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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Dear Richard,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>In my lunch break so relatively quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>You are of course correct, a European Left
badge would be better. Currently there isn’t one although with three
people and £150 you can register a party name with the electoral commission and
run under it. As long as European Left didn’t object although on what
grounds they could do so anyway I’m not sure. They have a EU
registration but that doesn’t get you on the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> ballot paper even in EU
elections. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>To this point in time other <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> based people
I’ve spoken to haven’t supported doing that on the grounds that it
would be a hollow organisation, and therefore simply another non-resourced
label rather than anything real. I’m not sure I agree with that. I’ve
always thought that one candidate with a Party name is enough. But the point
is I’ve never had two other people prepared to do it and for registration
you have to list three people in total as officers of a named party.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>That’s why I thought a ‘Left
Independent’ openly advertising an affiliation with the European Left
might be a way to go. It still costs £5000 deposit, the appointment of an
agent, so two people per constituency minimum required. In addition you would
need finance for leaflets etc and yes it would have to be the small number of <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> people left
as EL individual members who would have to try to do that. So far I know of
you and Luke and two others who were involved before I’m still in contact
with personally. In addition I think I could draw in a dozen or so personal
contacts who would have an interest if something was happening but who have no
interest if it isn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I often get advice to start locally but
there are lots of little left groups all round the country which haven’t
moved much beyond the parish pump. I think you’ve got to make a top end
intervention to kick things off.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The Party of the European Left is to me a
democratic left party, and to me the democratic left is subtlety different from
other socialist and communist groups. To me it’s a form of left social
democracy at heart that I agree with. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>It is of course possible with your £150
and three people (when three emerge pointing in the same direction at once) to
register a party name that is UK specific, that could then seek to affiliate to
EL. I’ve thought of lots of them for example;<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Democratic Left, Progressive Left, Radical
Left, Radical Democrats, Left Green Democrats………………I
assure you the list goes on.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>So far any attempts to do this have
floundered on different views to any proposal which is why some of us
concentrated on getting individual membership of EL and then trying to get
recognition for individual members. Believe it or not since 2004 on two separate
occasions we had a <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>
website including an on-line blog, a post office box, and we’ve had
people attending Congress, Trade Union Network, summer Schools but the Party
has always been slow to help develop it further. Even now I’m waiting
for George in <st1:City w:st="on">Brussels</st1:City> to provide me with a list
of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>
based individual members, following a response from him criticising a statement
from me that a lack of support existed. No such list has ever been provided to
me despite requests over eight years. The EL want individual members but up
until now they don’t seem to want them organising but in the same breathe
tell to organise yourselves. They mean I think as a Party that can affiliate, individual
membership has always been a bit threatening to existing member parties, even
though we don’t have one in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>However I now have this dialogue going
with Waltraud and frankly I’m hoping through that they pick up on efforts
to consider candidates in the UK and give some help, but I’m not holding
my breathe.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>So it does indeed come down to what we
think we could do. I think there is no point in being an EL individual member
long term if the EL can’t intervene in politics in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>. It’s
taken me eight years to get to that point. Therefore in 2014 I want to do
something one way or another as the welfare state crashes and burns around us.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>My ‘Left Independent‘ idea
comes from an absence of any other bright ideas right now. So far the two
comrades who dropped out after previous efforts, who I still write to off line,
don’t think it is a good idea and you have raised legitimate points. A
comrade from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has said ‘good luck’ and that so far is it.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>My conclusion is after eight years of EL
discussion in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>
someone needs to say ‘I’m going to run in this constituency can I
rely on your support’. In order to get someone to take that step I’m
seeing if there is a way of doing it that has some degree of support. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>If not it might be better for EL individual
members in the UK, such as we are, to simply decide to support to Respect, TUSC
or the Greens in 2014 or all of the above, and with EL concentrate on getting
some form of Individual Members Branch in the discussions with Waltraud.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Happy to hear all additional thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Best<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Stephen <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
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face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
individual-members-el-bounces@listi.jpberlin.de
[mailto:individual-members-el-bounces@listi.jpberlin.de] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Richard Dunphy<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> 26 June 2012 13:04<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Indiv. Members EL<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re:
[Individual-members-EL] EL Indivual Members</span></font><span lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>Dear Stephen,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>Many thanks for doing this work on behalf of us
all.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>As regards your proposal for running candidates
in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>
in the 2014 EP elections, I would love to have the option of voting for, and
campaigning for, an EL party candidate, but I am not sure about the wisdom of
running (an) independent candidate(s). If it is not possible to draw attention
to the existence of EL as a party, and run on the basis of an EL Manifesto,
what would be achieved by running as independents? Speaking personally, I must
admit that I usually don't take independent candidates seriously (except,
perhaps, at local council level) and tend to vote for a party, not an
individual.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>Also, would an EP campaign have to be
financed entirely within the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>
by a small group of supporters? Presuming so, again I wonder how feasible it
would be - and all, more than likely, for a couple of hundred votes. OK, it
might be argued that even a candidate running on an EL party platform might not
poll more than a tiny vote, but at least in this case it would put the party on
the map, so to speak, and remind many disenfranchised left-wingers in this
country that there is a party alternative to Labour - at the European level at
any rate. Would an independent candidature achieve this?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>Sorry if this sounds negative. I'm not entirely
close-minded, just exploring my initial reactions!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>best wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>Richard.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
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color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<div id=divRpF141253>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><font size=2 color=black
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black;
font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:black'>
individual-members-el-bounces@listi.jpberlin.de
[individual-members-el-bounces@listi.jpberlin.de] on behalf of Stephen Spence
[stephen_spence@btinternet.com]<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> 24 June 2012 11:26<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">'Indiv.
Members EL'</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Individual-members-EL]
EL Indivual Members</span></font><font color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Dear All,</span></font><font color=black><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>CONFIDENTIAL TO THIS LIST</span></font><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I would like to advise you that I am in
ongoing correspondence with Waltraud of the EL Statutes Commission trying to
get a trying to get a date to meet in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Brussels</st1:place></st1:City>
about individual members. I am proposing, following up Nobert’s
letter, a European wide individual members branch that can meet a couple of
times a year, with a Branch Executive, a seat on the Executive Board, the Chair
able to attend the Council of Chairpersons, and the Branch able to send
delegates to the EL Congress based on the number of members. In essence I
am suggesting an Individual Members Branch should be treated like a Member
Party. I will let you know how these discussions progress. I am
happy to do this work but if there ever becomes a need for something to be said
about it publicly I will need someone to do this, as I can only do this in a
private capacity, behind the scenes, due to my public trade union work.</span></font><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>For individual members in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> I would like
to know your opinion on an additional matter. I am wondering whether it
might be possible for individual members of the EL to run as ‘Left
Independent’ candidates affiliated to EL in the 2014 European
Parliament. Where there is no <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> registered political party
running as an ‘independent’ is an alternative option. I had
thought as the ‘European Left’ is registered party at the European
level it might be possible to use that name but I can’t get any clear
advice on that, and I think there were have to be a <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region> registered party to do it.
So the ‘Left Independent’ idea came into my head. Does anyone
have a view?</span></font><font color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Best</span></font><font color=black><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Stephen </span></font><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Dundee</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> is a registered
Scottish Charity, No: SC015096 <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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