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Guide to conference
Getting here
Holiday Inn London Regent’s Park
In this guide Welcome 3 Agenda 4 Youth Social
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Events and speaking organisations
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Conference Information
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Gala Dinner
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Venue Map
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the co-operative party
welcome Dear friend, On behalf of the National Executive Committee and the Conference Arrangements Committee, allow me to welcome you to this year’s Co-operative Party Conference. We meet this year at a time of great change for our party, the co-operative movement, and for British politics. May’s General Election result and the prospect of five years of Conservative government means that a powerful voice defending the movement and its values is more crucial than ever. The result also demonstrated the central role that our ideas and values will play as we begin the long and difficult process of rebuilding, and we look forward to working in partnership with the Labour Party and its new leadership to achieve this. I passionately believe that the future of our Party - and of progressive politics - lies in reconnecting with the movements that created us. The successful Keep it Co-op campaign should be seen as just the beginning of a wider conversation about how we engage with both our member societies and the movement, and the role that politics can play in inspiring the co-operative movement’s future success. It is therefore apt that this year’s Conference is entitled ‘The Party, the Politics and the Movement’. It combines elements of our traditional Summer Weekend School and Annual Conference, combining training and skills workshops with keynote speakers from across our movement and policy debates. You can learn more about the new format on page 11. And finally, on a personal note, as many of you have heard, this will be my final Conference as General Secretary. It has been a real privilege to lead the Co-operative Party for the last three years. I am immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together, and I’m hugely grateful for your kindness and support in what has been a challenging few years for the Party and movement. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, email us on events@party.coop or check the website: party.coop/conference2015
See you at conference!
Karin Christiansen General Secretary, the Co-operative Party
the co-operative party
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Agenda
friday evening 7:00pm
10:00pm
Welcome Reception Hosted by London Co-operative Party
Hotel Bar, Holiday Inn London Regent’s Park
saturday morning
Doors open at 09:30am Holiday Inn London Regent’s Park 10:00am
10:45pm
Plenary 1 Appointment of Tellers CAC Report Welcome and Chair’s address Keynote speech & Q&A Stella Creasy MP, Labour & Co-operative (Walthamstow)
10:45am
12:00pm
Workshops Being a Co-operative Councillor – how can Councillors support the co-operative movement? Cllr Kevin Peel Cllr Richard Olszewski Jamie McMahon Karin Christiansen
Vision 2020: Taking the Co-operative Party policy process forward NEC Policy Sub Committee
Main Hall
The power of stories: an introduction to personal narrative Ben West
How do we get individual members involved in the wider movement?
‘How can local party infrastructure support the wider movement?
John Boyle
Shane Brogan
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saturday afternoon 12:00pm
12:30pm
12:30pm
1:30pm
Lunch provided
Positive Energy - what’s next?
Fringes
Co-operative Energy
The future of political parties: funding, structure, members
Social Enterprise - friend or foe?
Electoral Reform Society
Social Enterprise UK
Supporting sustainable credit union growth through employer partnerships and payroll deduction
Solidarity and the EU: making the case to remain part of the Union Labour Movement for Europe
ABCUL
1:30pm
2:15pm
Plenary 2 Scottish Report (via video) Westminster Report Gavin Shuker MP, Chair Co-operative Party Parliamentary Group Youth Report
2:15pm
3:30pm
The Party and the Movement Speeches and Q&A with: Chair: Dame Pauline Green Hazel Blears – the Co-operative Group Ramsay Dunning – Co-operative Energy (Midcounties Co-operative) Simon Parkinson – the Co-operative College Linda Wallace – CDS This is also an opportunity for members to feedback reflections from morning workshop sessions.
3:30pm
3:45pm
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Comfort break Visitor Guide | 5
15:45pm
6:00pm
Plenary 3 Wales Report Vaughan Gething AM, Deputy Minister for Health Parliamentarians Panel Q&A Co-operative values at the heart
of local government Steve Reed MP, Cllr Chris Penberthy, Cllr Sarah Betteley (tbc) Keynote speech Dave Ward, General Secretary CWU
saturday evening Plenary 3 closes at 06:00pm 6:00pm
7:00pm
Fringes
Co-operative Financial Services: What is the future? National Federation of Progressive Co-operators
BAME Network Meet-up Beyond the Bus Barons – not for profit buses
Co-operative Innovations
SERA
Fair for You
6:30pm
Late
7:30pm
8:00pm
8:00pm
11:00pm
Co-operative Party Youth Social
Co-operative Party Women’s Network Reception
Conference Gala Dinner
Main Hall, Holiday Inn London Regent’s Park
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the co-operative party
sunday
Doors open at 9:00am 9:15am
10:00am
Party support session Party staff
9:30am
9:45am
10:00am
12:30pm
Main Hall
Registration
Workshops and AGM
Local Co-operative Campaigns and Communications Shane Brogan, Ben West
AGM, Motions & Rule Changes Main Hall
Co-operative Party members - School Governors Co-operative College
How to Become a Co-operative Candidate Joe Fortune
12:30pm
1:00pm
Plenary 4 Co-operative Campaigns for the Future Luke Pollard and Lord Kennedy of Southwark Vote of thanks Auld Lang Syne
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Ed bar FRowE ling an
. Entry, b members y t r a P r fo
SATURDAY 19TH 6:30PM - LATE RSVP youth@party.coop
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the co-operative party
events, speakers and involvement from
Co-operative Party
Co-operatives UK
Co-operative Energy
Greenwich Leisure
Phone Co-op
Chinese for Labour
London Capital Credit Union
Fair Funerals Campaign
Labour Movement for Europe
Association of British Credit Unions (ABCUL)
Electoral Reform Society
Co-operative College
Social Enterprise UK
the co-operative party
National Federation of Progressive Co-operators Visitor Guide | 9
Award Winning
Co-operation From simple beginnings - it started with local asparagus - we’re really proud of how our Sourced Locally range has gone from strength to strength. Most importantly we’ve made it easier for our shoppers to choose something local that they know gives a fair price to them and a fair price to the producer. And it’s not who thinks it just us ’s gr we’ve won eig eat h awards so fa t r!
140
growers producear nd s
£35 million
ploughed back into the region 10 | Visitor Guide
400 new jobs created in our region
and over
2,750 products
the co-operative party
About Conference The Annual Conference is convened by the National Executive Committee (NEC). This year’s conference combines elements of both our National Conference and annual Summer Training School, providing an opportunity for Party members to meet, discuss and debate matters relating to the Movement, as well as to develop their own knowledge and skills as Party members and co-operators. Delegates to Conference represent Societies and local Parties. Official co-operative Party MPs, MSPs, AMs, candidates and panel members may attend ex-officio and speak, but may not vote unless they are also delegates. Visitors, exhibitors and the press may also attend but may not speak or vote.
Information Accommodation
Catering
Delegates’ accommodation is usually booked by the members’ Party Council Secretary and may be in another venue to that of conference – please check before you arrive.
Lunch for delegates and visitors will be provided. These can be collected and taken with you to fringe meetings.
Annual Meeting Co-operative Party Ltd The Annual Meeting of Co-operative Party Ltd is separate to Annual Conference but we hold the two together. If your party or society has appointed you as a delegate to Conference, you will also be that organisation’s delegate to the Annual Meeting. All individual members may attend the Annual Meeting, and may ask questions, but may only vote if appointed as a delegate by their local party or society. The time and place of the Annual Meeting will be confirmed in your conference delegate pack and in the ‘Agenda’ section of this document. the co-operative party
Conference Arrangements Committee The Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) determines the order that debates are taken at Conference. The CAC is elected annually by delegates at Conference. The CAC tries to ensure that as many motions as possible are discussed and all necessary business is undertaken in the most efficient way. The CAC prepares a Programme of Business, issued prior to the first Conference session. The CAC operates within the Standing Orders, which can be found in the Delegate Handbook.
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If you have any questions about your motion or the procedure for the Conference you can meet with the CAC by arrangement with the CAC Secretary Shane Brogan. Please visit the welcome desk for further information.
Conference Arrangements Committee Elections Each delegation will have a ballot paper to elect members of the CAC. Candidates will be introduced to conference during the first session. The ballot box will be at the welcome desk – check with the desk or listen out for the closing date and time for voting. The results will be announced at the close of conference.
Delegates Only delegates can vote. Any person appointed as a delegate must be an individual member of the Co-operative Party and must not be a member of any party political organisation with which the Co-operative Party does not have an electoral agreement. Appointment should be made on the appropriate form, to be received at Head Office by the deadline. In completing this, the Secretary of the notifying organisation is required to sign a declaration to the effect that delegates comply with the above conditions. Delegates representing Co-operative Societies, Regional Boards or Committees of Societies must be members of the Board or Committee they are representing. This must also be the case when a delegate is to represent both the party and the society.
Emergency Motions Emergency motions may be recommended to the CAC by the National Executive Committee or signed by 10 organisations. The deadline for submitting emergency motions is 9:30am on the Saturday of conference. Contact the Secretary to the CAC Shane Brogan for more information if you are considering submitting an emergency motion.
Fringe and training sessions Details of fringe events and training sessions can be found as part of the conference programme on page 5-6. All delegates, visitors and exhibitors are welcome and you don’t need to register in advance.
Motions and Amendments The movers of motions and amendments must be present to move them when they are called, otherwise they will fall. Amendments may be accepted by the movers of the motion, in which case they become part of the substantive motion and are not debated separately. Amendments not accepted by the movers of the motion will be debated and voted on and, if carried, then become part of the substantive motion.
Session Times Conference sessions (as recommended by the Conference Arrangements Committee) will be held as follows: These are the sessions where motions, amendments, rule changes and policy debates are discussed. Saturday 10:00am -12:30pm, 1:30pm-6:00pm Sunday 9:30am - 1:00pm
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Social media Wireless internet (WiFi) is available free of charge throughout the venue. You can follow conference and contribute to the debate at on Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram on #coopdifference and by mentioning @coopparty
Tellers Tellers collect and count the votes. They are appointed at the start of conference from the delegates and will be briefed by the Chief Teller. Sufficient tellers must always be in the conference hall for when a card vote is called, so if you have been nominated as a teller and think you won’t be able to be present for most of the sessions, please contact the Chief Teller or a member of staff as soon as possible so that a replacement can be found.
Voting Cards and Ballot Papers Most votes are by show of hands, but constitutional amendments, rule changes and financial matters must be voted on by card votes. Delegates may also request a card vote on a particular motion or composite. This goes ahead if delegates representing ten or more organisations rise in their places and show their book of voting cards. Card votes may also be recommended by the NEC. There is one set of voting cards and CAC ballot paper per delegation. These are posted to one of the representatives of each delegation, as named on the delegation form, or to Society Secretaries/Party Council Secretaries for those organisations not sending delegates, not less than one week before Conference.
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Organisations not sending delegates may pass the voting cards and ballot paper to a delegate attending. The name of this delegate must be indicated on the acknowledgement slip sent with the voting card and ballot paper. The voting strength of each delegation is recorded on the cards and ballot papers, based on their organisation’s financial contribution to the Party. If your delegation does not receive a set of voting cards, please contact the welcome desk during the first day of Conference, where a duplicate set can be issued.
Youth Reception All visitors and delegates aged 30 and under are invited to the Co-operative Youth Reception on the Saturday evening. Entry, bowling and bar are free for members of Co-operative Party Youth, and food is available to purchase at the venue.
Women’s Reception This reception s on Saturday evening. All female delegates and visitors are welcome to attend.
Help? You can find Co-operative Party staff on the welcome desk or on the Co-operative Party stand. Any of them will be happy to help you. If your question relates to a motion on the agenda or an emergency motion, you need to contact Shane Brogan, who is Secretary of the Conference Arrangements Committee.
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Venue map
the co-operative party
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65 St John Street, London EC1M 4AN 020 7367 4150 info@party.coop @CoopParty www.party.coop