They are strongly against changes to the articles of association proposed by the central board of Ap. Ågot Himle from Bergen is a long-standing Labor Party member, and has never been a member of Nidaro’s social democratic forum. Nevertheless, she now chooses, together with several others, to take the initiative for a new local team for Ap in Bergen. It will be called the Bjørgvin social democratic forum, reports the newspaper Vårt Land – This is a popular protest and many are upset about the way member democracy works, says Himle to news. She believes it will be wrong to target members in this way. The central board of Ap proposed last week to change the statutes of the party. Representation at the national meeting must be decided based on where the members are registered – not where they are members. – They want to demote members in Nidaros based on geography, which is why we are starting local teams, says Ågot Himle. New local teams must be approved In just five days, Nidaro’s social democratic forum has gained 1,000 new members, after Trond Giske met party secretary Kjersti Stenseng in Debatten on news. Dagbladet writes that. In several other places in the country, supporters and out-of-town members in Nidaro’s social democratic forum are considering starting local teams where they live. – I would say that people are getting involved in the Labor Party, either in new teams or old teams, so that is good. People who sign up get involved in politics. It is good. That’s Jonas Gahr Støre’s answer to questions about new Giske teams. Jonas Gahr Støre is happy that people are getting involved in the Labor Party. Photo: Trygve Heide / news – Whether there is a need for new teams in a municipal party, that is up to the municipal party’s board to decide, says party secretary Kjersti Stenseng. The board of the local team in Nidaros is also aware that several people are considering starting their own local teams. The matter will come up at an urgently called members’ meeting on Tuesday evening. Anita Børstad is deputy chairman of the board. She believes that it is difficult to start up such new local teams because this must first be approved by the municipal party and the county team. She therefore believes that new local teams risk being stopped. – I would neither recommend nor discourage members from trying this, says Børstad. She believes that this must be up to each individual. But in Bergen, the leader of Ap, Henrik Jorem, is positive about plans to start the new local group Bjørgvin social democratic forum. He believes that it is positive for everyone who wants to contribute to get good social democratic solutions. – We are open to creating new local teams under Ap in Bergen, but this must be approved by the annual meeting first, he says to news. Encourages to start local groups One of the members of Giske’s local group, Johan A. Frigstad, tells news that they are considering setting up a social democratic forum in Arendal as well. He reacts to the fact that he will not be allowed to represent Nidaro’s social democratic forum, if he attends the Labor Party’s national meeting. Leader of the Arendal Labor Party, Jan Rudy Kristensen, believes that the party basically has enough with the five local teams they already have. – There have been no proposals to the annual meeting to start a new local team, rather there have been proposals in the past to have fewer local teams, he says. Another of the Giske supporters, Trygve Bauge, has recently encouraged the start of more local teams: “If Trond’s opponents succeed in banning people who like what Trond and Nidaros stand for, from joining because they are from outside the city, then it’s just a matter of setting up new local teams around the country and beach”. About half of the members of Nidaro’s social democratic forum live outside Trondheim and Trøndelag.
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Supporters of Giske will start a local team in Bergen – news Trøndelag
