or how to grow your own - green party members' website · campaign coordinator spin pitman...
TRANSCRIPT
Getting involved in your Local Party
or how to grow your own
Getting involved in your Local Party Spinoza Pitman, Regional Campaigns Coordinator (East)
Maximilian Fries, Cambridge Green Party Co-ordinator
Original presentation by:
Louise Venn, Senior Local Party Development Officer
Alex Dunn, Bristol Green Party
Getting involved in your Local Party
Spinoza Pitman, Regional Campaigns Coordinator (East)
• How the party is structured
• The challenge of rapid growth
• Building teams to win elections
Maximilian Fries, Co-coordinator and Campaign Manager
• The Cambridge perspective
• Like a phoenix: re-growing a local party
• Leafleting, canvassing and other activities
Green Party of England and Wales
South WestBristol West &St Ives
EastNorwich
South
North WestLiverpool Riverside
Yorkshire & HumberSheffield Central
South East Oxford East & Brighton
Pavillion
London Local
elections 2014, GLA
2016
National
Party
GPEW
East Midlands
Wales
North East
West Midlands
Solihull
approx
230 Local
Parties
Campaigns DirectorFundraising and Operations
Director
GP Leadership
PoliticiansGPex and other
committees Party leader
Press & Comms
Manager
7 X Campaign Coordinators
Digital Officer and Assistant
Membership & Database
HR, Finance and office manager
Fundraising& Member Officer
Young Greens Co-ordinator
Finance Officer and volunteers
Policy CommsManager
Conference Coordinator
May 2014
National Party Staff & Committee structures
Senior Local Party Development
Officers
Governance Assistant
Development Officer
Junior Policy Officer
Publications Officers
15 constituency campaign roles
Campaign Assistant
Caroline Lucas Parliamentary Chief of Staff
National Election Agent
TC & GE Campaigns
team
2 x Press Officers
National Party
Campaigns Director
South West Campaign
CoordinatorGuy PoultneyBristol West
EasternCampaign
CoordinatorSpin Pitman
Norwich South
North WestCampaign
CoordinatorPaul Woodruff
Liverpool Riverside
Yorkshire & Humberside
Campaign Coordinator
Andrew CooperSheffield Central
South East RCCbringing activist
support to Oxford & Brighton
London RCC bringing activist
support to London Constits
and Brighton
National & Regional Campaign Coordinators
West MidlandsCampaign
CoordinatorChris Williams
Regional Party Support
Local Parties are where the real action happens
E.g. Norwich Green Party, 650
members, 19 Councillors & a real
chance of winning parliamentary
seats
Local Parties are where the real action happens
E.g. Cambridge Green Party, 435
members (100 on 1.1.2014);
No councillors at the moment (2
city + 1 county previously)
Third best result in 2010 in UK
(7%) and “highest” potential
Green vote according to Mosaic
Geography of a local party & electoral boundaries
Cambridge City:
14 wards each
with 3
Councillors
http://www.crosenstiel.webspace.virginmedia.com/camelect/wards2004.gif
Geography of a local party & electoral boundaries
Constituency
boundary
overlaps local
authority and
party
boundary
County Council boundaries General election constiuency
South Cambs
The Green Surge: a moment of opportunity
The Green Surge: a moment of challenge
Engaging new members
Enthusiasm peaks at start: engage early
Welcome email/calls, member meetings
Identify skills, interests and time available
What roles and teams fit: try them out, formal election to officer posts
Get creative: build new teams & capacity, organisational change
But..don’t reinvent the wheel!
Local Party Structures: Small
Chair/Coordinator Treasurer Election Agent
Candidates (for Councillor, MP, Regional Assembly) & Officers
Members SupportersVolunteers
selects
Local Party Structures: Large
Constituency
clusters
working with
candidates
Ward
leads &
teams
Policy leads
and
researchers
Ward
leads &
teams
Chair
Membership
Secretary
Coordinator
Returning Officer
Election Agent
Fundraising officer
Treasurer
Press & Media
Officer
Internal Comms
Coordinator
Website, press &
social media teamFundraising team
Volunteer
Coordinator
Campaigns
and events
Policy
leads e.g.
housing,
education,
health
Ward
Teams
Ward TeamCoordinator
Councillors
leafleting,
canvassing
action days
Local Party Committee:
Officers & Coordinators Editorial ‘sign off’
Meetings, strategy,
constitution
Campaign &
Media teams Newsletters,
Campaigns, Press,
research
Constituency
ClusterMP candidates,
campaign manager
media officers
Structures for a growing party:
Fundraising
team
Cambridge organisation
Campaign
Team
Cambridge
Green Party
Committee
Cambridge
Young Greens
Cambridge
Green Party
Committee
Tasks
- Monthly meetings
- Organisation, admin and budget
- Overall strategy and campaign management outside campaign time
- Contact to membership
- Shared GoogleDrive
- E-Mail lists: Members, Supporters, Students
- Monthly bulletin
Campaign
Team
• Overall campaign mangement
• Weekly to fortnightly meeting (in person or
telephone)
• Open structure; everyone can join, no elections
• Grows with campaign
• E-mail addresses for roles
Press
Candidates
+ Ward teams
Website
Fundraising team
Volunteer
Coordinator
Social media
Research & PolicyCanvassing
coordinator
Leafletting
coordinatorAdmin help (PA)
Co-Managers
Activists and volunteers
Cambridge
Young Greens
Functions of a local party:
1. Listening and communicating
2. Influencing & acting
3. Growing & winning
Listening and communicating:
• Door-knocking / canvassing
• Public enquiries, case work
• Local community groups, partner organisations, research
• Website, facebook, twitter, blogs, photos/video
• Local press, letters and articles
• Events and debates, stalls & demos
• Leafleting & newsletters, letters to new voters etc.
Influencing and acting:
• Local campaigns and issues
• Influencing council decisions, supporting elected members
• Participating in regional and national campaigns:
legislative and political reform
• Promoting & informing GP policies & manifesto
• Influencing the public & other parties
• Achieving real change ‘on the ground’
Growing and winning:
• Increasing active members and volunteers, and
becoming more effective as a local party
• Target to Win: more seats on Local Councils
• Winning seats in Westminster
• Winning seats on regional assemblies in Wales
and London, and MEPs in all regions
• Working effectively with International
federations of Green Parties
What tools and guidance are available?
Members Website: Party in a Box
What tools and guidance are available?
Members Website: Elections, Campaigns, Policy
What tools and guidance are available?
Members Website: Forums and Communication tools
What campaign resources are available?
Downloadable leaflets and templates on members’ site
What campaign resources are available?
Green Party Shop shop.greenparty.org.uk
Key messages
• Moment of huge growth: involve & welcome new members
• Make use of the guidance available on the members’ website,
and communication tools like Civi
• Grow new teams, training / mentoring
• Learn from and connect with neighbouring parties
• Don’t reinvent the wheel: guidance and models exist
• But be creative – try out new things
• Feed up to national party:
policy priorities & local issues – inform the manifesto
good practice – share what works well
local party needs e.g. new guidance and tools you want
Thank youAnd best of luck with growing your own!
Spinoza Pitman
Maximilian Fries