<html><head></head><body><div style="font-family: Verdana;font-size: 12.0px;"><div>Dear Stephen,<br/></div><div>last days I had the possibility to attend a transfrom workshop on the left and the crisis in Europe which took place in Greece. The days before there was an ExBoard meeting of the EL in Athens and so I had the possibility to talk about the issue of the individual membership together with Waltraud and Maite. It was a conversation within a real open athmosphere and we used the possibility to listen to each other. I explained the situation based on my own experience and summerized what the massage of our mail / letter and the following mail-"debate" is. Doing this I focused on the following points.<br/></div><ul><li>The situation, that individual members of the EL do not have any rights right now should be solved<br/></li><li>We are of the view that our letter is representative as fare as we are living within the different circumsstances "forseen" in the statut and coming all to the same conclusion<br/></li><li>We are asking for a solution which should be defined commonly, means together with us as members and not for an solution on us<br/></li><li>We are aware that the our request is percepted within the member parties in a different way and that even the represantatives parties which pushed in the past the individual membership are at the moment against that<br/></li><li>We are interested to work on an long lasting, sustainable solution which could be reached via different steps if needed</li><li>The Italian model is not a soultion for us as members should not ask for an observer status</li><li>We are still waiting for an answer in which way the positiv answer we got from Waltraud and Jiri will be realized<br/></li></ul><div>We exchanged our informations on the upcomming EU regulations on the European Political Parties and the rules of financement of this parties.<br/></div><div><br/></div><div>Maite and Waltraud promised that they will inform the secretariat about the discussion and will start non later than September to work on a solution (with us). I promised to inform the Individual members about this debate so that everyone beeing listed here can reflect and work on concret suggestions.<br/></div><div><br/></div><div>Kind regards<br/></div><div><br/></div><div>Norbert </div><div><br/></div><div> </div><div>
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<b>Gesendet:</b> Samstag, 30. Juni 2012 um 14:08 Uhr<br/>
<b>Von:</b> "Stephen Spence" <stephen_spence@btinternet.com><br/>
<b>An:</b> "'Indiv. Members EL'" <individual-members-el@listi.jpberlin.de><br/>
<b>Betreff:</b> Re: [Individual-members-EL] EL Indivual Members
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Richard,</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Thanks for those answers, very helpful. I
was exploring in my head whether there was a DLS angle to this registration
business but your answers say no. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">The point you make about the name ‘Democratic
Left’ has been made by others. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">I was in Australia when all that history
happened and went through the story there which was CPA becoming the SEARCH Foundation
but spawning the New Left Party which became Left Network and then went
extinct. SEARCH Foundation is still going, still gazing at its own navel. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">The ‘right euro-communists in the UK did seem to become
‘New Labour’ with the ‘left euro-communists’ left
outside anything.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">It’s a pity about ‘Democratic Left’
because it is such a good name. Registering ‘European Left Party’
could be done but it’s a double edged sword. The word ‘European’
does not play well here. You’d just about get away with it for European
elections, but Westminster
and Local would be problematic and you might as well do one for all. Also the
truth is EL is really a banner for national or regional based left parties. Making
that banner effectively a party through registration here is a new step unless
you did something like European Left GB or European Left England or European
Left Scotland, which could be done. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">You register for Great Britain. You can then
nominate individual countries you will stand in if you want i.e. England, Scotland,
Wales
or you can leave it GB and run anywhere. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Because we only have individual members
and only Brussels
knows who they are and hasn’t so far shared the detail one of the
difficulties is any of us with an interest are effectively one man bands (and I
mean man. I have yet to hear of a woman individual member in UK) which is
why the ‘Left Independent’ idea came up. You could actually seek
to register that as a title and the one of the three people who you register as
the ‘Nominating Officer’ can then allow the name to be used. That’s
what TUSC do for example.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">The alternative is to do nothing
collectively and as a left individual support TUSC/Respect/Greens/Labour/SNP as
an electoral option rather than try and do something else, but I’m
interested that with DLS as a network leaving you free to support someone else
electorally, you’re still interested in a left option. That’s my
instinct too but it’s hard.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Best</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Stephen</span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span 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> 29 June 2012 12:38<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></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Dear Stephen,</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Democratic Left Scotland has consciously and
deliberately chosen NOT to register as a political party, but to function as a
network. This does mean that some members of the Greens and even the Labour
Left are also members of DLS. It explains why it has gone for observer
membership of the EL, as full membership would cause problems for these
comrades. It also means that DLS - <em><i><font face="Tahoma"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">per DLS </span></font></i></em>- could not run,
or support, a candidate in Scotland
as some of our members would be campaigning for Green or Labour candidates. (I
had forgotten that point in our previous correspondence; as so often, political
realities north and south of the border are slightly different).</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">DLS only accepts members from Scotland. There
was, of course, a DL in England and Wales (after the CPBG voted to rename
itself as the Democratic Left) which was our sister organisation, but it
dissolved itself into the New Times Network, which then dissolved itself into
... nothing? New Labour? I am unclear as to where those comrades ended up. I
guess it would be for comrades in England
and Wales
to consider reestablishing DL down there, not really for us to comment. But for
your purposes it might be better to go for a new name, rather than sound
like a re-run of the sad and sorry days of the end of the CPGB/DL in England! I
wasn't involved directly, but I think those were quite acrimonious times,
perhaps best not recalled.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">IF Brussels
would give the green light, it would be good to see EL registered with the
electoral commission down south. Does there have to be separate registrations
north and south of the England/Scotland border? It would be interesting to know
the implications of that.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Best,</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Richard.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><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> 28 June 2012 21:10<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><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
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<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Richard,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Has Democratic Left Scotland ever
considered registering as a political party with the Electoral Commission and
does it accept members from the rest of GB or just Scotland? </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Also if it doesn’t accept members
from outside Scotland
has it ever taken a position on whether the Democratic Left could be
re-established in the rest of GB?</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">I’m sorry to bombard you with
questions but I also would be interested in what you think about attempting to
register the name ‘European Left’ or ‘Democratic Left’
with the Electoral Commission as an alternative to a ‘Left
Independent’ strategy for 2014.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Best</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Stephen</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">ps I know this is the kind of comment that
gets me in trouble with the EL powers that be, but I know there has been and
likely still is contact between Die Linke and other EL national parties with
the Labour Representation Committee inside the Labour Party. I have
always wondered whether part of the problem in getting assistance with
affiliating a GB individual members body has included the national parties
being reluctant to ‘rock the boat’ with LRC because they get
something out of that connection that they are reluctant to compromise or
perhaps more innocently that LRC has run the ‘nothing outside Labour in
GB will work because of the electoral system’ line and they listen to
that more than those of us who would like some help in establishing an
alternative to working in Labour.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">
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> 28 June 2012 01:58<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><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Dear Norbert,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Lovely to hear from you, and thanks for this
advice. It's not in my power to send the application again, but I have
forwarded your message to Stuart Fairweather (<a href="s.fairweather703@btinternet.com" target="_parent">s.fairweather703@btinternet.com</a>),
who is the national convenor of Democratic Left Scotland, with a recommendation
that he do as you suggest.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">best wishes,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Richard.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><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 Norbert Hagemann
[norberthagemann@web.de]<br/>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> 27 June 2012 19:02<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><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family: Verdana;color: black;">Hi Richard,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family: Verdana;color: black;">I was not able to enter
the debate between you and Stephen but I will do so a little bit later, sorry to
much to do right now. Regarding the DLC I would like to ask you
to "resend" this request please to Helmut Scholz. You can
reach him under the following mail address: <a href="helmut.scholz@europarl.europa.eu" target="_parent">helmut.scholz@europarl.europa.eu</a>
</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family: Verdana;color: black;">I talked to him right
now. He will table it at the EL ExBoard meeting next month in Athens.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family: Verdana;color: black;">Kind regards</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><font color="black" face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family: Verdana;color: black;">Norbert
</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family: Verdana;color: black;font-weight: bold;">Gesendet:</span></font></b><font color="black" face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family: Verdana;color: black;"> Mittwoch, 27. Juni 2012 um 16:03 Uhr<br/>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Von:</span></b> "Richard
Dunphy" <r.a.g.dunphy@dundee.ac.uk><br/>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">An:</span></b> "Indiv. Members EL" <individual-members-el@listi.jpberlin.de><br/>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Betreff:</span></b> Re:
[Individual-members-EL] EL Indivual Members </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Dear Stephen,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Just by way of keeping you fully in the
picture, so to speak, there is an organisation here in Scotland called
Democratic Left Scotland (which grew out of the old CPGB, but is now a network
rather than a party, with some members from the Greens, etc.). I am in it, as
are maybe half-a-dozen or so other independent EL members in Scotland. DLS
is small (about 100 members) but good - it publishes an excellent
quarterly journal called Perspectives (<a href="http://www.democraticleftscotland.org.uk" target="_blank">www.democraticleftscotland.org.uk</a>).
The point is that DLS applied to become an observer member of the EL last
autumn. They still have not received any reply from Brussels. It would seem that the chronic
inefficiency at the top doesn't just apply to the issue of individual
membership!</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Richard.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><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> 27 June 2012 13:22<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><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Dear Richard,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">In my lunch break so relatively quickly.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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 UK ballot paper
even in EU elections. </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">To this point in time other UK 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.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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 UK
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.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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. </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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;</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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 UK
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 Brussels to provide me
with a list of UK
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
UK.
</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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 UK.
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.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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 Germany
has said ‘good luck’ and that so far is it.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">My conclusion is after eight years of EL
discussion in the UK
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. </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><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.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Happy to hear all additional thoughts.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Best</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;">Stephen </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: navy;"> </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
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</span></font></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;"> 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><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Dear Stephen,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Many thanks for doing this work on behalf of us
all.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">As regards your proposal for running candidates
in the UK
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.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Also, would an EP campaign have to be
financed entirely within the UK
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?</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><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!</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">best wishes,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;">Richard.</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Tahoma;color: black;font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font color="black" face="Tahoma" size="2"><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> 'Indiv.
Members EL'<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;"></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: black;">Dear All,</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: black;">CONFIDENTIAL TO THIS LIST</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><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 Brussels
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;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: black;">For individual members in the UK 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 UK 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 UK 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;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: black;">Best</span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family: Arial;color: black;">Stephen </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"><br/>
The University of
Dundee is a registered
Scottish Charity, No: SC015096 </span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;font-family: Verdana;color: black;"><br/>
The University of
Dundee is a registered
Scottish Charity, No: SC015096 </span></font><font color="black"><span style="color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="black" face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;color: black;"><br/>
The University of
Dundee is a registered
Scottish Charity, No: SC015096 </span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br/>
The University of
Dundee is a registered
Scottish Charity, No: SC015096 </span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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