Labour Link Scotland Forum

The Scottish Labour Link Forum, is usually a day long event held annually prior to the UNISON Labour Link National Forum, at a time and venue agreed by the Labour Link Scotland Committee.

Participants:

Labour Link Scotland Committee members attend and participate in the Forum. In addition Branches can send up to two representatives each (one must be female), and branches with more than 1000 levy payers may have up to four representatives, again based on fair representation. To attend representatives must also be individual members of the Labour Party.

Others are able to attend the Forum in an ex-officio capacity, that is they are able to speak but not vote in any ballots that are held. This includes the Scottish Organiser for the Labour Link and other appropriate UNISON staff, and UNISON representatives on other Labour Party Committees.

Key note speakers are invited to the Forum, usually including a Scottish Executive or Westminster Minister, and an internal UNISON speaker, often the General Secretary. This gives delegates an opportunity to put questions to elected representatives, and to put forward UNISON policies.

All Labour Link MPs, MSPs and MEPs are invited to attend the day's proceedings on an ex-officio basis. Very often those that are able to attend will participate in a panel question and answer session during the Forum. Again this is a good opportunity for the Labour Link to ensure Labour Link elected representatives are held accountable, and we can inform them of UNISON policies and views.

Reports:

A section of the agenda is devoted to reports from Labour Link representatives on:

• Labour's Scottish Executive Committee
• UNISON's National Labour Link Committee
• Parliamentary reports from Labour Link MSPs, MPs, and MEP
• Other relevant reports, eg Scottish Policy Forum, etc.
• In addition the Labour Link Scotland Committee tables a formal report of its activities.

Elections:

The Forum elects:

• members of the Scottish Labour Link Committee, as detailed in the section on the Scottish Labour Link Committee;
• delegates to the UNISON Labour Link National Forum;
• two delegates to the National Labour Party Conference
• the delegation to the Scottish Labour Party Conference.

All delegates representing UNISON on the above bodies must be UNISON Labour Link levy payers and fully paid up individual members of the Labour Party.

Motions

The forum receives and debates motions submitted by UNISON Labour Link Branches and the Labour Link Scotland Committee. Motions are circulated to Branches and the Labour Link Scotland Committee prior to the Forum, and there is an opportunity for each Branch or the Committee to submit two amendments within an agreed time scale.

Policy and Activities

The Forum develops UNISON Labour Link policy and organisation proposals through workshops and political education initiatives, and develops the objectives and priorities for Labour Link Scotland for the coming year. It determines UNISON Labour Link policy in the Scottish Labour Party taking into account overall UNISON policy, and agrees up to two motions to be forwarded to the UNISON Labour Link National Forum.

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