[Individual-members-EL] EL

[Steve Spence]

Dear All,

I went to the Founding Congress of EL in 2002.  

For six years I've slowly worked to build a network of individual members.  I was born in Northern Ireland, lived many years of my life in Australia, and for the last six years I have lived in England. I'm an internationalist not just in theory but in practice

It has been very difficult to build individual membership in England.  It took two years to get a membership form.  We still cannot pay money by bank transfer from pounds to euro.  The party organisationally has been unable to fix this.  These are some of the frustrations Uli has.  The Brussels office have responsiblity for individual members and they do their best, but that is not their only purpose and the party does not put time and energy into building individual membership.

In Prague in Novemebr at the second congress some individual members got to speak for the first time.  It was agreed with Helmut Scholz that the EB would discuss individual membership representation on the EB in January.  I have heard nothing.  Helmut Scholz is a good man.  He is just busy with national party things.

Again these are some of Uli's frustrations.  The party has individual members but in reality the national parties are the bodies with the rights.  We have few.  

On the question of authority.  We are individual members.  We each have our own authority.  Let a thousand flowers bloom I say.  I would like some coleective structure, that's why I've worked to build an English network, but the party does not consider the question seriously.  I've asked for European Left England to be given observor status but I've heard nothing.

In the absence of structure I think Uli is quite right to talk to Helmut Scholz or anyone else about anything he wants.  We all are.

This discussion is the liveliest for a while.  normally this list is dead for months.  Well done Uli , for stirring things up!  

Bestest

Stephen

ps i hope to write my english report this weekend, last was wiped out.
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