Circular No.:
12-044/S&C
Date:
29 February 2012
To:
Secretaries of Divisions and Local
Associations – FOR INFORMATION
NATIONAL UNION OF TEACHERS HEADQUARTERS
Hamilton House Mabledon Place London WC1H 9BD
Telephone 020 7388 6191 Fax 020 7387 8458
www.teachers.org.uk
General Secretary Christine Blower
Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney
Dear Colleague
PROPOSED RULE CHANGES TO USE OF POLITICAL FUND
We are writing to draw your attention to a proposed Rule change which would result in
changes to the way in which the Union spends money from the Political Fund. The
Rule change is set out in the SFC section of the Executive Report to Conference on
page six.
BACKGROUND
In 2007, Annual Conference agreed to establish a Political Fund for the NUT subject to
a ballot of all members. In the ballot members were asked whether they agreed to
establish a Fund to provide resources for the Union actively to campaign at elections
against political parties and their candidates who promote racist, fascist and similar
views.
The ballot of the full membership took place in 2008 and members voted in favour of
establishing a Political Fund on this basis and our Fund has been used, precisely as
intended, in election campaigns against, in particular, candidates of the British National
Party in local and national elections.
The vast majority of our members chose to pay into the Political Fund and this has
resulted in a considerable surplus on the Fund particularly given the limitation on the
use of the Fund in relation to specific political groups and at elections only.
WIDENING THE USE OF THE FUND
For these reasons, the Executive considered widening the scope of the Fund and
received advice from the Senior Solicitor about how this could be achieved both within
the statutory provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act
1992, and the Union’s Rules which require a ballot of members to ratify any changes
to Fund use.
/Cont’d…
Circular No. 12-044/S&C
-2-
29 February 2012
The statutory provisions set out six grounds, or statutory objects (a) to (f), under which
expenditure can be made from a Political Fund. The Executive agreed to extend the
use of the Fund in three ways.
1.
Campaign Expenditure
The first proposed extension is that the present wording will be changed so that
it reads ‘on the production, publication or distribution of any literature,
documents, film, sound recording or advertisement, or any event, festival or
campaign, the main purpose of which is to persuade people not to vote for
political parties and their candidates who promote racist, fascist and similar
views’. The aim of this proposal is to remove the present limitation that the
particular activity being supported by the Political Fund can only take place at
elections. This comes within statutory object (f).
2.
Voter Registration
The second proposed extension is ‘to encourage our members or identified
groups within our membership, or to encourage people generally or specific
groups of people, to register to vote’. This comes within statutory object (c).
3.
Costs of Attendance at Party Political Conferences
The third proposed extension is ‘on the provision of expenses incurred by
officials or officers of the NUT at the annual conferences or other meetings of
political parties’. This comes within statutory object (e).
IMPLEMENTING THE RULE CHANGE
The Union’s Rules require a ballot of members when there is an alteration or addition
to any rule of the Union relating to the Political Fund. The Executive therefore agreed
to progress the Rule changes by way of the Report to the Executive and thereafter
with a ballot of members to ratify the Rule Change shortly after Annual Conference
2012.
This option was seen as preferable to the Executive putting a motion to Conference
seeking a review of the Rules on the Political Fund and putting recommendations
including Rule changes to the 2013 Annual Conference in the form of a Memorandum.
The use of the Executive Report to put the proposed Rule changes to Conference will
mean that the changes to the use of the Fund can take effect during 2012, subject to
the outcome of the ballot of members.
The proposed changes to the ways in which the Fund can be spent are a limited
extension and a very logical use of the money on behalf of members and in
accordance with our anti-fascist and anti-racist work. We do hope that there will be
widespread support for these changes.
/Cont’d…
Circular No. 12-044/S&C
-3-
29 February 2012
If you have any queries about this process or the proposed changes to the use of the
Fund, please contact Rachel Baxter at [email protected].
Yours sincerely
CHRISTINE BLOWER
General Secretary
KEVIN COURTNEY
Deputy General Secretary
RBx