Constitution of the Democratic Socialists
Last amended: 13 May 2026
1. Name
The name of the organisation shall be the Democratic Socialists.
2. Aims and Purpose
Democratic Socialists is committed to the politics expressed in its points of unity and draft programme. The organisation intends to build a mass, democratic, socialist party. This means that Democratic Socialists is thoroughly committed to a politics of anti-capitalism, anti-oppression (in particular of trans liberation, anti-Zionism, anti-racism, and migrant and disability justice), anti-imperialism and in favour of the rule of the working class, as a step towards a classless society.
3. Members
3.1 Democratic Socialists is an individual membership organisation. Membership is open to any person who accepts our published Points of Unity and our draft programme as a guide to action, and agrees to abide by this Constitution and all other governance documents.
3.2 Members may apply for membership by following the published procedure. Members shall be considered in good standing provided they have paid a membership fee
3.3 Membership can end for a number of reasons, including subscription arrears for a period of three (3) months, resigning membership, and revocation through disciplinary and/or political accountability matters referred to the Complaints Group or Steering Group as appropriate.
3.4 Members in good standing have the right to:
3.4.1 attend, participate in, and vote at All Member Meetings (AMM).
3.4.2 submit motions, proposals, and amendments in accordance with this Constitution.
3.4.3 join Working Groups unless restricted for safeguarding or disciplinary reasons.
3.4.4 stand for elected roles.
3.5 Members are expected to:
3.5.1 uphold respectful behaviours as defined by the DS complaints procedure and interpreted by the complaints team.
3.5.2 engage with democratic decision-making, political education, and organisational processes as far as is reasonably practicable.
3.6 The Democratic Socialists embrace the principle of unity in political diversity. Members may form and organise public factions, temporary or permanent, to advocate or campaign for specific political agendas, views or tactical and strategic orientations. All members of the Democratic Socialists have the rights of freedom of speech, expression, dissemination and association, publicly or privately, including the right to publicly criticise decisions they disagree with. This must come, however, with recognising the democratic legitimacy and binding character of decisions taken by the majority, and constructive work with fellow members of the Democratic Socialists to implement those decisions collectively..
3.7 All members should recognise and take positive actions to undertake all work, meetings and events in an accessible and inclusive manner.
4. Steering Group (SG)
COMMITTEE
4.1 The Steering Group (SG) is the public-facing leadership of the Organisation. It acts as an executive with day-to-day operations and taking action with urgent matters. It has ultimate accountability to, and direction from, the All Member Meeting and Annual General Meeting.
4.2 The Steering Group shall consist of seven (7) Members elected annually or by by-election in the event of a space becoming vacant, This will be done by a secret ballot of all members in good standing using STV under the Droop Quota (Scottish STV) at or soon after the Annual General Meeting.
4.3 SG candidates will also be allowed up to write up to 3000 characters in support of their application, which will be distributed to all members.
4.4. An AMM or AGM has the power to recall a member of the SG or in exceptional circumstances, to co-opt members to the SG.
MEETINGS
4.5 The Steering Group will meet with quorum at least every two (2) weeks. The meeting date and agenda will be published to all members at least two (2) days in advance of the meeting.
4.6 Quorum is an absolute majority of the number of members of the SG.
4.7 Minutes and records of all votes taken by the Steering Group shall be published to members within 48 hours of the meeting, subject to limited redactions for the purposes of safeguarding, legal, or confidentiality requirements.
4.8 Any member can attend Steering Group meetings as observers, except for agenda items subject to safeguarding, legal, or confidentiality requirements. All items containing matters ineligible for such observation will be grouped at the beginning or end of the meeting.
4.9 Steering Group chat will be open to any member to read.
5. Operations Group (OG)
5.1 The Operations Group is a permanent team responsible for core operational services of the Organisation.
5.2 The Operations Group is led by at least one member of the Steering Group who will organise a team as agreed by the Steering Group. The Operations Group is accountable to the All Member Meeting and Annual General Meeting,
5.3 The team would typically organise to cover the following areas:
- Membership
- Accessibility
- Finance
- Communications
- Internal elections
- IT support and training
- Compliance
6. Working Groups (WGs)
6.1 Working Groups are semi-autonomous bodies responsible for organising, campaigning, political education, and practical work that is not otherwise in the remit of the Operations Group. The Working Groups should operate within the scope of the agreed positions of the Organisation, and will be founded or wound down by democratic vote at an All Member Meeting.
6.2 Working Groups have autonomy over their internal organisation, workflows, and meeting schedules, with facilitation by the OG and SG as needed.
6.3 Each WG will report their progress to each AMM. This can be in the form of a written or verbal report. Should no report be submitted, the SG will be empowered to convene a meeting with the WG to ascertain the reason for its absence, and if necessary report the findings from this meeting to the subsequent AMM for consideration.
7. Annual General Meeting (AGM)
7.1 The Annual General Meeting is the ultimate sovereign decision making body of the Organisation, taking precedence over decision of the Steering Group and All Member Meetings. An AGM will take place between the start of September and the end of November each year.
Each AGM represents the start of a term of the SG and elections for the SG will occur at an AGM.
AGENDA AND CHAIRING
7.2 The AGM shall be chaired and facilitated by members of the Steering Group.
7.3 The SG will call for motions six (6) weeks before the AGM opens, with a period of two (2) weeks to receive submissions. Once published, a one (1) week compositing window will open in which composites will be produced with the consent of all proposers of composited motions, after which the composites will be published, and a one (1) week amendments window will open. Members will also vote on the priority of motions for the agenda.
7.4 The final agenda will be set by members of the Steering Group on the basis of the process outlined in 7.3. The final agenda should be notified to all members no later than one (1) week before the AGM opens.
QUORUM
7.5 Quorum is 11 members, or 5% of the total membership (rounded up), whichever is higher.
MINUTES
7.6 Minutes will be published no later than three (3) weeks after the close of the AGM.
VOTING
7.7 All votes are by simple majority.
7.8. All meetings of the AGM may:
- Amend the constitution
- Amend the draft programme
8. All Member Meeting (AMM)
8.1 The AMM is the sovereign decision-making body of the Organisation.
8.2 The AMM shall meet at least monthly unless otherwise decided by the AMM.
8.3 An Emergency AMM may be called to deal with urgent matters or motions and must be called with notice of at least 24 hours. It can be requisitioned by:
- a majority vote of the Steering Group, or
- 22 members or 10% of the membership, whichever is lower
- a simple majority vote at an AMM.
AGENDA AND CHAIRING
8.4 The AMM shall be chaired and facilitated by the Steering Group.
8.5 The agenda will be published no less than two (2) days before the AMM opens. It should allocate sufficient time to hear motions, and prioritise any outstanding business and matters arising from the previous AMM.
8.6 A motion must be submitted no less than two (2) days before the opening of the AMM, except where the motion is submitted as part of an agenda when requisitioning an Emergency AMM.
MINUTES
8.7 Minutes will be published no later than one (1) week after the close of the AMM.
QUORUM
8.8 Quorum is 11 members, or 5% of the total membership (rounded up), whichever is higher.
VOTING
8.9. All votes are by simple majority.
8.10. All meetings of the AMM may:
- Recall members of the Steering Group and co-opt additional members
- Amend the constitution
- Amend the draft programme
9. Legal Form and Transitional Conditions
9.1 For the purposes of asset ownership, entering into legal contracts, employing staff, and any other associated tasks, the Democratic Socialists shall take its legal form as a company limited by guarantee, Democratic Socialists Limited, registered to comply with all relevant laws of the United Kingdom.
9.2 The Articles of Association of the Company shall be consistent with the Democratic Socialists Constitution and associated governance documents to ensure coherence in the organisation’s legal and organisational framework.
9.3 The Company shall appoint, on terms lasting no longer than two (2) years:
- Three (3) Directors selected from the Steering Group.
- Four (4) guarantors elected from the membership at large with a minimum liability (a nominal amount, e.g. £1) as prescribed by law.
10. Standard Meeting Procedures
10.1 Meetings of any deliberative body within the organisation, including but not limited to AGM, AMM, SC & OG meetings, will follow the procedures set out in ‘The ABCs of Chairmanship’ by Walter Citrine, Fourth Edition, published by The Fabian Society in 1982 (known henceforth as ‘Citrine’), except as provided within this constitution or any other relevant document adopted by the organisation at an AMM or AGM. Where a contradiction exists between the procedures laid out in Citrine and such a relevant document, the procedures within the relevant document take precedence.
10.2 Meetings of any deliberative body within the organisation, including but not limited to AGM, AMM, SC & OG meetings, will each begin with a call from the initial chair for any objections to the proposed chair(s), agenda and standing orders of that meeting..
- If no objections are raised, the chair(s), agenda and standing orders for that meeting are established.
- If an objection is raised, a concrete amendment must be proposed covering one or more of the above items (chair, agenda, standing orders), which shall be voted immediately after a two minute speech in favour and a two minute speech against.
- No member may raise more than one such amendment in a given meeting, and no more than three (3) such amendments may be heard at the start of any such meeting.
- No action can be initiated or sustained against a member for moving an amendment to the chair, agenda or standing orders of a meeting.
10.3 Any voting member of any meeting of any deliberative body within the organisation, bar the sitting chair of that meeting, including but not limited to AGM, AMM, SC & OG meetings, may at any point during that meeting move a motion to remove the chair of that meeting, which shall be voted immediately after a two minute speech in favour and a two minute speech against.
- Should that motion fall, no further motion to remove the chair can be moved again during that meeting.
- Should that motion carry, an interim chair will be elected immediately afterwards by the meeting, who will facilitate the remainder of that meeting’s agenda, and if that position of chair for the body whose meeting removed that chair is a permanent position, the position is immediately vacated, and an election for a new permanent chair will be facilitated by the SC, less the removed chair if applicable, after the meeting, but before the next such meeting of that body.
- No action can be initiated or sustained against a member for moving a motion to remove the chair of a meeting.