Political dishonesty at the heart of Spectrum?

Day 900, 09:58 • Published in United Kingdom Ireland • by 1nterestingch4racter

As the nation waited in suspense for the climax of a brilliant PR campaign, RFA members excitedly prepared for a brand new identity. Or so we thought. New revelations show that only an elite few within the party took the decision to rebrand, because they did not trust the party not to leak. A ruling clique who had not been directly elected by the party and had taken power after the resignation of UK’s Finest took the decision to not even bother to inform the party or ask for their opinions before going ahead.

However, you can understand the need for secrecy but it goes to show that the party leaders do not trust their own party and an RFA member and friend of mine approached me because he wasn’t sure what to do and was feeling disillusioned at the running of the party. Firejon, who was a good dedicated irc party member who had been a member for over a year and was one of the original members, apparently could not be trusted with the information of a rebrand. He approached me on irc and said he couldn’t believe he wasn’t trusted and that it went against everything he thought the RFA stood for to have a small group of people making the decisions without democratic backing of the forum actives who put a lot of time and work into the party. He agreed to an interview because he believes that the story must be told.

1)What can you tell us about the rebrand of the RFA in the lead up to the actual event?

As a member of the RFA for a good year and a well known member among IRC users I was supprised by how few people actually knew what was coming. Only a handful of people new and it was not something discussed with the members of the party or put to a vote on forum. Most of us ie. 99% of us had no idea.

2) So there was no consultation with the ordinary members of the party, the ruling clique simply it was right to rebrand without the permission of the party?

Correct, you'll find that anyone not on the first page of the party members would not have known as far I am aware. It was done by a small minority at the top of the party without consultation.

3) Once it was announced, did you consult the party leadership about why they had taken the decision by themselves?

Yes it was something I talked with them about on the IRC and it was said that only a select few new about the rebrand due to worries about leaks. This is of course understandable when making such a radical change but I do did not belive the RFA was about 5 peoples whim, but 300 peoples choice.

4) Was it at this point you began to feel disillusioned towards the leadership and the RFA as a whole?

Yes it was, but for the last few months more and more important and strong members have been leaving. This last month the leadership has been all over the place and the rest of the party not really consulted in party matters.

5) What did you look for in a new chosen party?

I looked at the other Two main parties and found The Unity Party was the one who actually shared my own core beliefs of Unity and fighting for what is right. It helped that I also knew many members who I hold in the highest regard and treat myself with respect.

6) What would you say to people within Spectrum which still have doubts, considering the welcome you have received in your new party?

Anyone who is not feeling that their voice is being heard and are sick of the same old people making the choices for the party without your knowledge should take a step back. Think about what you want out of erep a decide on a party for YOU. I would advise everyone to join The Unity Party but I know that no all members would be suited here due to their beliefs. What I can say though is that everyone I have come across since coming over has been nothing but friendly, polite, and welcoming and willing to listen to the things I have had to say, which is above all else what anyone would want from a party.

Firejon has left the RFA and joined The Unity Party.

Now after this, I decided to approach Andy Millward for a statement, and presented my findings to him. He posted as follows:
"It might have been undemocratic, but what we needed at the time was a complete reboot, a breath of life into the party, and we needed it quickly. We didn't want to lose the bang we were hoping for. Unfortunately, we knew as soon as we announced our plans to the party, it would become public knowlege fairly quickly. It was do or die."

I’d like to thank both Andy and Firejon for their comments, and now to open the discussion up to the readers. What do you think of it all? Is it a big fuss over nothing, or does what has happened go against your beliefs of what a party should do? If you are a Spectrum member who was not informed of the decision, what are your thoughts and opinions?

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IndieKid