Reorganisation of local Green Parties in Dorset nears completion

1 October 2019

Map of Dorset The reorganisation of local Green Parties in Dorset to match the county's new unitary local authority boundaries is expected to come into effect at the end of this month.

The county of Dorset now has just two unitary councils - Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) Council, and Dorset Council.

South East Dorset Green Party has historically covered both the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole conurbation and the former local government districts of Purbeck and East Dorset, which have been abolished with the introduction of the unitary Dorset Council.

South East Dorset Green Party has two councillors elected to BCP Council (in Bournemouth), while neighbouring West & South Dorset Green Party (W&SDGP) have four councillors on Dorset Council (in Weymouth and Bridport). It is normal Green Party practice across the country to align local party boundaries and names with local authority boundaries, so that all party members receive local information focused around their own council area.

At its recent Annual General Meeting, South East Dorset Green Party members formally agreed constitutional changes for the local party to become Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Green Party (BCPGP), with local party boundaries matching the BCP Council area - to take effect once local party responsibility for Purbeck and East Dorset is officially adopted by W&SDGP.

A merger has also been agreed in principle between W&SDGP and North Dorset Green Party (NDGP), with the combined local party to assume responsibility for the whole Dorset Council area and to be known as Dorset Greens.

These moves have been unanimously accepted in principle at a meeting of W&SDGP members, who have arranged an Extraordinary General Meeting for Tuesday 29th October which is expected to officially complete the county-wide reorganisation process.

What does this mean for Green Party members and supporters in Purbeck and East Dorset?

Green Party members in Purbeck and East Dorset will have their local party membership transferred on the Green Party of England & Wales database from South East Dorset Green Party to Dorset Greens, soon after 29th October. They can expect to start receiving communications from Dorset Greens shortly afterwards.
Any local mailings sent to signed-up supporters in Purbeck and East Dorset who are not Green Party members will also come from Dorset Greens after 29th October.
Dorset Greens have an established federal structure which recognises and supports local groups in different parts of rural Dorset. Green Party members in Purbeck and East Dorset Greens can expect to receive information from Dorset Greens after the transfer about how they may go about setting up new local groups.
Recognising that some members in Purbeck and East Dorset may find it easier to travel to events in BCP than further west in Dorset, officers of SEDGP and Dorset Greens have agreed to share each other's key announcements in local mailings, such as action days, set-piece policy events, and visits by major figures.

The national party allows members to override their automatically allocated local party membership, with membership of a different local party they choose. Any members of SEDGP in Purbeck or East Dorset who do not want their local party membership transferred to Dorset Greens after 29th October may arrange this with an email to the SEDGP Membership Secretary at mem@sedorset.greenparty.org.uk.

Anyone can keep up to date with SEDGP's activities by following its Facebook page and Twitter account, or by checking the SEDGP website which features a regularly updated Events calendar.