Streatham’s Martin Abrams confronts Council as Labour ‘guts’ Gaza divestment motion backed by 5,000 signatures

Abrams’ questions went unanswered by both council leadership and officers, before the meeting descended into full chaos as protests erupted from a packed public gallery and council leader Claire Holland was forced to abandon the chamber. Proceedings were halted for 30 minutes while campaigners from Acorn demanded she address concerns over the use of bailiffs to collect council tax (separate report to follow).

What followed was a period of mounting procedural confusion that would ultimately push the meeting into outright political theatre.After proceedings resumed, the Green group were preparing to withdraw their Gaza divestment motion following significant Labour amendments presented earlier that day, when a further recess was abruptly called.

During that recess, the Greens were summoned into a side room and informed that the council had reversed its earlier position and that the motion could no longer be withdrawn, despite officers admitting that the constitution was unclear, a move Green leader Scott Ainslie later described as unprecedented in his 12 years on the council.

However, when the council reconvened, Cllr Martin Bailey, chair of Lambeth’s Pensions Committee, told the chamber that “Lambeth pension fund has zero direct holdings in companies operating in Israeli settlements, zero active investments in the occupied Palestinian territories, zero exposure.” He added that the issue was therefore “not about divestment but symbolism”, and said that antisemitism and xenophobia must be challenged wherever they arise.

Speaking for the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Matthew Bryant, deputy leader of the Lambeth Liberal Democrats, said he had welcomed the opportunity to debate the motion and described it as “an outrage” that a petition signed by 5,000 residents was not being given proper consideration. He referred to what he called a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, saying Palestinian lives and communities had been destroyed by the Israeli government’s offensive, and argued that the genocide could not be ignored.

Bryant said the Liberal Democrats had repeatedly called on the UK government to do more to hold Prime Minister Netanyahu and his ministers to account, including banning military exports to Israel and ending UK trade with illegal Israeli settlements. Drawing a parallel with sanctions imposed over Ukraine, he said we here in Lambeth, to the “little extent we can should also play our part”.

The Green Party motion to Divest from Genocide and War with Labour amendments was carried.

Speaking after the meeting, Green group leader Scott Ainslie said:

“The Labour amendments, published just three hours before the meeting, removed any reference to genocide or divestment, unconstitutionally negating the purpose of our motion.

We could not, in good conscience, remain in the meeting.

We will now be writing to the auditors to raise concerns about governance at Lambeth Council.” – Cllr Scott Ainslie