LIBG AGM 2023 nomination form
Nomination form for executive places for Liberal International British Group AGM 2023
LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL BRITISH GROUP
Elections nomination form for LIBG 2023-2024
Please complete this form as shown.
Elections will be held for the following posts:
President
Chair
Vice chair
Secretary
Membership Secretary
Treasurer
12 ordinary members of the Executive
Post to which nomination applies:
Name of nominee:
Name of proposer:
Nominations must be received by the start of the AGM at 6.30pm on 28 November 2023 to: generalenquiries@libg.co.uk In the event of a contested election, ballot papers will be sent out after the AGM. Nominees must be members of LIBG.
Names of nominees and proposers may be completed electronically without the need for physical signatures but proposers should be copied in on the email message. Emails should clearly indicate ‘LIBG nomination’ in the subject line.
LIBG AGM 2023 minutes of previous meeting
Minutes of LIBG annual general meeting 2022 for AGM 2023
Liberal International British Group
Annual General Meeting 28 November 2022 at 6.30pm
Held on Zoom
Present: Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett, Wendy Kyrle-Pope, Mark Smulian, George Cunningham, Soon Yeng Chiam, Stewart Rayment, Phil Bennion, Carol Weaver, Imad Ahmad, David Chalmers, Rebecca Tinsley, Andy Watkins
Apologies: Irina von Wiese, Pat Watkins, Robert Woodthorpe Browne.
Minutes: The minutes of the 2021 annual general meeting were approved.
Chair’s report: IVW was unavoidably absent due to a family emergency so no chair’s report was given. It was hoped a written one would be circulated at a later date. AHT took the chair in her absence.
Treasurer’s report: This accounts were previously tabled and were approved. WKP said there had been little financial activity in the year due to the cancellation of the Liberal Democrat conference and LIBG still had around £12,500. She hoped the new AO status in the Liberal Democrats would improve recruitment by raising awareness of LIBG.
New constitution: This was adopted. AHT explained the reasons for it given the new relationship of LIBG to the Liberal Democrats.
Membership report: AHT reported there were around 186 members.
Elections: SR said valid nominations had been received for: secretary, Mark Smulian; treasurer, Wendy Kyrle-Pope; membership: Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett. Ordinary executive members nominated were: Irina von Wiese, Rebecca Tinsley, Imad Ahmad, David Chalmers, George Cunningham, Steven Kuo, Carol Weaver. Although no nomination was received for president AHT confirmed that Baroness Brinton was happy to continue in that role. The new executive would fill the remaining places by co-option.
Appointment of auditor: Shelia Stuart was re-appointed.
Guest speaker: Lord Purvis discussed the work of the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs team in the House of Lords.
The meeting closed at 7.45pm.
LIBG AGM 2023 Agenda
Agenda for Liberal International British Group annual general meeting 28 November at 6.30pm
LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL BRITISH GROUP
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING CALLING NOTICE
Please be advised that the Annual General Meeting of Liberal International (British Group)(LIBG) will be held at 6.30pm on Tuesday 28 November 2023.
The meeting will be held on Zoom on the link below. If the meeting exceeds 40 minutes it will be necessary to log back in using the same link.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 794 6104 9984
Passcode: 7et6Hz
In the event of any difficulty logging in please contact: mark@marksmulian.co.uk
ELECTIONS
Elections will be help for the following positions:
President
Chair
Vice-chair
Secretary
Membership Secretary
Treasurer
12 ordinary members of the executive
Nominations must be received by the start of the AGM clearly indicating ‘LIBG nomination’ in the subject line of an email and indicating for which post a nomination is made, the consent of the nominee and name of a proposer, who should be copied in: generalenquiries@libg.co.uk
In the event of a contested election, ballot papers will be sent out after the AGM by a returning officer appointed by Liberal Democrat HQ.
AGENDA
1) Minutes of the 2022 AGM
2) Apologies for absence
3) Matters arising
4) Chair's report
5) Approval of Annual Accounts
6) Membership report
7) Results of the annual elections
8) Election of honorary auditor
9) Closing remarks
10) It is anticipated that a guest speaker will then address the meeting.
Notice of any resolution a member intends to move at the AGM must reach LIBG by 13 November 2023, endorsed by at least four members who are copied in: generalenquiries@libg.co.uk
Please notify any apologies for absence to the secretary: mark@marksmulian.co.uk
LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL BRITISH GROUP – CHAIR’S REPORT FOR 2023 AGM
During a year marked by geopolitical upheaval and humanitarian crises, LIBG sought to shed light on the defence of liberal values in all parts of the world – including some at risk of being forgotten.
We hosted a number of successful events, reaching from the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia and her ‘other’ neighbours (with representatives from Georgia, Lithuania and Moldova), to the forgotten conflict in the Horn of Africa. Yet again, the struggle for human rights took centre stage in many of these events. On International Women’s Day, we hosted an event on ‘Women’s Rights under Attack in Iran and Afghanistan’, where women are at the forefront of this struggle. Speakers this year included current and former Members of the European Parliament, UK Parliamentarians, representatives of national parliaments and LI member parties from across the globe as well as journalists, academics and experts from Chatham House and other think tanks. We continued to host the majority of these events online, which enabled a larger and broader audience (including LIBG members from outside the UK) to attend.
LIBG had a strong presence at both 2023 Liberal Democrat Party conferences. While the Spring Conference was dominated by the war in Ukraine and our need for closer cooperation with the European Union, at the Autumn Conference we shifted our focus to China and the growing security threat emanating from the Chinese Communist Party in the UK and wider Europe. Together with Liberal Democrat Foreign and International Relations Committee and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, we hosted a highly successful Fringe event on this topic, with guest speakers from the House of Lords, the German Bundestag and our Romanian sister party.
In my role as Chair, I was delighted also to contribute to events organised by Young Liberals, LibDem Women and UCL LibDems speaking about Ukraine, UK-EU relations and the threat of populism.
As in previous years, LIBG was represented by a number of delegates at the annual congresses of the Association of Liberal Democrats in Europe (ALDE) in Stockholm and Liberal International in Ottawa. LIBG members continue to serve on the boards of both organisations, ensuring that the UK liberal voice is heard in Europe and beyond, despite Brexit and the illiberal noises emerging from the current UK government.
Articles and reports published by LIBG members in our online magazine, InterLib, included topics on China, Haiti, Niger, the Black Sea region, Sudan, and the elections in Turkey.
On 15 November 2023, I attended Liberal International’s annual Prize Giving Ceremony at the House of Lords. This year’s Prize for Freedom was awarded to Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza. His wife Evgenia read out his letter of thanks – smuggled out of the high security prison in Siberia where he is held in solitary confinement. It was a moving reminder of the price paid by some so we can continue to live in freedom. Too many people around the world pay this price. As we move towards the end of a year of wars, political polarisation and humanitarian catastrophes, I hope liberal voices will continue to be heard, on our shores and abroad.
Irina von Wiese
LIBG INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS TO 31.12.22 (DRAFT)
INCOME
Subscriptions 2704.00
Fundraising
Donation
2704.00
EXPENDITURE
Audit fee 55.00
Conference Expenses nil (repaid)
L1 Affiliation Fee 1905.75
Interlib
Web site 244.80
AGM Expenses
Diplomatss’ reception 350.00
Scottish rebate (2022) 275.00
Go Cardless fee 7.89
2838.44
Surplus/(loss) for year to date (134.44)
Opening balance at 01.01.22 12406.06
Bank balance at 31.12.22 12271.62
Nat West £1142.11
Yorkshire £ 11129.51
I CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE RECORD OF LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL (RITISH GROUP)’S ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2022
SHEILA STUART MAAT HON.AUDITOR
IRINA VON WIESE CHAIR
WENDY KYRLE-POPE HON TREASURER