Evidence 6 - Ann Were’s e-mail calling on Max to resign his two WGP posts

[Item 6]
12.3.13

Ann Were’s e-mail

A follow-up to the first two e-mails calling on Max to resign; includes the March 2013 Newsletter (Evidence 2)
  
From:
ann were 
To:
'Max Wallis' 
CC:
wgprc@lists.greenparty.org.uk
Subject:
Re: [WGPC] FW: Wales Green Party Newsletter / Special Conference
Date:
Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:30:15 +0000 (GMT)
Max,
It is unacceptable for you to abuse your position as WGP Newsletter Editor in this way. You have used it as a mouthpiece for your own particular grievances and to make spurious allegations against individuals and the Party as a whole, neither of which have the opportunity to defend themselves. 
The honourable thing for you to do now would be to resign from both of your posts on WGPC.
With the agreement of WGPC I will send out a statement from us in due course.
 Ann
 Ann Were. 
       From: pippa bartolotti <pippa@pippa-bartolotti.co.uk>
>To: 'Max Wallis'
>Sent: Monday, 11 March 2013, 16:11
>Subject: Re: [WGPC] FW: Wales Green Party Newsletter / Special Conference
>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 noidea 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 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

>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
>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
>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
>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:
>Chris Simpson christopher_s@btinternet.com, and Jane Cooke
> 
> 
>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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