Service Group seats on the NEC

I should start this post with a warm welcome to newly elected NEC members. I am particularly pleased to see that Max Watson will be one or the representatives of our members in Higher Education.

Some members have asked me whether or not elected members of Service Group Executives are eligible to contest the seats on our NEC which represent the Service Groups.

I am afraid that it is clear that elected members of Service Group Executives are not eligible to contest Service Group seats on the NEC. This arises from the NEC interpretation of the Rule Amendment agreed in 2008.

This is an extract from the minutes of the Development and Organisation Committee meeting of 7 October 2008;

· Item 2.1
New Rule D.3.5.8: Eligibility to hold office on a Service Group Executive
A report was circulated which addressed the implementation of new rule D 3.5.8. It made recommendations on transitional arrangements to avoid detriment to members holding office arising from elections which were held before 2008 National Delegate Conference. Also, it identified restrictions on eligibility for contesting NEC service group representative seats. Accordingly, it was agreed to recommend to the NEC that it makes the following ruling under Rule D 2.9 regarding transition arrangements for the implementation of Rule D 3.5.8:

“This NEC agrees to make a ruling under Rule D 2.9 powers regarding interpretation of the rules with regard to the implementation of new Rule
D 3.5.8.
In the 2009 elections for the National Executive Council [term of office from June 2009 to June 2011] current members of service group executives [for the 2008 to 2010 term of office] should be eligible to contest the National Executive Council service group representative seats in the 2009 elections. This is a transitional measure for the 2009 National Executive Council elections only.
Thereafter, NEC members who hold a seat as service group representative on the National Executive Council will not be eligible to stand for any other seat on a service group executive and, members of service group executives [with the exception of NEC service group representative seat holders] will not be eligible to stand as a service group representative on the National Executive Council.”

I had tried to amend this so that SGE members could stand for SG NEC seats but without success, and reported this on my blog (and in my report to branches) as follows;

“It has been agreed that from 2011, SGE members who wish to seek election to the Service Group seat on the NEC will need to stand down from the SGE before they are eligible to be nominated to the NEC. I proposed an amendment to this recommendation without success.”

I haven't changed my mind on this in the past two years and still think we were wrong. However, the position is very clear.