Council meeting interrupted before debate on pension funds

At a full council meeting on Tuesday, members debated a motion from independent councilor David Ward. It called on the West Yorkshire Pension Fund to disclose whether companies it invested in were “complicated in the genocide committed in Gaza”.

If so, they should divest from such companies.

The pension fund provides retirement income to its 300,000 members in Leeds, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield through investments in a range of companies.

It is administered by Bradford Council and Cllr Ward’s motion encouraged the council to put pressure on the fund to divert any funding from companies with links to Israel.

At the start of the meeting, several people who had supported the motion disrupted the proceedings.

Police were called to the protest at Tuesday’s council meeting (Image: T&A)

During a question to council leaders about residential park permits, several people unfurled banners, including one that read: “Profits full of Palestinian blood.”

Then they started shouting phrases like “How many children did you kill today?”

The gathering was suspended while police and security forces tried to calm the scene. Ultimately, the demonstrators were driven away from the public gallery.

Cllr Ward said: “This motion simply asks us to ensure that the West Yorkshire Pension Fund complies with our country’s foreign policy.

“Anyone who does not do everything they can to stop Israeli aggression is complicit.” Anyone who votes against our motion is helping Israel violate international humanitarian law. It is against the law for you to vote against our motion tonight.”

There were protests in the city park before Tuesday’s meeting (Image: T&A)

Councilor Rebecca Poulsen, leader of the Conservatives, said: “Pension fund members have the right to have their pensions well managed.

“I have spoken to council leaders across the country and they ask why Bradford Council spends so much time debating the Middle East when it has so many problems of its own.”

Councilor Andrew Thornton (Lab, Royds) said: “While Bradford manages the fund, we have no control over the investment. The council cannot decide where the investments go.”

Council leader Susan Hinchliffe said the council was “explicitly restricted” from determining where the fund made its investments. She added: “We can’t mislead people into thinking that every councilor in this chamber can do something about this.”

Cllr Ward said: “It seems to me that the Tory line says we shouldn’t do that, while the Labor line says we can’t do that.”

He argued that councils could put pressure on pension funds, adding: “Just be honest and say you don’t want to do that.”

Cllr Ward’s motion was rejected and the council voted for a Labor amendment instead. He called on the pension fund to be a “responsible investor” and called on the government to “ensure that weapons and military equipment designed or built in the UK are not used in laws”. This amounts to war crimes.”