Agenda item

A)  Climate Change

 

It was moved by Councillor Swindlehurst,

Seconded by Councillor Anderson,

 

“This Council notes the UK Government and Local Government Association’s declaration of a national ‘climate emergency’, recognises that there is a growing urgency for national and international action to combat climate change, and commits to developing a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan that will address the causes and consequences of climate change in Slough by tackling 5 key objectives:

·   Reducing emissions from our estate and operations

·   Reducing energy consumption and emissions by promoting energy efficiency measures, sustainable construction, renewable energy sources, and behaviour change

·   Reducing emissions from transport by promoting sustainable transport, reducing car travel and traffic congestion, and encouraging behaviour change

·   Reducing consumption of resources, increasing recycling and reducing waste

·   Supporting council services, residents and businesses to adapt to the impacts of climate change.”

It was moved by Councillor Strutton, as an amendment,

Seconded by Councillor Smith, 

 

“This Council notes the UK Government and Local Government Association’s declaration of a national ‘climate emergency’, recognises that there is a growing urgency for national,  and international and local action to combat climate change, and commits to developing a Local Climate Change Strategy and  Action Plan that will address the causes and consequences of climate change in Slough by tackling 5 key objectives within achievable interim targets for 3,5 and 10 years:

·  Reducing emissions from our estate and operations

·  Reducing energy consumption and emissions by promoting energy efficiency measures, sustainable construction, renewable energy sources, and behaviour change

·  Reducing emissions from transport by promoting sustainable transport, reducing car travel and traffic congestion, and encouraging behaviour change

·  Reducing consumption of resources, increasing recycling and reducing waste

·  Supporting council services, residents and businesses to adapt to the impacts of climate change.”

Therefore, this Council will establish a Cross-Party Working Group to undertake an in-depth review of the council's current carbon footprint and bring a climate action plan forward within six months that will enable the Council and its partners to better contribute towards addressing the emergency in Slough and commit to implement cleaner air zones within the next three years.”

 

The amendment was put to the vote and lost with 3 votes For, 33 Against and 2 Abstentions.

 

The original motion was put to the vote and carried with 37 votes For and 1 Abstention.

 

Resolved – This Council notes the UK Government and Local Government Association’s declaration of a national ‘climate emergency’, recognises that there is a growing urgency for national and international action to combat climate change, and commits to developing a Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan that will address the causes and consequences of climate change in Slough by tackling 5 key objectives:

·  Reducing emissions from our estate and operations

·  Reducing energy consumption and emissions by promoting energy efficiency measures, sustainable construction, renewable energy sources, and behaviour change

·  Reducing emissions from transport by promoting sustainable transport, reducing car travel and traffic congestion, and encouraging behaviour change

·  Reducing consumption of resources, increasing recycling and reducing waste

·  Supporting council services, residents and businesses to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

B)  Anti-Semitism

 

It was moved by Councillor Smith,

Seconded by Councillor Strutton,

 

“This Council expresses alarm at the rise in anti-Semitism in Britain,  and resolves to:

a)  Endorse Labour Leader, Cllr. Swindlehurst’s, statement in relation to the Slough Labour Party dated May 2019, as follows:

‘I always have and will continue to condemn anti-Semitism and discrimination in any form. It is a scourge and should be called out and rooted out wherever it is found in our society.

There is no space for anti-Semitism to exist or be perpetuated within Slough Labour Party’.

 b)  Acknowledge anti-Semitism as a fundamental issue and hereby adopt the International Holocaust Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism;

‘Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities’.

 c)  Write to Slough MP Tan Dhesi, requesting him to lobby Jeremy Corbyn to follow Slough Labour Party’s lead in taking action against anti-Semitism.

 

 d) Welcome cross-party support within the Council to challenge anti-Semitism in all its manifestations. Furthermore, as a consequence of rising anti-Semitism, commit to promoting religious harmony and tolerance through Slough’s Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education (SACRE) to combat anti-Semitism.

 e) Withdraw Slough Borough Council funding from any organisation that practices or tolerates Anti-Semitism.

It was moved by Councillor Carter, as an amendment,

Seconded by Councillor Ajaib, 

 

“This Council expresses alarm at the rise in anti-SAntisemitism and Islamophobia in Britain, and resolves to:

a)  Endorse Labour Leader, Cllr. Swindlehurst’s, statement in relation to the Slough Labour Party dated May 2019, as follows:

“Over 20 years ago I signed up to the values of the Labour Party, on our membership card it states we are working to build a ‘community where we live together freely in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.’

 

I always have, and will continue to condemn anti-SAntisemitismand discrimination in any form. It is a scourge and should be called out and rooted out wherever it is found in our society.

 

We are fortunate in Slough to have a large and active Labour Party of over 1,700 members. Despite our size we have only had a couple of discriminatory comments on social media over the past few years and local party officers acted decisively and immediately to report the perpetrators, resulting in the immediately suspension of the authors from the Labour Party. There is no space for anti-SAntisemitismto exist or be perpetuated within Slough Labour Party.

 

Given there is now a live investigation by the EHRC into the national Labour Party organisation’s response and handling of complaints, that should be enabled to run its course and I look forward reading its findings and conclusions and will make a further comment when the investigation is complete and its findings are available.”

 

b) Acknowledge anti-SAntisemitism as a fundamental issue and hereby adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-SAntisemitism, with its working examples;

‘Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.’

§  Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.

§  Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.

§  Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.

§  Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).

§  Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust. 

§  Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.

§  Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.

§  Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

§  Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.

§  Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

§  Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

and the MEND definition of Islamophobia;

‘Islamophobia is a prejudice, aversion, hostility, or hatred towards Muslims and encompasses any distinction, exclusion, restriction, discrimination, or preference against Muslims that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.’

 
c)  Write to Slough MP Tan Dhesi, requesting him to lobby Jeremy Corbyn to follow Slough Labour Party’s lead in taking action against anti-Semitism. Welcome the educational initiatives taken by the Labour Party Leadership and the launch of the new Antisemitism educational material.

 

 d) Welcome cross-party support within the Council to challenge anti-SAntisemitism all forms of racism and religious discrimination in all its manifestations. Furthermore, as a consequence of rising anti-SAntisemitism, commit to promoting religious harmony and tolerance through Slough’s Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education (SACRE) to combat anti-SAntisemitism.

 e) Withdraw Slough Borough Council funding from any organisation that practices or tolerates anti-SAntisemitism.”

 

The amendment was put to the vote and carried with 37 votes For and 1 Abstention.

 

The amendment became the substantive motion and put to the vote and agreed unanimously.

 

Resolved -

 

This Council expresses alarm at the rise in Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Britain, and resolves to:

b)  Endorse Labour Leader, Cllr. Swindlehurst’s, statement in relation to the Slough Labour Party dated May 2019, as follows:

“Over 20 years ago I signed up to the values of the Labour Party, on our membership card it states we are working to build a ‘community where we live together freely in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.’

 

I always have, and will continue to condemn Antisemitism and discrimination in any form. It is a scourge and should be called out and rooted out wherever it is found in our society.

 

We are fortunate in Slough to have a large and active Labour Party of over 1,700 members. Despite our size we have only had a couple of discriminatory comments on social media over the past few years and local party officers acted decisively and immediately to report the perpetrators, resulting in the immediately suspension of the authors from the Labour Party. There is no space for Antisemitism to exist or be perpetuated within Slough Labour Party.

 

Given there is now a live investigation by the EHRC into the national Labour Party organisation’s response and handling of complaints, that should be enabled to run its course and I look forward reading its findings and conclusions and will make a further comment when the investigation is complete and its findings are available.”

b) Acknowledge Antisemitism as a fundamental issue and hereby adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of Antisemitism, with its working examples;

‘Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of Antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.’

§  Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.

§  Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.

§  Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.

§  Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).

§  Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust. 

§  Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.

§  Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.

§  Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

§  Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.

§  Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

§  Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

and the MEND definition of Islamophobia;

‘Islamophobia is a prejudice, aversion, hostility, or hatred towards Muslims and encompasses any distinction, exclusion, restriction, discrimination, or preference against Muslims that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.’

 
c)  Welcome the educational initiatives taken by the Labour Party Leadership and the launch of the new Antisemitism educational material.

 

 d) Welcome cross-party support within the Council to challenge all forms of racism and religious discrimination in all its manifestations. Furthermore, as a consequence of rising Antisemitism, commit to promoting religious harmony and tolerance through Slough’s Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education (SACRE) to combat Antisemitism.

 e) Withdraw Slough Borough Council funding from any organisation that practices or tolerates Antisemitism.