20.08.1998

Two constitutions

Socialist Alliance Rugby conference

Submitted by Network Liaison Committee

Preamble

The following represents interim arrangements to allow individual socialists and autonomous socialist, environmentalist and direct action organisations to work together towards agreed common objectives. It is recognised that whilst differences between the participating individuals and organisations may exist, there remains a greater element of political agreement upon which it is proposed to base common policy and a programme of activity. Where appropriate, it is recognised that this would involve the adoption of appropriate agreed electoral arrangements. It is the hope, intention and expectation that by adopting and campaigning on this common programme, the individuals and groups involved will in the future move towards a closer and more permanent organisational structure.

Clause 1 - Name

Network of Socialist Alliances in England (hereinafter called the Network).

Clause 2 - Objectives

1. To bring together in federation national, regional, and local political organisations and individuals, for the purpose of working towards the establishment of a society based in general on a socialist system, and in particular:

• to establish an open participative democracy and, as far as may be practicable, the equality of all people in a just society;
• to secure for the people a full return of all wealth generated by the industries and services of society, by means of common ownership and democratic control;
• to protect and enhance an environment where development is sustainable recognising finite natural resources;
• to maintain such defence and security arrangements, which, together with the promotion of peace and freedom, delivers people from tyranny, prejudice and the abuse of power;
• to protect the rights of individuals, recognising that these rights have corresponding responsibilities.

2. To promote the formation of locally based Socialist Alliances.

3. To assist, enjoin or affiliate with any local, national or international organisations, and in particular with the Scottish Socialist Alliance and the Welsh Socialist Alliance, in pursuit of these objectives.

Clause 3 - Membership and membership conditions

1. Membership of the Network shall consist of:

• federated national organisations having more than 500 individual members;
• other federated organisations;
• local Socialist Alliances;
• individual members where there is no appropriate locally based Socialist Alliance.

2. Application for membership by an individual or organisation shall be made on a prescribed form which shall indicate acceptance of the objectives and rules of the Network. Subject to the completion of the application form and the payment of the required membership subscriptions, membership shall be approved by the National Liaison Committee.

3. A federated organisation or individual member may terminate membership at any time by giving notice in writing to the National Liaison Committee.

Clause 4 - Membership subscriptions

1. Annual membership subscriptions shall be as follows:

• national federated organisation: 10p per member
• other federated organisation or Socialist Alliance: £20
• individual member: £10 (standard); £5 (concessionary)

Annual membership shall be defined as the calendar year. Subscriptions in the year of joining shall be paid on the basis of each quarter of the calendar year (or part thereof) remaining.

2. Where individual members form a locally based Socialist Alliance, subscriptions paid by those individual members shall be applied to offset the subscription of that Alliance.

3. Where an organisation or individual member is six months or more in arrears with membership subscriptions, any representative of that organisations or the individual member shall cease to have a right to vote or participate in any meeting of the Network.

Clause 5 - Organisation

1. An annual general meeting of the Network shall be held in the month of September or October. Ordinary meetings of the Network shall be called as determined by resolution of the Network, National Liaison Committee, or by the National Liaison Committee upon the written request of five federated organisations.

The annual general meeting and ordinary meetings shall be open to individual members and individual members of federated organisations, but voting delegates shall be on the following basis:

a) national federated organisation: one for each 500 members or part thereof;

b) other federated organisation: one for each 100 members or part thereof;

c) local Socialist Alliance: one for each 100 members or part thereof.

The annual general meeting shall elect the following officers of the Network:

a) chair;

b) vice-chair;

c) general secretary;

d) treasurer;

e) membership officer;

f) press and public relations officer.

Casual vacancies for these officers may be filled at any ordinary meeting of the Network, a specific item having been included on the notified agenda of such meeting.

4. The annual general meeting or any ordinary meeting of the Network may appoint such other functional officers deemed appropriate.

5. The annual general meeting shall appoint a National Liaison Committee comprising:

• officers determined in 3. above;
• one representative of each national federated organisation;
• two representatives elected by delegates from other federated organisations;
• two representatives elected by delegates from local Socialist Alliances;
• two representatives elected by individual members.

Casual vacancies for the National Liaison Committee may be filled at any ordinary meeting of the Network, a specific item having been included on the notified agenda of such meeting.

Functional officers appointed at 4. above may attend meetings of the National Liaison Committee, without voting power.

6. The National Liaison Committee shall be responsible for the administration of the Network, with full powers to act on behalf of the Network, subject to resolution of the annual general meeting or ordinary meeting. In particular the National Liaison Committee may, in the name of the Network:

• purchase any freehold or leasehold building, lease or rent of any premises, and make any necessary arrangements for the fitting up and maintenance thereof;
• employ any person or persons, on the basis of terms and conditions of employment it may determine;
• appoint trustees, form any organisation, society, company or companies in accordance with the provision of the Friendly Societies Acts or the Companies Acts and define the powers of such trustees, organisation, society, company or companies and the manner in which such powers shall be exercised.

7. The annual general meeting of the Network shall appoint two persons to act as auditors. Auditors shall not be officers or be elected as members of the executive committee in any other capacity.

8. Standing orders, for the purpose of calling and conducting the annual general meeting, ordinary meetings and National Liaison Committee meetings, may be adopted by resolution of the annual general meeting. Such standing orders may be amended at an ordinary meeting, a specific item having been included on the notified agenda of such meeting

Clause 6 - Finance

1. In addition to membership subscriptions, the Network may receive donations from federated organisations, individual members and other individuals or bodies, provided such donations are made for the purposes of furthering the objectives of the Network and confer no other advantage to the person or body making the donation. Donations in excess of £1,000 shall be separately identified in the accounts of the Network.

2. The National Liaison Committee shall organise and maintain such fund or funds as may be thought necessary for any or all of the objectives for which the Network exists. In particular the National Liaison Committee may, in the name of the Network:

a) open such bank or building society account(s) as necessary;

b) secure advances from time to time, or to raise loans either by mortgage or otherwise and on such terms as it may deem expedient;

c) employ, as appropriate and subject to resolution, all or any part of the funds at its disposal.

3. The National Liaison Committee, through the treasurer, shall maintain records of all financial transactions of the Network.

4. The financial year of the Network shall be from April 1 to March 31. The treasurer shall present for the approval of the annual general meeting audited accounts for the preceding financial year.

Clause 7 - Electoral arrangements

Subject to resolution of the annual general meeting or ordinary meeting, the National Liaison Committee shall determine the advisability of contesting any local, national or European election. This shall include entering into agreement with, or arbitrating between, local Socialist Alliances, affiliated organisations or other political parties, where this is deemed to be in pursuance of the objectives of the Network.

Clause 8 - Dissolution of the Network

1. The Network may be dissolved by resolution of a special meeting of the Network, called for this purpose by the National Liaison Committee.

2. Any assets of the Network at the time of dissolution, shall, by way of the resolution dissolving the Network, be disbursed to any organisation or organisations having aims consistent with the objectives of the Network

Clause 9 - Change of rules

These rules may be altered or amended by resolution of the annual meeting, or by resolution receiving two-thirds of the votes at a special meeting called by the National Liaison Committee.

Submitted by the CPGB

Preamble

The following represents arrangements to allow socialists and socialist organisations to work together in agreed common actions. It is recognised that differences will exist. This should not be a barrier to electoral arrangements, campaigning or open and frank exchange of views. The Network will encourage and facilitate debate and the process of clarification. Our principle is inclusion, not exclusion. Through joint work and no-holds-barred discussions it is hoped that the individuals and groups involved will move closer and towards a higher organisational structure.

Clause 1 - Name

Network of Socialist Alliances in the United Kingdom (hereinafter called the Network).

Clause 2 - Objectives

1. To bring together through affiliation national, regional and local political organisations and individuals for the purpose of establishing a socialist society. The Network considers:

1. Socialism and democracy are inseparable.
2. Socialism is conquered by the working class. It cannot be delivered from on high.
3. Socialism is international or it is nothing.

2. The Network will fight for the maximum democracy under existing social conditions: ie, capitalism. In particular:

1. Abolition of the monarchy, the House of Lords and all constitutional hereditary privileges.
2. For a federal republic of England, Scotland and Wales. For the unity of Ireland. For the right of Scotland, Wales and Ireland to self-determination.
3. For the closest political and organisational unity of the working class.

3. To work with other national or international organisations in pursuit of these objectives.

Clause 3 - Membership and membership conditions

1. Membership of the Network shall consist of:

1. Affiliated national organisations.
2. Affiliated local and regional organisations.
3. Local or regional Socialist Alliances.
4. Individual members where there is no appropriate Socialist Alliance.

2. Membership shall be open to all who agree to the rules and accept the objectives of the Network.

Clause 4 - Subscriptions

1. Annual membership subscription shall be as follows:

1. Affiliated national organisation - £50;
2. Other affiliated organisations and Socialist Alliances - £20;
3. Individual member - £10 (£5 concession).

2. Where an organisation or individual fails to renew their annual subscription their membership shall be deemed to have lapsed after one month.

Clause 5 - Organisation

1. There shall be an annual conference called by the Network Liaison Committee or a special conference at the demand of one-third of affiliated Socialist Alliances.

2. The annual conference of the Network shall be open to individual members and individual members of affiliated organisations, but voting delegates shall be on the following basis:

1. Affiliated national organisations: two delegates.
2. Affiliated local or regional organisations: one delegate.
3. Local Socialist Alliances: one delegate per 10 members.
4. Regional or metropolitan Socialist Alliances: one delegate per 100 members.

3. The role of the annual conference shall be to:

1. Debate and express a view of political questions;
2. Change the rules and objectives of the Network.

4. The Liaison Committee shall be responsible for the administration and day-to-day running and promotion of the Network. The Liaison Committee shall elect and remove officers as it so chooses. The Liaison Committee shall consist of elected and recallable delegates on the following basis:

1. Affiliated national organisations: one delegate.
2. Regional, metropolitan and local Socialist Alliances: one delegate per 100 members.

5. The Liaison Committee shall present audited accounts to the conference.

6. Standing orders for the purposes of conducting the annual conference and the Liaison Committee may be adopted by resolution of the annual conference.

Clause 6 - Electoral arrangements

The Network shall facilitate and coordinate the electoral work of regional and local Socialist Alliances. It shall encourage the biggest possible socialist challenge in local, regional, national and European elections.

Brief commentary of the drafts submitted by the CPGB and the Liaison Committee

Preamble

The CPGB draft is explicit that the Network is an alliance of socialists. It does not rule out joint work with other forces such as “environmentalist and direct action organisations”, but it does not assume that they are all socialists. Nor does our draft belittle the differences that exist between socialists. Nevertheless, even if we use a ‘80% disagree, 20% agree’ mathematical formulation, united action is still perfectly principled and desirable.

Clause 1 - Name

There exists a United Kingdom state. The ruling class organises and oppresses the working class throughout the UK of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To limit our organisation to England is to weaken our forces and divide the working class. The closest unity with socialists throughout the UK is needed if we are to challenge and overthrow our main enemy - the constitutional monarchist state.

Clause 2 - Objectives

The Liaison Committee draft is woefully inadequate. It talks of “the establishment of a society based in general on a socialist system”. What is “based in general”, if not an evasion? Why not simply say “a socialist society”? The rest is if anything worse. The “equality of all people” is a nonsense. People are unequal. They have different abilities and different needs. That must be recognised. The idea of securing “for the people a full return of wealth” ignores the necessity of a social surplus. Then there is the claim that natural resources are “finite”. Matter can neither be created or destroyed - that needs to be said while recognising the necessity for a global approach to the environment. We should not fall for the neo-Malthusianism peddled by the greens. As to maintaining “defence and security arrangements” - is this a reference to Nato? Our draft is altogether far superior. It defines socialism as democratic, international and something that can only be won by the working class itself. There is also a link between our struggles today and the goal of socialism: ie, the fight for “the maximum democracy under existing social conditions” - which is concretised in the demand for a federal republic of England, Scotland and Wales.

Clause 3 - Membership and membership conditions

We see no need to classify a national organisation with 499 members and one with 501 differently. The principle should be inclusion. The CPGB wants to give the below-500-membership Socialist Party in England and Wales the same status as the over-500-membership Independent Labour Network. We all know that high quality and active commitment is a factor that makes some comparatively small organisations far greater in importance than those with big paper memberships. The Network needs to include and coordinate all national organisations of socialists. Joining the Network should also be made simple.

Clause 4 - Subscriptions

Should be collected annually, all at once, not quarterly. Again the aim should be simplicity and ease of administration.

Clause 5 - Organisation

The Liaison Committee draft is incredibly complex. Its annual general meeting would elect a fixed list of officers on the basis of some sort of electoral college. The membership hurdle is far too high. It does not reflect the reality of the socialist alliances on the ground. Few have a membership over 100. The CPGB puts power squarely in the hands of those below - the local socialist alliances (which can be organised on a regional or city-wide basis in order to gain direct representation). Our proposed system of indirect elections, of elected and recallable delegates, allows for political change and organisational growth below to be fully and quickly reflected above. It is flexible and infinitely more democratic than the cumbersome system proposed by the Liaison Committee.

Clauses 6-9

The Liaison Committee is too concerned with details: eg, bank accounts, the financial year and disclosure of donations. However, the proposals for electoral agreements are frankly sinister. The Liaison Committee is to be allowed to “determine the advisability of contesting any local, national or European election”. That would give it a veto on local by-elections. Such extreme centralism should have no place in what is an alliance of many different organisations. Where appropriate, all decision-making should be taken below. Local Socialist Alliances should be free to decide whether or not to contest local or parliamentary elections. The job of the Network is to coordinate and encourage its affiliates, not dictate to them. As to a change of rules, our draft dispenses with two-thirds majorities and gives the annual conference the power to change things on the basis of a simple majority.