Board Rules of Election 2011: second consultation stage
1 April 2011

Thank you if you took part in the first consultation stage about the Local Groups Panel, which has just ended. The second stage starts now and runs until 29 April.

Electronic voting! Meet your candidates! Ask them Questions! These are some of the things you, the local groups electorate, can't currently do under the existing 'Rules of Election' to the Friends of the Earth's Board but which are some of the changes now being proposed. The revisions were approved by the Board on 5 February. If you agree, they could be introduced for this year's Board elections.

Anthony Rae, Yorkshire & Humber/North East Board member, who prepared the proposed Rules revisions (but who is standing down this year so has no conflict of interest) says:

Apart from a lot of tidying up and some other improvements, which are clearly identified in the Annotated consultation copy, the main proposed changes - in rules 12 to 14 - are intended to improve the opportunities for local groups to participate in the elections and scrutinise their candidates; and give candidates a better opportunity to put forward their case for election.

So, what do you think?

To give your views:

  1. look at old Rules of Election, now proposed to be amended;
  2. an annotated copy of the revised Rules, identifying where changes are proposed;
  3. and an unannotated copy of the revised Rules (so you can read them unadorned)
  4. complete our second simple survey (Here's a PDF version of the survey if you want to read it first before completing it online)

The second stage of this consultation on the revised Rules runs until Friday 29 April.

What next?

Your consultation responses will be considered by the Board and also the Local Groups Panel established to allow local groups to be satisfied that any proposed changes are fair and reasonable. The changes judged by both parties to be supported by local groups can then proceed.

The consultation stages need to be completed by the end of April so that the revised Rules can be approved by the Board at the next meeting on 7 May, ready for the start of the 2011 elections (nominations will open during May). It's a tight timetable but we hope you'll appreciate the eventual results: a modern election process for your Board!

Please circulate this information to your local group members, and complete this second survey by 29 April.

Best wishes

Anthony Rae (elected Board member, North East and Yorkshire & Humber)
Jeremy Birch (elected Board member, South West)