Meeting Conduct

HARLOW ALLIANCE PARTY

STANDING ORDERS FOR THE CONDUCT OF MEETINGS OF THE PARTY

September 2017

CHAIRMAN

  1. The meeting shall appoint a Chairman from amongst the members present.
  2. Deference shall at all times be paid to the authority of the Chairman. When s/he rises to speak, the member who is addressing the meeting shall resume his seat.  The Chairman shall decide all matters of order, competence and relevance and his or her ruling shall be final and binding and shall not be discussed.  S/He may adjourn any meeting to a time, which he may then, or subsequently, decide, and his leaving the chair shall signify the meeting has been adjourned.
  3. If a quorum is not present at the advertised time, or within fifteen minutes thereafter, the Chairman shall adjourn the meeting to a time which s/he may then, or subsequently, decide. The Chairman’s leaving the Chair shall signify the meeting has been adjourned.
  4. The Chairman shall have both an ordinary and a casting vote.

VISITORS

  1. Normally, only members of the Party may attend an AGM or EM. However the Chairman may, with the approval of members present, allow persons who are not members of the Party to attend meetings and speak at them. No such person shall have the right to vote on any matter.

NOTICES OF MOTION AND AMENDMENT

  1. A notice of motion may be submitted by any member of the Party.
  2. Notices of motion intended for inclusion in the Agenda for an AGM must be received by the Secretary at least fourteen days prior to the meeting. Motions submitted in writing at any meeting of the Party may be considered if, in the opinion of the Chairman, they are relevant, competent and urgent, and their discussion by the meeting will not prejudice Party members not present at the meeting by the non-inclusion of such motions in the Agenda, and if the consent of at least two-thirds of the members present and voting is obtained.  This Standing Order shall not apply to motions arising from the consideration of a report included on the agenda.
  3. A motion or amendment, other than one moved by the Central Committee, shall not be open to discussion until it has been seconded. If such a motion or amendment fails to find a seconder, the meeting shall proceed to the next business.
  4. If a motion, of which notice has been given, be not moved by the member who has given notice or by some member on his behalf, or (where applicable) by a member on behalf of the Centra Committee it shall, unless postponed by leave of the meeting, be considered as dropped and shall not be moved without further notice.
  5. An amendment to any motion may be moved at any time after the motion has been moved and seconded.  An amendment shall not be competent where it is a direct negative of the motion.
  6. The following motions may be moved without previous notice:
  7. That precedence be given to any particular business set forth on the agenda for the meeting.
  8. That the question be now put.

iii. That the meeting proceed to the next business.

  1. That the debate be adjourned.
  2. That the meeting be adjourned.
  3. That leave be given to withdraw or amend a motion or amendment.

Provided that:

  1. Motions i. to iii. shall immediately be put to the vote without discussion and no amendment shall be allowed.
  2. Motion ii. shall not be moved while a member is addressing the meeting.
  3. If motion ii. is carried, the vote shall be taken immediately after any right of reply has been exercised.
  4. Motions ii. and iii. may not be moved by the proposer or seconder of the motion or amendment under discussion.
  5. Motion iv to vi. may be discussed at the discretion of the Chairman.
  6. Motion vi. may only be moved by the mover or seconder of the motion or amendment.

ORDER OF DEBATE

  1. The mover of a motion other than a motion to expel a member from membership, or amendment of such a motion, is allowed three minutes to speak on it. Anyone else wishing to speak is restricted to two minutes. Either time limit may be exceeded by consent of the meeting. On a motion to expel a member from membership, the Chairman (or such other officer as the Chairman may at his absolute discretion appoint) and the member concerned (or a person speaking on his or her behalf) are each allowed 5 minutes to speak on the motion.  Either time limit may be exceeded by consent of the meeting. The member shall then withdraw whilst the meeting discusses and votes on the proposed suspension or expulsion. Anyone wishing to speak during this discussion is restricted to two minutes.
  2. The mover or seconder of a motion may reserve his/her speech for a later period in the debate or for the right of reply.
  3. A member shall not without leave of the chair move or second more than one amendment to any one motion
  4. A member shall not speak more than once to the same motion or amendment except in reply.
  5. If an amendment to a motion be moved and seconded, a further amendment shall not be moved until the first amendment be disposed of. Whenever an amendment to a motion is declared to be carried, the motion, as so amended, will thereupon become the substantive motion to which any further amendment may be moved.
  6. The mover of a motion (or the mover of an amendment which has become part of the substantive motion) shall have one right of reply either to that motion or to any amendment to it, provided that the reply is confined to answering previous speakers and no new matter is introduced. After the reply, if any, the motion or amendment shall be put to the vote forthwith.
  7. A member may at any time raise a point of order, that is, a point relating in some way to the procedure, relevance, competence, constitutionality or legality of the meeting or of anything permitted by the Chairman to occur or be said at the meeting.
  8. A member may request the Chairman to seek clarification of any matter under discussion from a speaker addressing the meeting.
  9. A member desiring to speak shall raise a hand to signify an intention. S/he shall direct the speech strictly to the matter under consideration or to a question of order.
  10. If two or more members signify a wish to speak at the same time, the Chairman shall decide to whom to give priority.

MOTION CONTRARY TO PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS

  1. A motion or proposal which is contradictory to a resolution already adopted shall not be competent at the meeting next succeeding the date of adoption of such resolution unless with the consent of at least two-thirds of the members of the Central Committee present and voting.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

  1. Individual members of the Central Committee may not disclose confidential matters or business to anyone outside of the Committee unless authorised by the Committee.

STANDING ORDERS

  1. These Standing Orders shall not be altered or rescinded except with the consent of at least two-thirds of the members of the Central Committee present and voting. Notice in writing shall be given to the Secretary of any motion to amend or rescind these Standing Orders at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting at which such motion is to be considered and such motion shall be set forth on the agenda of the meeting.
  2. Any one or more of these Standing Orders may be suspended at any meeting, provided the consent of at least two-thirds of the members of the Central Committee present and voting is secured.

Note that for the purpose of openness and transparency the Party has chosen to publish its Meeting Conduct.  Whilst every effort is made to ensure this web page is current, for the avoidance of doubt the definitive copy of the Constitution is held by the Leader of the Party.