Teesside People’s Assembly Fighting the cuts and supporting resistance in and around Teesside Email: [email protected] Blog: www.TeessidePA.tumblr.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeessidePA Twitter: www.twitter.com/TeessidePA

Minutes of the meeting held Wednesday 2 April 2014 at 7.15pm in St Mary’s Centre, Middlesbrough 1. Chair for meeting and introductions It was agreed that Alex B chair the meeting. Those present introduced themselves.

2. Approval of minutes The minutes of the previous meeting, held 5 March 2014, were approved as a true record.

3. Matters arising from the minutes Unison protest against cuts at Redcar & Cleveland Council, 6 March – Steve C reported that Unison’s anti-cuts action at Redcar & Cleveland Council on 6 March had achieved coverage in the Evening Gazette and on BBC Radio Tees. Ultimately, the Council had approved the cuts budget with all members of the Labour group voting in favour. TUC ‘Better Way’ demo in York, 8 March – A number of TPA activists had taken part in the TUC’s 8 March demonstration. The turnout was good and the protest had been good-spirited, although people were relatively quiet without much chanting. Local people came out of their homes and applauded the marchers. There was some embarrassment that not many protesters had stayed for all the speeches, although it was conceded that there were too many speakers and they had been difficult to hear properly through the PA system. Anti-bedroom action in Redcar, 22 March – Steve C and Barbara had supported an anti-bedroom tax demonstration organised by Redcar Constituency Labour Party outside Liberal Democrat MP Ian Swales constituency surgery at Grangetown library on 22 March. It was primarily a Labour Party event and had not been publicised in advance so as to avoid the MP cancelling his surgery and evading the protest. Local people passing by had expressed support for the protesters’ anti-bedroom tax cause. ‘Fair Pay Fortnight’ action in Yarm, 29 March – Alan D had supported a Northern Public Services Alliance-organised campaign stall for the TUC’s ‘Fair Pay Fortnight’ in Yarm on 29 March. Only a small number of people took part but he felt the town centre location had been good as it gave an opportunity to engage with local residents.

4. ‘Fair Pay Fortnight’ actions in Redcar and Darlington, Saturday 5 April Campaign stalls were being organised on Saturday 5 April in Redcar and Darlington town centres by Northern Public Services Alliance and Darlington against Cuts respectively. In both cases the stall would run from 12.00pm to 2.00pm. Alan D tabled a press release he had issues for the Darlington action. Alan T proposed that TPA should distribute its own leaflet for the Redcar action and he tabled a version he had drafted. It was agreed to use Alan’s leaflet, with a few amendments suggested in the meeting. Alan agreed to arrange printing (action – Alan C).

5. PA national conference, 15 March Seven delegates had represented Teesside at the PA’s national conference on 15 March, two of whom were present to report at this meeting. Michael A reported that 800 people had attended the event, which started with moving tributes to Tony Benn and Bob Crow. The debates had been fraternal and he believed that the PA had the potential to develop into one of the biggest left organisations in a long time. Steve C agreed with the positive aspects identified by Michael but felt that conference arrangements committee’s presentation of many of the more radical/revolutionary motions as ‘supplementary motions’ rather than as amendments or motions in their own right had led to the hardest-hitting politics being sidelined. He suggested that motions for a future conference should be worded as amendments or changes to existing policy in order to ensure they were debated. TPA’s motion on economic democracy had been approved without debate. However, the motion on parliamentary elections had been remitted, at the request of the conference arrangements committee. Discussion with the Teesside delegate who originally proposed it, but who had not been able to attend the branch meeting when it was debated, revealed some differences of interpretation which had not arisen in the branch discussion.

6. Public launch event for Teesside PA It was agreed that Alex B, Steve C and Alan T lead in organising a public launch event to be held in May, preferably Wednesday 21 May (subject to venue and speaker availability). The theme would be ‘how to fight austerity’ and a national speaker would be sought (action – Alex B, Steve C and Alan T).

7. Building the PA movement locally This item was not discussed.

8. National demonstration against austerity, Saturday 21 June Steve C tabled flyers for the PA action in London on Saturday 21 June. It was agreed that Alex B liaise with Mark T from Sunderland PA to discuss the possibility of organising a South Shields/Sunderland/Teesside coach and report back to the next meeting (action – Alex B).

9. Collection to pay for meeting room hire £23 was collected to cover the cost of hiring the meeting room (action – Alan D to pay venue and hand the £3 surplus to TPA treasurer Karen K, who sent her apologies, at the next meeting).

10. Any other business Craig reported that anti-privatisation campaign group 999 Call for the NHS were planning a ‘March for the NHS’ from Jarrow to the House of Commons in London in August/September. It was agreed to offer solidarity to the organisers of this action and to promote it on TPA websites and social media. Alan T reported that Tees Valley Public Services Alliance’s next meeting would be held on Wednesday 9 April at 5.30pm in St Mary’s Centre, Middlesbrough. Steve C said he would suggest that TPA organise some sort of social/cultural fundraising event once the public launch event had been dealt with.

11. Date, time and venue for next meeting Wednesday 7 May at 7.15pm in St Mary's Centre, Middlesbrough