The Wandsworth executive has delegated responsibility for campaigning to three sub-committees covering the three parliamentary constituencies of Battersea, Putney and Tooting. Each subcommittee also works in cooperation with the Wandsworth executive in executing the Local Party’s responsibilities in respect of their constituency. 

These groups exist under section 5.9 of the constitution which empowers the exec to appoint sub-committees for any specified purpose. By extension, if it is deemed necessary by the Wandsworth executive, the sub-committees can be replaced/disbanded. Unless specified otherwise in this document, powers are assumed to lay with the executive. 

The role of the sub-committee is to:

• Coordinate constituency-level campaigning.

• Fundraise with constituency members.

• Organise and promote events, including training and social events.

• Oversee communications and engagement with constituency members and with residents.

• Work with the Executive’s officers to ensure that the Local Party’s responsibilities are recognised and executed in respect of financial accountability, membership development,  data protection, and any other matters that from time to time arise

This document may be changed on an ad-hoc basis by a committee that has representatives from the Wandsworth executive and the campaigns sub-committees. All changes must be approved by the Wandsworth executive.

1. Relationship of the Sub-committee to the Executive

1.1 The role of an elected campaigns chair shall be the subject of discussion between the person concerned, the Chair and the CAG coordinators with a view to proceeding on a mutually understood and agreed basis. 

1.2 The campaigns chair provides ongoing contact with the action groups to check that liberal values are being upheld and ensure that good ideas/practice is spread between the groups.  

1.3 To ensure the campaigns chair can fulfil their role all communications that are directed towards the voting public must be reviewed by the campaigns chair. 

1. Active sign off is not required but adequate time must be provided for review. 

2. This can be achieved by cc’ing them in the production/planning stages of literature/event. 

3. If a sub-committee disagrees with the decision of the campaigns chair, they can appeal the Wandsworth executive. The Wandsworth executive as the final say. 

1.4 Each sub-committee needs to track the following KPI’s in all wards in which they are actively campaigning:

• Voters according to the Shuttleworth formula – based on data < 4 years old.

• Voter IDs obtained (e.g. likely party they will vote for).

• Regular canvassers.

• Focus delivery.

• Deliverers.

• Standing orders.

• Emails addresses.

• Party membership numbers.

These KPI will be used to help the decisions of target wards closer to the council election. Target wards will be decided by the Wandsworth executive.

1.5 Each ward with active campaigning needs to have a plan that includes the values of these KPI’s at election day and projections at 6 month intervals showing how the team will get to current values to the needed one. 

1.6 The sub-committee coordinator will provide the current values of the KPIs for each ward at the campaign chair meetings.

2. Sub-Committee members

2.1. Any Liberal Democrat member living in the constituency is eligible to become a member of the constituency sub-committee

2.2. All attendees at the sub-committee meetings are eligible to vote on any matters put to vote.

2.3. If there are more than twelve attendees at two consecutive meetings this will be reviewed.

2.4. The sub-committee should have at least three elected officers – the coordinator and two other officer roles to be decided by the sub-committee. The PPC/MP may not be an elected officer on the sub-committee.

2.5. The coordinator will have at least the following responsibilities:

1. attend all campaigning meetings hosted by the campaigns chair,

2. chair the sub-committee meetings,

3. and be the point of contact for actions within the constituency to the rest of the borough.

2.6 The PPC/MP and any elected councilors and will also be members of the sub-committee.

2.7. Officers are elected to the subcommittee at an annual meeting to be held with three months after the Wandsworth AGM. 

1. The annual meeting will be advertised to all members of the constituency.

2. If an officer resigns/becomes unable to perform their duties their replacement needs to be discussed/decided at the next action group meeting. 

2.8. If the committee size is reviewed under section 2.3, elections will also be held for ordinary subcommittee members to provide for a total committee membership of not more than twelve.

2.9. The chair and campaigns chair of the Wandsworth executive is to be invited to attend all sub-committee meetings.

2.10   The coordinators of the CAGs shall be invited to attend or be represented at all Executive Committee Meetings

3. Communications

3.1 Communications from sub-committees can be split into two type.

1. Those that can be reasonably considered to represent all of Wandsworth and

2. those which are just directed at the sub-committee’s constituency. 

Examples of communication that may fall into the first category are emails to all of Wandsworth, communications with the council and interactions with the press.

3.2 If a sub-committee wants to communicate via the first category, they must obtain sign off from all campaign sub-committee coordinators, PPC’s/MP’s, the campaigns chair and executive chair. For the purposes of emails, only topics that are considered of genuine interest across the borough are included. For example, an action day is considered of interest the borough, but a regular campaigning session is not.

3.3 Communications under the second category must meet the following criteria:

1. No one member is unduly prioritized in communications.

2. An internal sign off policy must be in place that includes the elected officers.

4. Expenditure Control Procedures

The relevant extracts from the accounts Notes sent to the Wandsworth treasurer is as follows:

ONLY individuals that have been authorised in writing are permitted to make spending or pay for campaigning.

Paying for campaigning materials, that sometimes retrospectively, become part of the Party Spending declaration without proper authorisation is illegal.

4.1 The following details will be needed for each proposed item of expenditure:

1. A full description of the item being purchased (e.g. 10,000 A3 folded colour leaflets using glossy 350gm paper).

2. What it will be used for.

3. How much it will cost.

4. The name of the supplier and their contact details.

4.2 Please give these details to the Wandsworth treasurer with the executive chair and campaigns chair cc’ed in when requesting authorisation (normally by email). For the sake of clarity if you do not have these details then the expenditure will not be authorised. Both the Wandsworth treasurer and executive chair must authorize all expenditure. 

4.3 All invoices need to be retained and submitted to the Wandsworth treasurer in support of any expenditure and to obtain reimbursement. 

5. Ward Champions

5.1. Any sub-committee member can nominate themselves to be a ‘Ward Champion’ for any ward within the constituency and the position will be decided by the constituency sub-committee.

5.2. Ward Champions should be active in their ward, attend local meetings and meet with local members.

5.3. Ward Champions will receive any relevant information for their ward and update the Sub-Committee on any news from their ward.

5.4. Ward Champions can organise campaigns in their ward, but this is to be done in collaboration with any other Ward Champions in their ward. All campaigns are to be signed off by the coordinator of the sub-committee and referred to the campaigns chair for further sign off.

5.5 There will be an annual review of ward champions by the action group.

6. Shared Resources Permissions

6.1. Nation builder permission will be only be granted by request from a campaigns sub-committee coordinator, campaigns chair and executive chair. The originator of a request should be in a position to be acquainted with the use of the National Builder permission which results if the permission is granted.

6.2 Permissions will be reviewed annually with only those with an on-going need and re-approval from those mentioned in 6.1 maintained. 

6.3 Access to emails will be limited to the sub-committee coordinator, PPC/MP, executive chair or any dedicated communications officer.

6.4 Access to the website will be limited to two members per sub-committee.

7. Data Protection

Needs to be filled in. 

8. Complaints Procedure

8.1. Complaints made within the local party need to be raised to the membership officer and the Chair of the Wandsworth executive.  These two members will include a third member of the Wandsworth executive to form a panel to review the complaint. The panel as a whole will decide the best course of action. 

8.2. All members of the panel must not be of a single gender and the third member of the panel will be chosen to guarantee this. 

8.3. To ensure transparency, all interactions with those involved in the complaint will involve at least two members of the panel. 

8.4. If further action is decided upon, it will follow the rules set out in the Liberal Democrat English and federal constitution.