Would you like to be part of determining the PPU's policies, strategy and direction? Are you a PPU member? Have you been a member for at least a year?

If the answer to all these questions is yes, then you are welcome to stand for election to PPU Council. You must submit your nomination by Monday 13th May 2019.

(This is later than the deadline that you may have seen listed elsewhere. It has been extended as some members were not informed earlier owing to the PPU being temporarily short-staffed. Please accept our apologies). 

The ballot will be held by post over the coming weeks and the result announced at our Annual General Meeting on Saturday 1st June. 

Who is on PPU Council and what does it do?

PPU Council consists of the Chair, Treasurer and up to seven other members. It is elected annually by PPU members. People who were on Council last year are welcome to stand again, as is anyone who has been a PPU member for a year or more (if you have been a member for less than a year, you are still welcome to vote in the election, but cannot stand or nominate).

PPU Council determines the policy, strategy and direction of the PPU between AGMs, and is responsible for general oversight of the PPU staff and finances. The Council usually meets four times per year in London (travel expenses are paid) although there are sometimes also special meetings to address particular issues. Council members also tend to be involved in other ways, such as by sitting on working groups for individual campaigns, or working with staff in areas to which they are suited. 

How do I stand for election? 

To stand for election, or to nominate someone else, you need to have been a member of the PPU for at least a year. 

You can nominate yourself to stand for election to Council, but if you want to stand for Chair or Treasurer you will need another nominator as well as yourself. 

To nominate yourself or someone else, please email election@ppu.org.uk by Monday 13th May 2019. If nominating yourself, you are encouraged to include a statement of up to 200 words to be circulated to members with their ballot papers (but this is not obligatory). Alternatively, nominations can be posted to the Returning Officer, Peace Pledge Union, 1 Peace Passage, London N7 0BT, to arrive by Monday 13th May 2019. 

What will happen next? 

After Monday 13th May, our Returning Officer, John Morris, will inform the PPU staff of the details of nominations received. If there are more candidates than places, ballot papers will be sent out to members, to be returned by a set date. The ballot papers will be counted by the Returning Officer, in sight of others, shortly before the AGM on Saturday 1st June. The results will be announced at the AGM, after which those elected will take office. 

Please note that on Saturday 1st June, the AGM for PPU members will take place at 11.00 in the morning (at Friends House, London; opposite Euston station) followed by the annual conference - open to all - at 1.00 in the afternoon. 

Can I be active in the PPU without being on Council?

Of course! Council members are only a small percentage of the PPU's active members. If you would like to get more active in the PPU, whether by campaigning in your own area or by volunteering in the national office, please drop us a line at mail@ppu.org.uk or call us on 020 7424 9444.

If you are a member, but have not yet been a member for a year, you are still welcome to vote in the Council elections, but cannot stand for election. 

If you are not yet a PPU member, you can join here, or join in person at the AGM and conference on 1st June. In any case, the conference that follows the AGM is open to everyone! 

Any questions?

If you have questions about the nomination and election process, please contact the PPU Returning Officer, John Morris, at election@ppu.org.uk. 

If you have questions about the PPU more generally, about membership or volunteering or other issues, please contact us at mail@ppu.org.uk or on 020 7424 9444.