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Agenda for the meeting on Tuesday 12 July 2016 at 7.00pm Venue: St Mary’s Centre, 82-90 Corporation Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RW 1) Introductions and apologies for absence 2) Approval of minutes of previous meeting, held on 14 June 2016 – http://bit.ly/mt14june2016mins 3) Matters arising from the minutes (following up the actions we agreed at the previous meeting) a) Housing policy review – The action agreed at the last meeting was for John Haw to finalise a policy statement after consulting those who attended that meeting and Chris Kemp, which, subject to being signed off by Momentum Teesside’s elected officers Barbara Campbell, Steve Cooke and John Taylor, would then be submitted to the Labour Party housing policy review. b) Trident debate – The action agreed was for John Haw and John Taylor to book speakers and organise a public debate on the renewal of Trident to be held in July, in addition to our regular meeting that month. c) Proportional representation – The action agreed was for Steve Cooke’s motion calling on Momentum and the Labour Party to support the introduction of proportional representation for general elections to be published and amendments invited for decision in the meeting on 12 July. The motion, with a minor amendment from its proposer, is Motion 1 on page 2 of this agenda. d) Fundraising – It was agreed that fundraising and finance would be discussed in the meeting on 12 July. 4) PLP coup attempt and potential leadership challenge a) Brief feedback on our 4 July #KeepCorbyn public rally – which agreed the following statement: i) “We express our support for, and solidarity with, Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party ii) “We condemn the attempt by some members of the Parliamentary Labour Party to override democratic process and force his resignation iii) “We demand that the PLP respects Jeremy Corbyn’s democratic mandate iv) “We thank the Labour MPs who have stood by Jeremy and defended democracy in the Labour Party.” b) Motions 2 proposed by Allan McLeod and motions 3 & 4 proposed by Steve Cooke as alternatives 5) NEC elections – Supporting the campaign to elect left candidates to Labour’s national executive committee 6) EU referendum and migrant rights – Motion 5 proposed by Alan Theasby 7) Iraq Inquiry report and reaction – Motion 6 proposed by Steve Cooke 8) Constituency Labour Party updates 9) Any other business – Anti-fascist action in Middlesbrough on 16 July and #KeepCorbyn rallies in Newcastle on 17 July (http://bit.ly/jcrally17july) and 30 July (www.facebook.com/events/750634061746239) 10) Date, time and venue for next meeting

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Motions for discussion Note: These motions have been proposed by Momentum Teesside members for discussion in the meeting on 12 July 2016. They do not necessarily represent the views and policies of Momentum nationally or locally.

Motion 1: Electoral reform (agenda item 1c) Proposed by Steve Cooke 1) Momentum Teesside notes that: a) The current first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system has given the Conservative Party a ten seat majority; 51% MPs on just 37% of the vote, and with the support of only 24% of the electorate. b) Polls show there is overwhelming public support for proportional representation (PR), with 57-74% of voters supporting the idea that the number of seats a party gets should broadly reflect its proportion of the total votes cast. c) The TUC is drawing up a report and the STUC have resolved to support a more proportional system for Westminster elections. d) The Labour Party played a leading role in introducing proportional electoral systems to the UK’s devolved parliaments and assemblies in Scotland, Wales and London, and proportional electoral systems are in use in 87% of OECD countries, and across the rest of the world. e) The Labour Party Constitution (specifically Clause IV, Pt 2C) commits Labour, as a democratic socialist party, to supporting: "An Open Democracy, in which government is held to account by the people, decisions are taken as far as practicable by the communities they affect and where fundamental human rights are guaranteed." 2) Momentum Teesside believes that: a) FPTP has contributed to growing political disenchantment by producing low turnout, low registration, and outcomes unrelated to support, thereby undermining the legitimacy of the UK Parliament. b) Concentrating resources on marginal seats and swing voters has damaged our appeal and encouraged us to take our core vote for granted. c) The MP-constituency link is seen by many as a valuable part of our democracy and can be preserved in many proportional representation systems in use around the world and within the UK. 3) Momentum Teesside therefore resolves: a) To encourage Momentum to campaign for Labour to reconsider its current policy on the voting system to elect MPs. b) To support a 2020 Manifesto commitment to future parliamentary elections being carried out using a proportional electoral system. c) To enable the Labour Party in government to support the adoption of a more proportional system, possibly through the mechanism of a Constitutional Convention.

Motion 2: Support for Jeremy Corbyn’s continued leadership (agenda item 4b) Proposed by Allan McLeod We, the membership of Momentum Teesside: 1) Fully support Jeremy Corbyn’s position as Party Leader of the Labour Party; and offer our solidarity with him and (in the event of a leadership election) his campaign team 2) Advise the Parliamentary Labour Party that we consider the threat of a leadership challenge against Jeremy Corbyn after the staged resignation of most of his former shadow cabinet a form of bullying and psychological abuse 3) Advise any and all members of the Parliamentary Labour Party who are unwilling to support a leader who they disapprove of who has the support of the majority of the party membership that they have lost our confidence; and that they are directed not to stand as Labour candidates at the next general election 4) Advocate the de-selection of any MP prior to the next general election who openly opposes Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership within any constituency where the majority of local members support Jeremy Corbyn’s continued leadership 5) Offer our thanks and gratitude to any and all Labour MPs, councillors and trade unions who have been and continue to be supportive of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party.

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Motion 3: Labour leadership election (agenda item 4b) Proposed by Steve Cooke who suggests it and Motion 4 taken together are counterposed to Motion 2 Add to the statement agreed at our 4 July #KeepCorbyn rally (see agenda item 4a): “We demand that Jeremy Corbyn must have an automatic place on the ballot paper, if a leadership challenge is made.”

Motion 4: Mandatory re-selection (agenda item 4b) Proposed by Steve Cooke – counterposed to the motion proposed by Allan McLeod Momentum Teesside urges Momentum nationally to campaign for the introduction by the Labour Party, at the earliest opportunity, of mandatory re-selection of Labour MPs, MEPs, councillors and all Labour Party representatives before each election. Trigger ballots should be abolished. No incumbent should have the right to represent the Party without facing the scrutiny, challenge and competition of a democratic selection process.

Motion 5: Freedom of movement (agenda item 6) Proposed by Alan Theasby 1) Momentum Teesside believes that the labour movement must fight to guarantee the right to remain for migrants already in Britain, but also defend freedom of movement more broadly, and fight to extend it. Equal rights for all! 2) The social distress on which nationalism and anti-migrant sentiments have fed – spiralling inequality and insecurity, the housing crisis, services stretched to breaking point – was not caused by migrants. It was caused by the bosses, the rich, their government and its ‘austerity’ program. We want unity of workers of all backgrounds to fight for better jobs, homes, services and rights for all. 3) Labour must not give any ground to the push against migrants, but instead start to really fight for clear, radical policies on jobs, homes, services and workers’ rights – funded by redistributing wealth from the rich – which can really begin to address the problems in our communities. That is what Momentum should fight for. [Motion based on statement published at https://jillsmomentumblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/unitystatement]

Motion 6: Iraq War (agenda item 7) Proposed by Steve Cooke Momentum Teesside supports Jeremy Corbyn’s statement apologising on behalf of the Labour Party for the decision of the Blair government to go to war in Iraq. We urge all Labour MPs to support cross-party moves to declare the former prime minister in contempt of parliament for the misleading information he provided in order to justify his policy of regime change through military intervention.

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