Women’s Equality Party Conference 2023
Motion Guidance and FAQs
Saturday 4th November - Sunday 5th November
Submissions for motions and amendments are now closed.
Documents you’ll need when submitting a motion:
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- The full motions guidelines
- Form for policy motions, special debates and emergency motions - Doc and PDF
- Form for business motions - Doc and PDF
- Form for amendments to policy and business motions - Doc and PDF
- Sample policy motion
- Sample business motion
- Sample amendment to a policy motion
- Sample proposal for a special debate
Read the Standing Orders:
Standing Orders >>
Standing Orders - Large print >>
Who is responsible for accepting motions and amendments?
Q: What is a motion?
A motion is a proposal to declare/confirm a party position, or to change/add to party policy or the way the party operates.
Motions selected for the conference are introduced to conference by the motion’s named proposer and debated to the extent allowed under the conference timing.
There are three kinds of motions: policy motions, proposals for special debates and business motions.
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- A policy motion can reaffirm the policy of the party, amend an existing policy and/or propose a new policy. Policy motions are debated and put to vote at conference. A policy motion voted through becomes WE party policy.
- A business motion is a proposal that concerns the internal work of the party, such as the rules in the constitution and the party structure. Business motions are debated and put to vote at conference. A business motion voted through alters the party structure or operation.
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A motion for special debate is drafted like a policy motion, but allows time for conference delegates to explore ideas without putting a specific proposal to a vote, and will not become WE party policy.
If passed by conference, the exact wording of a policy or business motion is adopted as party policy or inserted into the constitution.
Q: What is an amendment?
An amendment to a motion proposes changes to the original motion that add to it or change it.
If accepted and scheduled for debate by the Agenda Committee, amendments are debated and voted on by conference before voting on the substantive motion
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- If the amendment is passed, the amended motion is then debated and voted on; and
- If the amendment does not pass, the original (unamended) motion is debated and voted on.
Amendments to motions can be accepted by the proposers of motions and in that scenario, motions are debated and voted on at conference as amended.
Proposal of an amendment does not guarantee acceptance, and the number of amendments that can be debated is limited by the time available.
Your amendment should be proposed by using the amendment form, which should be filled in, paying attention to the guidelines on the form itself.
Q: How do I compose a motion?
You should compose a motion by completing the appropriate motion form. Anyone planning to submit a motion must read the detailed motions guidelines provided to help you compose it. There are also sessions to help support members to compose motions - look out for details.
Sign up for policy building 101 on 10th August >>
Got questions? Come to a drop in session to troubleshoot anything about the motions process
Tuesday 29th August, 6.00-7.30pm >>
Thursday 31st August, 12.00-2.00pm >>
Q: What is an emergency motion?
Emergency motions are the same as standard motions, but can be used for issues or circumstances that have arisen after the deadline for standard motions.
Emergency motions will only be considered if they relate to a situation that has arisen since the deadline for standard motions, i.e. after 13 September 2023.
Emergency motions have the same threshold requirements as standard motions, and the process of proposal is the same as that for ordinary motions. The only difference is that they cannot be amended.
Q: Who is responsible for accepting motions and amendments?
Proposal of a motion or amendment does not guarantee acceptance, and the number of motions/amendments that can be debated is limited by the time available at conference.
In accordance with the constitution, the Steering Committee has established an Agenda Committee, WEPAC 2023, which is responsible for setting the content of conference agenda.
For more information, please read the motions guidelines in detail.
Other documents you might need:
- The full motions guidelines
- Form for policy motions, special debates and emergency motions - Doc and PDF
- Form for business motions - Doc and PDF
- Form for amendments to policy and business motions - Doc and PDF
- Sample policy motion
- Sample business motion
- Sample amendment to a policy motion
- Sample proposal for a special debate
- Standing Orders >>
- Standing Orders - Large print >>
Have any other questions you'd like answered? Email us at [email protected] and we'll get back to you.