Council leader will write letter to PM supporting Gaza ceasefire after angry scenes at Morecambe Town Hall

The leader of Lancaster City Council will write to the Prime Minister supporting calls for a ceasefire in Gaza following angry scenes over a decision to block a motion on the Middle East crisis.

Councillor Phillip Black was speaking at a heated meeting at Morecambe Town Hall on Wednesday evening, during which the mayor had to call for calm as feelings ran high in a packed public gallery.

Members of the public spoke out passionately after Mark Davies, council chief executive, ruled that a Green party motion asking the council to call for a ceasefire in the Middle East, could not be debated at the meeting of full council.

Mr Davies said the motion was "primarily concerned with international affairs and in my opinion is not a local issue".

Read more: Lancaster City Council chief explains why he blocked motion on Gaza ceasefire - Beyond Radio

But following the speeches and angry shouts from the public gallery, Councillor Phillip Black, leader of the council, said he would personally write to the Prime Minister, adding his voice to calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East.

Background

The Lancaster Green group put forward the motion asking for issues in Gaza to be discussed at the meeting.

Councillor Tom Fish, of the Greens, said the motion "would have condemned all anti-semitism, Islamophobia and hate crime and asked the chief executive to write to the Prime Minister to urge Parliament to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza".

Councillors are able to submit proposals, or motions, for discussion at Lancaster City Council meetings, which can then be voted on by members of all political groups on the council. 

But Mr Davies said: “Under the council’s Constitution motions must be about matters for which the council has a responsibility, or which affect the area or residents, workers or visitors to the district.

"The motion is primarily concerned with international affairs and in my opinion is not a local issue.

“Motions must also be considered for the potential to cause offence, amongst other matters. As such they are accompanied by an officer briefing note which sets out any key risks together with the financial and legal implications associated with accepting a motion. Put simply, we do not have the knowledge or expertise to be commenting, as local government officers, on matters such as this and any risks that may be associated.

“Given that we are not in a position to understand all these complex issues, and for the reasons as set out above, I do not believe that the motion can go forward to council for consideration.”

What happened at the meeting

Although the motion had not been allowed, three members of the public were given time to speak at the town hall about the issue on Wednesday evening.

Khaldoun Jayousi asked the city council what they were prepared to do to "use your influence to end the violence in the Middle East and help us all live in peace in this district" and if they agreed that the situation in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel was "making Arabs and Muslims of Lancaster more exposed than ever before to racism, Islamaphobia and attacks".

"I care about Lancaster and about the community and am a very active participant in a lot of charities and community work," said Mr Jayousi (pictured below).

"I know we all have our position on this issue of the Middle East. But please use your heart and conscience."

Pete Moser, a local musician, called for the council to "support local residents in distress, to continue to build community cohesion in our area, and also to use your lobbying power as individual councillors to call for a ceasefire and an end to violence in Gaza and Israel which so clearly affects us here in our district".

Audrey Glover, from Lancaster and Morecambe Trades Union Council (pictured below), said: "If our elected representatives are not allowed to give voice to our concerns then who can?"

She told the packed town hall about a (Lancaster University) student from Palestine who is "currently walking around visibly shaking and can barely function never mind focus on her studies because she is living in fear of what she can only imagine is happening to her family" and "a Palestinian worker (in the UK) who had resigned suddenly and immediately (from her job) after two members of her family were killed in Gaza (and who) now lives in fear for the rest of her family and cannot work".

"It is a cold heart that remains unaffected by such trauma being faced daily by our colleagues and neighbours," she said.

"Why then has the motion been ruled out of order that gives a voice to so many local people deeply affected by events in Gaza?

"Lancaster City Council councillors...should be able to democratically discuss and call for a ceasefire to reflect strong local opinion. The council, obviously, cannot make a ceasefire happen, but it can add its voice on behalf of the citizens of Lancaster district and put pressure on the people that can.

"Freedom. Peace. It's all we want. What is so hard about that?"

Their speeches were met with loud applause from the public gallery and shouts of support for the speakers.

Peter Jackson, the city council cabinet member for communities and leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said in response:

"I do agree and the council agrees that the current situation in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank is having terrible effects on some residents of our district," said Councillor Jackson.

"I agree that this situation may increase the risk of Islamaphobic attacks and the fear of such attacks for our Arab and Muslim residents.

"The council must of course consider the interests of all residents and I note that the risk to our Jewish community, of anti-semitic attacks and the fear of such attacks may also be increased because of this situation.

"The council will seek to monitor these risks through the Community Safety Partnership. In cooperation with the police we will respond if any attacks on any member of the community occur.

"While individually, councillors and political groups may express their concerns and opinions, about the violence in the Middle East, the council will focus on the safety of our residents, and will not express a view.

"I want to thank you all for your addresses. Very powerful, great passion. It's important that councillors here understand that passion.

"The terrible events that have been unfolding will be on the minds of all decent people. There is no doubt at all that the desire for a ceasefire is the view of a large number of people in our district. Innocent people have been killed and continue to be killed. We've had some heart-rending examples of that. There are those in our community who are directly affected, who are fearful for loved ones and themselves also, not knowing what prejudice and possibly hatred might be visited upon them. Those people here, in our community, are the concern of this council.

"Only three incidents of hate crime have been recorded here in present, since October 7. But there will be tensions and justified fears that do not appear as recorded crimes.

"Mr Moser (pictured below) rightly referred to Lancaster as a City of Sanctuary and a place that seeks to welcome all races and faiths to live here.

"At its core, however, a motion asking the chief executive to write to the government to ask for a ceasefire is about foreign policy, and officers' view was that this was clearly outside the remit of this council."

This led to further angry shouts from the public gallery including "Shame on you!" and "You're a disgrace!" at which point Councillor Roger Dennison, mayor of Lancaster, said any further outbursts would lead to that person being asked to leave.

Councillor Jackson continued: "I'm not expressing a personal view. Officers' view remains that the reason not to accept the motion was sound.

"I'm going to close once again by expressing once again on behalf of the council, our sincere sympathy and support for all in any community who are experiencing anxiety and loss, or the fear of loss, at this time.

"Individual councillors, including myself, clearly can express a view on this."

Chris Dealtry, a resident who had intended to speak to the council about a different subject, then called for a minute's silence in memory of those killed in Gaza.

Councillor Roger Dennison, mayor of Lancaster, agreed and a minute's silence took place.

Afterwards, many of the people in the public gallery left the meeting, while continuing to express their anger at the council's stance.

One man, before leaving, shouted: "Children are dying and you are doing nothing as a council. This is outrageous."

A few minutes later, Councillor Ruth Colbridge, of Labour, "After we've heard such moving words, is there not anything we can do as a council? Could we ask that Councillor Black write a letter to the Prime Minister? I think it's the right thing to do."

Councillor Black (pictured below) said: "Even though a motion on the issue hadn't been able to come forward, a letter to the Prime Minister with support for calls for a ceasefire in it...I'm happy to give an undertaking that a letter can be written from myself to the Prime Minister with that aim in mind."

After the meeting, Councillor Gina Dowding, leader of the local Green group, said: "We are absolutely delighted that the leader of the council unexpectedly announced that he would write to the Government calling for a ceasefire.

"This just demonstrates the power of the community showing up at full council and expressing their feelings.

"The moving and emotional testimonies that were presented to full council about the horrors of the violence in Gaza on local people had an impact on us all.

"I think a lot has to be learned from listening to those powerful stories and local people's expectations of their councillors."

Ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups have been taking place chiefly in and around the Gaza Strip since early October. Thousands of people have died in the conflict.

What was in the motion that was blocked?

The motion, backed by all 21 of Lancaster district's Green councillors, said:

"This council notes

- that many people in Lancaster have been deeply affected by the violence in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, especially those with family members living in the region;

-that protests in Dalton Square in recent weeks have been attended by hundreds of people calling for a long term ceasefire and the end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories;

-that all over the world humanitarian organisations are calling for a ceasefire including those agencies working on the ground in Gaza including; Oxfam, Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières, Action Aid and Amnesty International.

-that Save The Children have highlighted that the number of children reported killed in Gaza since the beginning of October has surpassed the annual number of children killed across the world's conflict zones since 2019;

Condemns

-all anti-semitism and islamophobia – and hate crime against Palestinians, Israelis, Jewish and Muslim people;

- those people involved in causing hateful and criminal graffiti in our district such as the abhorrent anti-semitic graffiti found in Skerton last month

- the tragic loss of civilian life in both the Hamas attacks on the 7th of October and the ensuing bombardment of the Gaza strip by Israel;

Believes

- Peace among nations is experienced when mutual concerns are justly addressed with understanding, respect and cooperation; where resolutions to disputes come through dialogue and negotiation, arriving at non-exploitative settlements that give consideration entrenched injustices, future generations and our shared environment.

-That community cohesion in our local area is threatened by international violence and can only be improved though peaceful resolution of international issues

Regrets

-the UK Government’s abstention at the UN and against supporting a sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities;

Therefore, this Council resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to the UK’s Prime Minister, Home Secretary, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to support our residents with connection to Israel and Palestine by :-

1. Calling for an immediate full ceasefire; and to vote for this at the UN;

2. Working for the immediate release of all remaining Israeli and Palestinian hostages;

3. Ceasing all arms sales, and ending military aid to those involved in the conflict;

4. Resourcing and supporting an intense diplomatic initiative to create peace talks and a peace process to find a pathway for a lasting end to violence and a long-term political settlement."