Special News from the NEC
March 2006

Co-operative Party Staff Resources

This note contains important information concerning a re-organisation of Party staff resources.

1. 1. Staff Distribution

Since 1998, the rationale for the distribution of staffing resources has been based on the need to establish a modern and effective national team, capable of operating in Parliament, Whitehall and the national media, whilst ensuring adequate cover for the Party in the Regions.

This has directly led to the national successes of the Party:

• We have achieved 3 Acts of Parliament from Private Members' Bills, updating co-operative legislation and promoting employee ownership.
• We have seen the creation of more than 120 football supporter trusts, with more that 75,000 members, from a Party initiative to create Supporters Direct.
• In health, 32 Foundation hospitals have been established, with many more in the pipeline - already with memberships exceeding 400,000.
• Health professionals are also establishing their own mutuals, with Primary Care mutuals providing out of hours care in many parts of the country.
• In all, there are more than half a million more members of mutuals today as a result of our work. We will continue to push the barriers of knowledge and understanding of mutuality, in order to ensure that the voices of citizens and employees are properly heard.
2. Party Income 2006- Reduced Funding from the Co-operative Group

As you will be aware, as part of a major cost reduction exercise, the Cooperative Group Values and Principles Committee has decided to make major cuts in the subscriptions it pays to many organisations, including the Cooperative Party.

In fact, the Co-operative Party has suffered the largest percentage cut of all organisations, and we will lose approximately £90,000 per annum from 1 January 2007, representing 30% of our subscription income from the Cooperative Group.

We have been asked to re-structure our organisation during 2006 in order to achieve a sustainable budget from the end of this year.

The Co-operative Group (CG) does, however, remain the Party's biggest funder. The Party has no other sources of income and so must look to reduce expenditure to a balanced budget.

This situation is regrettable and entirely out of the National Executive Committee's control. Over the last few years, the NEC has striven to maintain the maximum job security possible for all staff and ensure that our resources are allocated to the maximum benefit of the Party.

We are now in the position of needing to prepare for a future of lower funding - and this unfortunately means that we have had to make a number of redundancies.

A number of posts have been made redundant at both Head Office and across the Regions as follows:


London:

Office Manager

Policy Officer

Bath:

National Organiser

Administrative Secretary

Newcastle:

National Organiser

This re-organisation means that the two English regional offices will be closed - Newcastle will close at the end of March and Bath will close at the end of June 2006.

We regret the loss of jobs and pay tribute to the loyal staff who are affected by this change.

3. A New Service to Parties and Societies

The decision to rationalise services in this way means that a new way of supporting Parties is to be introduced. A Party Support Unit will be established, effective from the end of June 2006.

Party Support Unit

Our objective is to secure an improved, focussed service to Parties within available resources. The function of the Party Support Unit is to provide a one-stop shop for local Party Officers, facilitating easy access to everything they need.

The Party Support Unit will offer:

• Web based support - the e-handbook
• Party Briefings
• Physical, local support from Party staff
• Telephone support
• Email support
• Web based documents by mail for officers without access to the internet

3.1 Web based support

A section of the website for Party officers, containing:

The e-handbook

A how-to for everything that party officers need to know - including, for example:

• The Rule Book and guidance (with effect from Conference 2006, an up-to-date Rule Book will be maintained and available for Parties to print as and when required)
• Style guide and templates
• Who's who & contact details - staff, NEC, MPs etc.
• Speakers' list

Policy & Campaigns guide

• Co-op Party Policy Objectives
• What we want the Labour Party to do
• What we want individuals to do

Recruitment handbook

• Speakers notes for CLP or union meetings (see Why should I join the Co-operative Party?)
• Opportunities survey: the CLP; unions they have links to; local retail society/ies; credit unions; other co-ops; local college labour club etc.
• Why should I join the Co-operative Party? Summary of the Party's achievements; manifesto summary; why society members/students/trade unionist/trade justice activists/environmental campaigners should join the Party
• Recruitment procedure
• Annual Conference information and timetable
• Monthly Briefings - current & archive
• Guidance notes e.g. supporting Co-operative candidates

Additionally, the Web Branch will be revised to ensure that the service we provide directly to members is enhanced; for example, they are able to interact with the Party without necessarily attending branch meetings, and can build interest based branches as well as geographical ones.

There is already strong support for a Co-operative Students' Network, and this is being developed with Labour Students.

3.2 Party Briefings

Information to Parties from all sources will be consolidated, wherever possible, into a monthly briefing that will include (as and when appropriate)

• National news & campaign updates
• This month's campaign priorities
• Web branch agenda
• NEC newsletter
• Calendar of forthcoming events and deadlines e.g. Annual Conference deadlines, financial returns, candidates' certificates

3.3 Physical Support

All regions will in future enjoy the same high level of service. The Party support unit will provide physical support from Party Officers in the following areas:

• Assistance with recruitment and youth development work
• Help with resolutions and delegations to regional Labour Party conferences
• Organise annual weekend schools in every region. Where such an event already occurs, such as at Gilsland Spa etc, this will be incorporated to ensure that:

1. A There is no loss of events
2. All regions enjoy equal service
3. Events accord with the Party's national objectives

The intention is to provide overall support to ensure at least one high quality regional event per year, in every region of Great Britain. More will be organised with additional help from Party Council volunteers.

3.4 Telephone Support

A central, national dialling code hotline for Party and branch officers.

3.5 Email support

An email address for advice e.g. orqanisation@partv.cooP

3.6 Regional Advisory Committees

Regional Committees meet several times a year, with the following functions:

• To receive reports from the NEC member(s) and MP(s) (if present)
• To appoint delegates to regional Labour Party conferences² and elect the Co-operative Party representative to the Labour Party Regional Board³
• To receive the Regional Annual Report
• To exchange information between Parties in the Region
• Ensure ongoing affiliations to Regional Labour Parties.

These Committees must be fully merged with Regional Co-operative Party Labour Party Groups. In some areas they still meet separately, and it makes sense to combine them. It is also clear that they will require a voluntary secretary to replace the National Organiser's function.

The NEC may consider that Regional Annual Reports are an unnecessary burden on national and lay officers.

The following support will be provided by the Party Support Unit:

• Liaison between the NEC member and Advisory Committee Chair on the meeting agenda
• Telephone advice to each of the above
• Officer attendance at the Advisory Committee annual meeting
• Office based support to voluntary secretaries
• Produce an outline agenda for annual campaign forums and help to organise the event
Regional Advisory Committees could be tied to annual Campaign Forums, open to all members. It may also make sense to combine them with weekend schools, where appropriate. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 2 In England, Regional Labour Party Conferences are usually only every other year
3 In some regions e.g. the East Midlands, these functions are undertaken by a separate body: the Regional Co-operative Council.