Landis re-elected as Equity president as voting levels hit all-time low

Published Tuesday 25 July 2006 at 14:55 by Alistair Smith

Equity has promised imminent reforms following an election that saw voting levels fall to a record low and a number of high-profile figures quitting the union’s council.

In a blow to the ruling Representative Group, its former candidate Harry Landis was re-elected as president by a slim majority. Standing as an independent, he defeated a close challenge from vice-president Graham Hamilton, who had been preferred to Landis as the ruling Representative Group’s choice this year.

Hamilton lost out to Landis by only 12 votes, with 988 to the incumbent’s 1,000. Teri Scoble, the third presidential candidate and the Members4Members Group’s choice received 683 votes.

However, the ballot for the full council fell to what is believed to be its lowest recorded level at only 7% of eligible members, with the presidential vote slightly higher at 7.4%. At the last elections in 2004, 8.4% voted for the council elections, while there was no vote for president, as Landis stood unopposed.

Equity spokesman Martin Brown admitted that the response was disappointing but insisted the union was committed to finding a way of reversing what has been a steady decline during the past few decades.

“I feel we need a complete review of Equity’s democratic and voting process with a view to making it more attractive for members to get involved,” he said. “That will certainly happen before the next council elections.”

This year, former vice-president and variety councillor Dave Eager was the best known of the casualties, having served on the council for two decades. Meanwhile, Oliver Ford Davies - one of Equity’s most high-profile and popular figures - chose not to stand for re-election. Long-standing stunt performers’ representative Bill Weston and theatre directors’ representative John Carnegie also failed to retain their seats.

The results marked returns to council for Rep Group organiser Paul Janssen, West End actress Corinna Marlowe and former Act for Equity stalwart Nicholas Smith, on council for the first time since 1994 and presidential hopeful Teri Scoble, who failed in her bid to become president but was elected as choreographers’ representative.

Following the results, the council of 46 members plus the president is more balanced between its two opposing factions. The Rep Group is down eight seats to 27 and the opposition Members4Members up five to 15, while independents increased their number from one to four. Despite making overall gains, Members4Members’ light entertainment presence has dwindled to one out of six representatives, with only Brenda Marsh remaining.

Vox Pops:

Harry Landis: “If the Rep group had had its way and I had stood down, the membership wouldn’t have had a choice. My standing gave the membership a choice and the result has proved it was the right choice.

“It’s definitely a good thing that we now have a more balanced council. We’re all working together and people are all now voting for what they believe is right. It’s good to have many and varied people. Maybe there will be some fresh faces with some new views.”

Graham Hamilton: “I am naturally disappointed at not being elected as Equity president, particularly as it was by only 12 votes. I wish to thank all my signatories, too many to include them all on the ballot paper and all those who voted for me.

“However, I am very pleased that my team, The Representative Group, has won a further term on the council, which I am sure will be to the benefit of all Equity members. I will be standing for re-election as Equity vice president.”

Dave Eager: “We must be able to take the bad reviews along with the good. When one show closes another one opens and the Equity show will hopefully run on as long as our entertainment profession runs on. Though some of us are concerned about the way Equity is changing its script without full consultation with its backers ‘the members’, we all know that stardom is only just a telephone call away. So ‘Pick yourself up, dust yourself down and start all over again’ - no problem.”

Barbara Hyslop on Dave Eager’s failure to win re-election to the council: “We’re absolutely devastated, for the simple reason that he’s got one of the best brains on the council and what he doesn’t know about the rules of Equity isn’t worth knowing. It’s a tragedy he’s not there. He’s saved the union a lot of money by stopping them going down the wrong path or breaching the rules. His expertise was vital and his knowledge can’t be replaced.”