ADMIN: Review of the UK position

For a few months now, the UK position has been a bridge between the MUN and the HoC. We agreed at the offset, that this arrangement would be reviewed after a few months of trying it out.
In this thread we need to discuss our thoughts on the arrangement, and make a decision as to whether we want to keep things as they are, or whether we want to change them. I'll put a poll up after we've discussed it.

I would like to hear from alisdair R on this issue. As the UK rep, do you feel the arrangement has been a good thing? What are the failings of the situation, if any? What potential do you think the arrangement presents?

Thoughts by any HoC members present would be helpful too.

I recently joined the HoC. I checked out Alisdair's Foreign Office Blog, and while disappointed by the lack of response, I was impressed with what he's done this far.
In my opinion, this is a useful way to advertise the MUN to other D&Ders who might not know what MUN is about. Its worthwhile considering keeping it in place for this reason.

Thoughts, everyone?

Reply 1

A Y A Z

11

I'll make this brief:

The MUN is already a sub-forum and is clearly visible on the main page below Debate and Discussion. If anyone from D&D were interested, they would have already joined. For this reason, in my previous resolution, I made it clear that we needed an announcement like the House of Parliament ONLY. Doing anything else would just annoy people, IMO.

I suspect some people on TSR don't know what the MUN is about or even know what the abreviation 'MUN' stands for, but the majority aren't interested!

Instead of wasting time trying to get more members, we need to strengthen our current input first; once this is firmly established, we might be able to experiment.

As you said: 'I was disappointed by the lack of response'.

Reply 2

OP

What do you mean by 'strengthening current input'? Do you mean inspiring the membership we have to be more active?

Either way..that's a little besides the overall point. Advertising the MUN was not really anyone's intention when we thought of linking MUN to HoC.. just a possible side effect. I see no harm in it.

Reply 3

A Y A Z

11

Exactly. When was the last resolution passed on to the SC? If I recall correctly it was in May!

People are failing to come up with resolutions, a great idea, the HYST scenarios are not being played out; the list goes on and on!

What will more members do? Just add to the spam in the off-topic thread, or make useless points thru a country they know nothing about? As you pointed out yourself, they will be new to the MUN.

I'm not totally against the idea. I just think that once we have the MUN rolling, we could do whatever we want!

Reply 4

randdom

20

Personally I don't see that there is much point in keeping the arrangement. The idea was to form a link between the HoC and the MUN and that hasn't really happened. While I think that alasdair R has done a great job I think that has more to do with who he is than the fact that he has been chosen by the HoC. There hasn't really been much cross over and while i think that aladair R should deffinately by UK rep I don't think that the UK rep should be picked by the HoC

Reply 5

A Y A Z

11

Well put.

Exactly the point: WHATS the point?

Reply 6

I dont think this is a good time to review the situation - considering there has been little to no activity within the MUN over the past few months, this reflects unfavourably on the arrangement, whereas during the first couple of months it was hailed as a stellar success - I would recommend voting for a renew in another, say, two months, when we can review the working arrangement, not the dormant one.

Reply 7

randdom

20

But even in the early months i don't remember there being a huge link between the two. I wasn't convinced initially by the idea but i thought we should have a go to be honest i remain unconvinced.

Reply 8

ukebert

13

I am perfectly happy with the arrangment, and I do think that it's a good idea to make the UK position a 'special case'. I will be voting to keep the current arrangement, however if it does not pass I hope that alasdair will still put himself forward as the UK rep, as I think he has done a good job.

Reply 9

Alasdair

14

Personally, I think the Arrangement is worthwhile, and any of it's current failings are my own, rather than systemic - that's also something I'm going to try and work on once we've settle down after the current changes.

The Arrangement allows us to encourage activity in both the MUN and the HoC. In fact, I'm going to talk to the Foreign Relations bills that members can introduce into the house that bind the UK Rep into doing or proposing something in the MUN.

Lastly, let me just restate my commitment to both allowing you a choice, as well as my commitment to being the UK representative.

If the MUN votes to keep the Arrangement, I will hold a non-binding* vote on my status as UK rep, and if the MUN votes to abandon the Arrangement, I fully intend to run for the position of UK rep.

* = I say non-binding in order to avoid being bound by a decision reached by an extremely low turnout, or a very low margin. If it is clear that I no longer have the confidence of the MUN, I will hand Acaila my resignation.

Reply 10

Longshoredrift80

10

alasdair_R

Personally, I think the Arrangement is worthwhile, and any of it's current failings are my own, rather than systemic
That's an honourable attempt at taking the blame, but I'm not sure if it's entirely accurate.

Reply 11

Nefarious

16

JonathanH

That's an honourable attempt at taking the blame, but I'm not sure if it's entirely accurate.

The only failing that I can see in you as a candidate is not being a member of the MRLP

Reply 12

OP

JonathanH

That's an honourable attempt at taking the blame, but I'm not sure if it's entirely accurate.

:dito:

From what I've seen the failing is in a lack of response from MPs. I think this is people are not quite sure what to make of it. Invitation or a suggestion to feedback might need to be more spelled out.
Having said that, I agree that there's potential for more :smile:

Reply 13

Craghyrax

:dito:

From what I've seen the failing is in a lack of response from MPs. I think this is people are not quite sure what to make of it. Invitation or a suggestion to feedback might need to be more spelled out.
Having said that, I agree that there's potential for more :smile:

I'm not sure that is entirely true - it is very difficult to get excited and involved with something which is showing little to no activity as the MUN has recently - it is visible that the decline in activity correlates with that of the MUN.

I think the perfect situation would be another trial period where both systems are performing well in order to truly test the arrangement.

Reply 14

OP

bikerx23

I'm not sure that is entirely true - it is very difficult to get excited and involved with something which is showing little to no activity as the MUN has recently - it is visible that the decline in activity correlates with that of the MUN.

If the HoC were to reply/respond to alisdair's notifications, where would they do so? On the Foreign blog thread, or elsewhere? The thread seems to be a monologue by Alasdair with no sign of interest at all. I don't see how that is to do with MUN activity. The length of the thread/number of updates on it can be blamed on MUN lull, but not the complete absence of any recognition.

Reply 15

Craghyrax

If the HoC were to reply/respond to alisdair's notifications, where would they do so? On the Foreign blog thread, or elsewhere? The thread seems to be a monologue by Alasdair with no sign of interest at all. I don't see how that is to do with MUN activity. The length of the thread/number of updates on it can be blamed on MUN lull, but not the complete absence of any recognition.

Whilst the MUN was active alasdair was kind enough to create several threads discussing goings on which were well received, hence that isn't the only indicator of activity.

Reply 16

OP

bikerx23

Whilst the MUN was active alasdair was kind enough to create several threads discussing goings on which were well received, hence that isn't the only indicator of activity.

Oh ok. I must have missed them. I only joined HoC just after the last election.

Reply 17

Craghyrax

Oh ok. I must have missed them. I only joined HoC just after the last election.

Not a problem :smile:

As said - whilst both were operating well the relationship was highly fruitful.

Reply 18

Alasdair

14

I think there are a couple of issues aside from inactivity, and a couple of things we can do to solve them.

The first issue is that the MP's quite often don't know what's going on in the MUN - this is primarily down to my being too lazy to keep my 'blog' updated.

The second is that due to the nature of the MUN, I can't continuously consult the House before I do anything.

So my first suggestion is that if the Arrangement is continued, I'll discuss with the Speaker a formalised method of having the House compel me to do something.
So the House could pass a 'Foreign Policy Motion' that read:
"This house believes that the UK should take a stronger line towards Zimbabwe. It directs the UK Representative to the United Nations to submit a resolution to that effect"
These could be more or less detailed, and I'd then have to do what they say (maybe with some kind of oversight to prevent excessive OOC-ness).

The second thing is basically making me prod House members to take more notice. All I can do there is promise to try and be better.

Reply 19

OP