attended by 400 people. The ULA has no constitution nor a mechanism for its members to directly participate in election of officers or decide on policy. It is governed by a "Steering Committee" composed of representatives from the Socialist Party, PBPA, and WUAG. This was originally intended to be an interim arrangement pending agreement between the constituent parties on a permanent party structure. However such an agreement looks increasingly unlikely. The Phoenix magazine on 10 February 2012 reported relations as "descended into fratricide yet again" and "open warfare". A decision was taken by the Steering Committee and communicated to members in November 2011 to hold a national conference of the ULA in late January 2012. It was then changed to 28 April 2012. Two independent members were elected by members unaffiliated to the three founding organisations to the steering committee at the conference. In September 2011, a national campaign was launched to boycott a proposed €100 household charge. The ULA and its constituent parts are heavily involved in the campaign which also includes other left parties and political groups such as the Workers' Party, Workers Solidarity Movement (Anarchist organisation), Éirígí and some Sinn Féin members and a majority non-aligned activists and householders. Richard Boyd Barrett promised "a mass campaign of resistance" and Joe Higgins promised "a very, very big campaign in political and organisational terms". United Left Alliance TDs Richard Boyd Barrett, Joan Collins, Clare Daly and Joe Higgins opposed the imprisonment of County Offaly pensioner Teresa Treacy, jailed on 13 September 2011 for contempt of court after refusing access to her land for the construction of ESB power lines. In the two constitutional referendums held alongside the 2011 Irish presidential election, the United Left Alliance advocated a "yes" vote on the Twenty-ninth Amendment (Judges' Remuneration) and a "no" vote on the Thirtieth Amendment (Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries). The Socialist Party/ULA also unsuccessfully contested the Dublin West by-election securing 21.1% of the first preference vote, in third place behind Labour and Fianna Fáil. On 2 November 2011, Sinn Féin and United Left Alliance TDs walked out of the Dáil in protest against the government's decision not to hold a debate on the payment of more than €700 million to Anglo Irish Bank bondholders. They campaigned for a "no" vote in the 2012 European Fiscal Compact referendum. Expenses controversy In 2012 TDs Joan Collins, Claire Daly and Joe Higgins were