URL: https://moderngov.kingston.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=5378

Decision Maker:

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose:

Content: Members debated a petition titled ‘Divest for Palestine: stop investing pension funds in complicit companies’ that received 1,578 verified signatures.   In accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme outlined in Part 4G of the Council’s Constitution the petition organiser addressed the meeting to present the petition. The Lead Petitioner urged the Council to act on four key demands from the petition: to transparently review its investments, divest from complicit companies, strengthen its investment policy, and publicly report on its progress.   The Chair of the Pension Fund Panel opened the debate by explaining that the Council had first introduced an ethical investment strategy in 2018 and confirmed that it was constantly reviewed to be agile and responsive to the changes on the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, while meeting the needs of the members of the fund.   After several members had contributed an adjournment was requested. Following the adjournment, Councillor James Giles proposed, and Councillor Andreas Kirsch seconded, under Procedural Rule 16 (4), that a vote be taken to suspend procedural rules to permit a motion without notice to be presented for consideration. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED that procedural rules be suspended to permit a motion to be heard.   Voting: For:                             Councillors Afy Afilaka, Andrew Bolton, Jamal Chohan, Lorraine Dunstone, Mark Durrant, James Giles, Mariana Goncalves, Liz Green, Helen Grocott, Patrick Hall, Sabah Hamed, Roger Hayes, Lesley Heap, Lynn Henderson, Peter Herlinger, Alison Holt, Amir Ali Khan, Robert Dongsung Kim, Andreas Kirsch, Griseldis Kirsch, Kamala Kugan, Mike Massimi, Sharukh Mirza, Nicola Nardelli, Anne Owen, Elizabeth Park, Tom Reeve, Farshid Sadr-Hashemi, Anita Schaper, Andrew Sillett, Susan Skipwith, John Sweeney, Yvonne Tracey, Thay Thayalan, Richard Thorpe, Olly Wehring, Andrew Wooldridge and Yogan Yoganathan.(38)   Against:                      None. (0)   Abstentions:              Councillors Noel Hadjimichael (Mayor), Sue Ansari (Deputy Mayor), Rowena Bass and Ian George. (4)   Following the resumption of debate, a motion was proposed by Councillor James Giles and seconded by Councillor Andreas Kirsch as follows:   "This council notes the receipt of a valid petition signed by 1,578 individuals, including 1,232 residents of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, calling for pension fund divestment from companies complicit in violations of international law in Palestine and throughout the world. This Council therefore resolves to: ·         Establish a cross-party task and finish group to conduct a full, urgent and transparent review of all pension fund investments, including those held via the London CIV, to identify holdings in companies allegedly complicit in violations of international law and human rights in Palestine and throughout the world.   Instruct the Task and Finish Group to make recommendations to the pension fund panel: ·         Commit to full transparency by writing to all petitioners following the pension fund review of the task and finish group recommendations. ·         Refer the outcome of the task and finish group to the pension fund panel in time for their meeting on the 17th of September 2025." After some further debate a vote was taken and it was unanimously RESOLVED that – "This council notes the receipt of a valid petition signed by 1,578 individuals, including 1,232 residents of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, calling for pension fund divestment from companies complicit in violations of international law in Palestine and throughout the world. This Council therefore resolves to: ·         Establish a cross-party task and finish group to conduct a full, urgent and transparent review of all pension fund investments, including those held via the London CIV, to identify holdings in companies allegedly complicit in violations of international law and human rights in Palestine and throughout the world.   Instruct the Task and Finish Group to make recommendations to the pension fund panel: ·         Commit to full transparency by writing to all petitioners following the pension fund review of the task and finish group recommendations. ·         Refer the outcome of the task and finish group to the pension fund panel in time for their meeting on the 17th of September 2025."  

Date of Decision: July 8, 2025