griping about individuals, rather than outward looking support, which is essentially what
we are about.
There are some really good people doing some really excellent work in
Wales,why did you not highlight them? Or perhaps one of the up beat resolutions passed at conference.
Matters such as wrong addresses, inaccuracies etc have been dealt with
by
others.
Now, if you'll forgive me, I would like to get back to the work of furthering the interest and appeal of the Wales Green Party, which is
what we are all elected to do. Please do not turn this into a ping pong of opinions, for that will only take up time, of which most of us have
little to spare. I hope you will be issuing the necessary changes to the
newsletter shortly.
Pippa
From: Max Wallis
Sent: 10 March 2013 23:23
To: pippa bartolotti
Subject: Re: [WGPC] FW: Wales Green Party Newsletter / Special
Conference
Dear Pippa,
I feel sure you didn't want to be confrontational.
Please say which parts you dislike or are "plain wrong" so
they can be
amended.
Hwyl / max
-----wgprc-bounces@lists.greenparty.org.uk
wrote: -----
From: "pippa bartolotti"
Date: 10/03/2013 20:06
Subject: [WGPC] FW: Wales Green Party Newsletter / Special Conference
I'm sorry to say that parts of this newsletter are just plain wrong, and
completely out of order. The editor does not appear to be able to act
with
propriety or truthfulness. I back John's call to put this issue on the
agenda.
Pippa
From: Max Wallis
Sent: 09 March 2013 15:55
To: wallismk@####
Subject: Wales Green Party Newsletter / Special Conference
Green Wales, members Newsletter, March
2013
by <http://my.greenparty.org.uk/users/chris-were>
Max Wallis (newsletter
editor; items and comments to wallismk@cf.ac.uk)
This edition notifies members of the Special Conference in May (details
below)
Nominations are open for the GP's Euro-election list, All-Wales
constituency, 4 places The nomination form is available on the website: login at
<http://my.greenparty.org.uk/> http://my.greenparty.org.uk/
and go to Wales
Green Party. Each candidate for
the List must be nominated by at least ten
members of the Green Party of England and Wales resident in Wales. A
nomination form is available from the ERO as Wales Returning
Officer: phone
John Evans, ERO 07788834587 or Ann Were, secretary 07799351017.
E-mail confirmations will suffice for signatures, as described below for
Special Conference Motions.
Wales Green Party, Special Conference, YMCA, Cardiff,
Sat. 11 May 2013 @10:30am
Notification of a Special Conference
primarily to consider the Party name in Wales - whether or not we should change from "Wales Green Party/Plaid Werdd Cymru" for
electoral purposes. For electoral purposes it would be helpful to use a name higher in the alphabetical order, and one that clearly distinguishes us from others Suggestions so far have included "Welsh Greens" and
"Green Party Cymru" Policy motions will also be taken at this meeting. A new Health policy and a supplementary policy on Wind Farms are being proposed. Both of these
will be published in the first agenda.
The deadline for motions to conference is 16th March. All motions or amendments must have a proposer and three further supporting signatures. Email submissions will be accepted.
It is not enough for the proposer to include supporting names with the original motion. Supporters need to
send separate emails indicating which motion they are supporting. Members may sign up to four motions. The first agenda will be published by 30th March. Amendments to motions
must be submitted by 13th April. The final agenda will be published by 28th
April.
All motions and amendments should be sent to SOC at
Nominations will also be accepted for the post of Conferences
Coordinator.
The deadline for this nomination will be 28th April and should be sent
to
The nomination form will be on the website shortly.
If you have any queries please contact
<mailto:ann_were12@yahoo.co.uk>
Regarding the notification for the special conference the timetable is
as
follows:-
Motions to be submitted by 16th March (four signatures needed)
First agenda to be published by 30th March
Amendments to motions and Officer reports by 13th April
Final agenda by 28th April
Wales Green Party on the Internet
The Wales Green Party blog
(greenwales.org) is for highlighting our campaigns in Wales - we would like to make sure we get as much good
content put up on there as possible. If you'd like to submit an
article/image/video
for the Green Wales blog please visit
<http://greenwales.org/submit>
greenwales.org/submit. Press releases automatically go onto our Facebook page, generate a
Twitter feed and go onto the Tumbler account. All Local Part press officers are asked to add <mailto:chriswere@walesgreenparty.com> chriswere@walesgreenparty.com to the e-mail lists that they use for issuing
local releases.
Ask The Greens: askthegreens.com is a Wales Green Party service which
allows
you to ask questions to the Leader and Deputy Leader of Wales Green
Party.
However, the Q&A has dried up since 17th January - please help to
keep
questions flowing.
GPEW gossip on GreenLeaksUK:
Former Cardiff GP secretary Matt Townsend who
took on Local Party Support Coordinator in London has just resigned from
GPEx due to "excessive workload", tweeted #GreenLeaksUK,
adding: "Another Decembrist leaves. Good news for GPEx Chair Tom Dawes". A Local and Regional Complaint
Procedure has been issued in draft form (on GP website):
The GPRC says - this procedure is a model for use by local and regional
parties in GPEW.
GPRC secret court puts activists on trial , giving them no chance to
defend
themselves or appeal.
from
9
In the Green Party's 40 years, it's been known for its democratic,
de-centralised, and inclusive internal regime. No longer.
Mark France was expelled by a decision of the Green Party Regional
Council
at their 2-3 February 2013 meeting.
Mark was given no clear indication of charges against him, or of the
Disciplinary Process, or provided with any evidence or documentation
relating to any charges. Mark was not able to provide any defence. There
was
no hearing in which Mark was able to participate in nor was he able to
present any defence.
At the same Green Party Regional
Council meeting, another longstanding
activist from Cardiff, Anne Greagsby, was also expelled from the party.
Her
'crimes' seemed to centre on public criticism of Pippa Bartalotti the
Leader
of the tiny semi-autonomous Green Party in Wales. In Mark's case, some
jokey comments made on this website over two years ago were apparently
used
to accuse Mark of "promoting violent revolution under the banner of
the
Green Party" this reason for his expulsion was given to a London
Federation
of Green Parties meeting by a member of the GPRC.
If the "Libertarian" Green Party is mirroring the worst
excesses of left
wing sects then something deeply disturbing is affecting the political
culture. Perhaps if 'Fair is
worth fighting for' David Murray the Green
Party CEO needs to consider his position?
Anyone wishing to question or protest at the expulsions of Mark France
and
Anne Greagsby from the Green Party can e-mail David Murray
Rumpus over the GPRC: Mark's last
action was to sponsor the Motion D30 on
reviewing the disciplinary process, passed by Conference on 23 Feb.:
Synopsis: The current
disciplinary and dispute resolution processes are not
interlinked, and lack guidance on the use of specific sanctions like
suspension, or the time it should take for resolution to occur. In order
to
resolve this, GPRC should convene a review of the processes.
Motion: "Conference calls on
GPRC to initiate a full review of the
disciplinary and dispute resolution processes within the party, with a
view
to proposing a revised set of policies and procedures no later than
spring
conference 2014.
The review should include people within the wider party experienced at
creating, reviewing and implementing policies and procedures of this
type. A
call should go out through the Green Activist mailing and on the GPTU
list,
as well as the members forum for people willing to contribute.
The review should include, but not be limited to considering the
following
points:
1. Introduce a separate grievance procedure.
2. Create model processes for local and regional parties.
3. Outline the expected Time Limits for resolution and the circumstances
for
variation of them.
4. Outline clear guidelines for deviation from the agreed process.
5. Change the current process to ensure that the full allegations are
outlined at the very start of the investigation process, and no member
is
suspended pending investigation without being fully informed of the
complaint.
6. Reconsider the use of suspension of membership."
The motion was passed with little dissent, showing great sympathy for
Mark
as the absent mover. The Green Party is a legal entity and must at all
times
behave in a manner that this legal position demands, said a supporter.
Then
Jill Mills who is co-chair and led the disciplinary cases for GPRC took
on
leading this Review. That's
caused a rumpus, with calls on Jill to stand
back from the whole process.
The GPRC members from Wales are:
Wales Green Party council is looking for a member to become our
assistant
treasurer, which involves learning how the finances of Wales Green Party
work with the expectation of taking over as Wales GP treasurer. If you are
interested please contact: <mailto:chriswere@walesgreenparty.com>
Specific skills & qualities sought:
. Good budgeting skills
. A good understanding of
office management and database systems
. A good understanding of
accounting practices, contract law and
fundraising practices
_______________________________________________
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