Candidates:

Richard von Abendorff (Greenwich and Lewisham LU)
Nominated by Crouch End LU

Mark Holland (Birmingham LU)
Nominated by Crouch End LU

Dawud Islam (Manchester LU)
Nominated by Alison Treacher (Stockport LU), David Melvin (Manchester LU)

Tony Mercer (Sheffield LU)
Nominated by Sheffield LU, Jim Rooney (Sheffield LU), Phil Ward (Sheffield LU)

John Pearson (Stockport LU)
Nominated by Stockport LU

Tom Ramplin (Bristol LU)
Nominated by Bristol LU

Claire Riley (Wigan LU)
Nominated by Wigan LU

Statements:

Richard von Abendorff (Greenwich and Lewisham LU)
Nominated by Crouch End LU

I am a socialist who has been a leading activist and organiser in local and national campaigns for over twenty years opposing racism and fascism( leading local and regional anti-racist events), opposing Imperialist wars (officer and activist in local CND and Stop the War), opposing cuts (playing a role in local people’s assembly events), in solidarity with international campaigns like Palestine Solidarity and Venezuela solidarity( officer in local group), and  working closely with many progressive forces in the labour movement( a Unison member and local TUC delegate)and also  both with Labour party members and activists outside (Greens and various left campaigners). I have experience in many officer roles as chair, treasurer, activist organiser and fundraiser and experience of many organisations and conferences over the years. I believe democracy and open debate is vital in our organisation to advance  the most effective policies , to reach out to the many people opposed to cuts and wars, and to  develop and support new generations of activists to participate in the democratic and policy making process. Left Unity must reach out to all those individuals and organisations who wish to stand up to rapacious cuts, scapegoating and vicious exploitation of our capitalist society and articulate and enact a different vision of how our country and this world should be and do what it can to achieve the political power to move as swiftly as possible towards this.

Mark Holland (Birmingham LU)
Nominated by Crouch End LU

I became a member of Left Unity in Birmingham earlier this year and am pleased to accept a nomination for the Standing Orders Committee. I joined the Labour Party in 1978 at the age of 15 and remained a member until 2005 when, with the launch of the Respect Party, Salma Yaqoob brought a breath of fresh air to Birmingham politics.

I worked closely with Salma in Birmingham throughout this period, chairing Birmingham Respect, acting as an election agent on a number of occasions, serving on Respect’s National Council and acting for a short time as its National Treasurer.

I was a founding member of the Stop the War Coalition in Birmingham and have been its Treasurer from its inception until the present day. In the 1990s I was national treasurer of the Labour Committee on Ireland, and for the Birmingham Committee to Stop War in the Gulf. I hope that my organisational and political experience will be of help to Left Unity as we seek to build a party capable of offering a serious alternative to the parties of war and austerity.”

Dawud Islam (Manchester LU)
Nominated by Alison Treacher (Stockport LU), David Melvin (Manchester LU)

I am a 51 year old activist in Rochdale originally a member of the Labour Party, Green Party and RESPECT. I have also served in various officer positions in trade union branches and on the regional TUC. As a Green I was elected as a local town councillor. I have attended a wealth of political conferences over the years and the best ones are those where the SOC has not been noticed. In much the same way that a brilliant football referee will never be noticed or talked about but a bad one always will be, the same applies to an SOC committee. Our job is to present agendas in a format that everyone is happy with, to have a good working relationship with the Chairs, and to make consistent and transparent decisions. This is especially vital for a fledgling party like ours and having witnessed one or two situations that could have been avoided at the Manchester Conference I would be delighted to bring my experience to bear in helping our flagship events to run smoothly. If you elect me you will be appointing someone with no sectarian agendas. My election address for the NC elections was described by someone as ‘almost apolitical’. It wasn’t intended as a compliment but for this particular role maybe that could be seen as an attribute. I am of course still a ‘man on the left’ but my lack of allegiance to any of the groupings within LU could be seen as an advantage. I await your verdict.

Tony Mercer (Sheffield LU)
Nominated by Sheffield LU, Jim Rooney (Sheffield LU), Phil Ward (Sheffield LU)

• Active on the left since 1973;
• Member of Labour Party in Bristol and Sheffield 1978 – 1998;
• Sub Branch Secretary SCPS DHSS Bristol West 1978-1980;
• Organising committee of Bristol Anti-Nazi League 1978-1980;
• Treasurer Sheffield Latin American Solidarity Front 1982-1985;
• International Officer Walkley Labour Party 1985-1988;
• I joined Napo (the TU for Probation and Family Court staff) in October 1984 and have held a variety of elected Branch, Section and National posts since then, including Convenor of South Yorkshire Branch, Chair of the Family Court Section (TUPEd into Cafcass on 01.04.01) and Napo National Vice Chair for two years until I was “offered” VER last November;
• As a retired associate member, I was elected to Napo’s constitutional Steering Committee at our last annual conference;
• RESPECT 2004 – 2008: Sheffield delegate to the National Council;
• Electoral agent for Sheffield RESPECT candidates in the 2005 general and local elections and in the 2006 local elections;
• Electoral agent first for a Left Party and then a TUSC candidate in the Burngreave ward local elections of 2008, 2009 and 2010 and the Hillsborough & Brightside constituency general election of 2010;
• Member of Sheffield Socialist Choir off and on since it was founded in 1988; performed at the Santiago de Cuba choral festival in 2009;
• Joined Left Unity in August 2013 and was persuaded to co-chair the founding conference at very short notice – chaired the constitutional amendments session;

Not currently affiliated to any political grouping inside or outside Left Unity; I believe it’s crucial that Left Unity is seen to be inclusive, democratic, diverse and anti-oppressive and that it transcends the macho and sectarian intellectual “pissing” competition that has made the socialist left increasingly irrelevant to working people over the last 40 years.

Left Unity’s immediate task is to re-establish publicly that there is a viable, socialist alternative to global capitalism by constantly highlighting the waste, cruelty, destruction, abuse and injustice of the current system and offering socialist solutions to the problems that working people, the oppressed and those with no secure income face every day.

John Pearson (Stockport LU)
Nominated by Stockport LU

I am a candidate for the Standing Orders Committee (SOC) because I strongly believe that the role of this committee is essential to the effective democratic functioning of the party and that I can make a valuable contribution to the work of the committee.

Conference is the sovereign policy making and governing body of Left Unity. As we have seen from the experience of the two conferences that we have held to date, there is a high level of participation by branches, party caucuses and individual members, in our democratic decision making process.

A high number of motions and amendments have been submitted and there is no reason to believe that this will not continue to be the case. The task of compiling an agenda from these motions and amendments, in a manner which is seen to be even handed and efficient, is very important. If I am elected to serve on the committee, I wouldn’t hesitate to volunteer to undertake work such as : bringing proposers and seconders together to promote compositing; drafting of agendas; dealing with objections, representations and suggestions from proposers and seconders.

It is my firm view that, once it has been finalised and circulated to conference delegates, the agenda becomes the property of Conference. Thus, I will press for the SOC to champion the approach that withdrawal of motions and amendments, or acceptance by proposers at Conference of amendments, may take place only with Conference’s approval.

The SOC also has the duty of proposing the standing orders to be used by Conference. I firmly believe and I will press the SOC to champion the approach, that all proposers of motions, (not just proposers of Policy Commission reports) should have a right of reply to the debate on their proposals.

SOC members need to work closely with the Conference Chairs to facilitate the efficient and smooth running of Conference. I would therefore press for Chairs’ briefings with the SOC to take place prior to commencement of, and at other important junctures of our conferences.

Tom Ramplin (Bristol LU)
Nominated by Bristol LU

Previously elected chair of standing orders committee for both the founding and March conferences. Keen to continue to help facilitate the debates and discussions in the development of Left Unity. Unison rep and education activist.

Claire Riley (Wigan LU)
Nominated by Wigan LU

I am a member of Wigan Left Unity and was on the standing orders committee at the last conference.  I have had no previous experience of this role and due to my geographical location being in the north this challenged and reduced my input for this occasion.  I did however find the role interesting and therefore would be prepared to offer my time to this again.  I feel it is important to have members from all areas of the country on the committee despite logistical issues for the purpose of clear accountable operations in the management of future conferences.  I did learn quite a bit last time due to the help of more experienced members and therefore hope that I may be considered for this role again in the future.