The MPs got us this far. It's time for the people to take the reins.

Your Party is too important to fall at the first hurdle. If you agree that the founding conference should be organised by a democratically elected body, sign your name.

Here's how we can get grassroots democracy back on track

The open letter proposes that an independent Handover Team is appointed, not aligned with either of the current factions at the top of Your Party and selected from the broad movements that have a stake in Your Party's success. The team will run a membership drive, conduct an election for the party Founding Stewards’ Committee, and then disband. The Founding Stewards Committee will then have a clear, focused mandate: implement the founding process of regional assemblies and Conference as was originally published by Your Party.


1. An independent handover committee is appointed

An Independent Handover Team is appointed, with a focused mandate: run a membership drive, conduct an election for the party Founding Stewards’ Committee, and then disband.

The team will temporarily take exclusive legal ownership of all party resources: data, money, membership lists, digital systems, and companies, in trust for the whole movement.

The team will adhere to the following rule on transparency: publication of all meeting minutes within 24 hours.

2. Nominations are gathered for election to the founding stewards' committee

The Independent Handover Team will open nominations for election to the party Founding Stewards’ Committee.

Any member who gathers the support of 250 other members can be nominated, except Independent Handover Team members who are barred from standing, since they are administering the election.

Simultaneously, the handover committee, with party resources, will initiate a membership drive.

3. An election is held for the founding stewards' committee

The Handover Team will then run an election with access to all of the party’s resources.

All members will be eligible to vote.

11 stewards will be elected from amongst the qualifying candidates.

The vote will be conducted by ranked single transferable vote (STV under the Droop quota, a.k.a. 'Scottish STV'), with an additional gender balance quota.

4. The stewards will conduct the party's founding assemblies and conference

At this point, the Independent Handover Team will disband, and hand over all legal and practical ownership of resources to the party Founding Stewards Committee.

The elected party Founding Stewards Committee will have a clear, focused mandate: implement the founding process of regional assemblies and Conference as was originally published by Your Party. The committee will be an odd number, to prevent deadlock, with gender balance.

The Founding Stewards’ Committee will be bound by rules including:

  1. Transparency, publication of all meeting minutes within 24 hours.
  2. No abstentions, to prevent deadlock.

5. New democratically elected leadership will take charge of the party

At the conclusion of the Conference, and with elections into leadership positions, the Founding Stewards Committee will hand over power and legal rights to the newly elected party leadership, and the Committee will disband.

We'll have successfully founded a democratic party that can fight for the people.