Max Evidence 3 [42] 23May_MinutesWGPC-phoneConf

Max Evidence 3 [42] 23May_MinutesWGPC-phoneConf

Minutes: WGPC Telephone Conference, 23^rd May 2013

Present:          John Matthews, Pippa Bartolotti, Paul Atkins, Chris Simpson, Ann Were

                        Dorothy Wilson, Jane Cooke, Chris Were, Owen Clarke

Apologies:      John Evans, Trish Evans, Max Wallis

Introduction

            The telephone conference was called at short notice to discuss the situation which had arisen regarding the dissemination of internal WGPC e-mails to non-members of the Green Party, and subsequent damage caused to the party by this and related matters on social media and within the print media.

Background information and assumptions

1)     Anne Greagsby has been forwarding e-mails after deleting the e-mail address of the person who sent them to her from the forwarded e-mail.

2)     Max Wallis has been receiving these e-mails in his capacity as an elected member of WGPC – campaigns coordinator. (He has already been suspended from his post as newsletter editor.)

3)     Max Wallis and Anne Greagsby are partners living in the same house.

4)     We are acting on the assumption that Max Wallis has forwarded WGPC e-mails to Anne Greagsby.

5)     Max Wallis has not admitted to sending internal e-mails to Ann Greagsby. He has also pointed out that it is not written down anywhere that e-mails are confidential. We note that he has a long history of political activism in both FOE Cymru and the Communist Party – he knows what is confidential and what should remain internal to party members.

6)     There is also a general obligation on all party members not to bring the Green Party into disrepute.

Decisions taken

1)     Wales Green Party Council voted unanimously to suspend Max Wallis from his elected post of Campaigns Coordinator with immediate effect. (The justification for this is our assumption that he forwarded internal e-mails to a non-member, the fact that is had caused problems in the selection of a Euro list and the fact that so much activist time is having to be diverted to dealing with these problems – especially coming after the newsletter editor fiasco.)

2)     Wales Green Party Council voted unanimously to remove Max Wallis from all internal WGPC e-mail traffic with immediate effect.

3)     Ann Were will write to Max Wallis informing him of these decisions. She will send the letter by e-mail (requesting electronic receipt) and via the post.

4)     Ann Were will send out a short members’ newsletter by e-mail informing all members of the facts leading up to the suspension of Max Wallis from his two WGPC positions. She will also include a warning about the fact that ex-members of the party may contact party members and try to turn them against the Green Party.

Post-script

a)    Pippa Bartolotti informed Council members that she had started the procedure to have Max Wallis expelled from the Green Party.

Under any other urgent business, there was a discussion regarding CW's blog and the postings which had attracted a complaint.

------------------  Ann Were e-mail, answered on 28 June -------------

To: 'Max Wallis' <WallisMK@cardiff.ac.uk>
From: ann were <ann_were12@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: 25/05/2013 17:58
Cc: "wgprc@lists.greenparty.org.uk" <wgprc@lists.greenparty.org.uk>, Jill Mills <jlsmills@tiscali.co.uk>, David Murray <david.murray@greenparty.org.uk>
Subject: Position on WGP Council

Dear Max,

As you are aware, Wales Green Party Council held a telephone conference on Thursday 23rd May specifically to discuss the issue of WGPC emails being forwarded to a non Green Party member.

It was felt by all members present at the meeting that, given the circumstances, you are the person most likely to have been responsible.

It was noted that you have previously been involved in many campaigning organisations and have also been a member of another political party, so it is inconceivable that you would not have been aware of the normal protocols adopted by most similar organisations regarding the confidentiality of communications between members.

You are also aware that non party members are not allowed to attend WGPC meetings, unless specifically invited, and the minutes of such meetings are only made available to party members. By implication, Green Party business is not for public consumption.

We believe that you were fully aware of the seriousness of your actions, especially given that the person to whom you were forwarding emails was a former member who had been expelled for misconduct.

We believe that your actions were not taken to further the cause of the Green Party but were, instead, intended to cause mischief within WGP and to divert attention away from the more productive activities we would rather be undertaking. 

Your position on Wales Green Party Council is, therefore, untenable. At the telephone conference on 23rd May 2013 it was unanimously agreed by the members present to suspend you from your position as WGP Campaigns Coordinator. You will be removed from all WGPC email lists and members will be informed of the situation in due course.

It was also noted at the telephone conference that you have not fulfilled any of the actions you promised to do shortly after being elected. For example, you intended to set up a "Campaigns Committee" but no attempt to achieve this has been made. You also requested funds for campaign leaflets, which was agreed by WGPC, but no leaflets have so far materialised.

As with my previous correspondence with you regarding your suspension from your post as Member's Newsletter Editor, please ensure you destroy your copy of the members database. I would again remind you that, under the Data Protection Act 1998 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, continued use of the membership list would be a criminal offence.

Regards,

Ann Were

General Secretary

Wales Green Party