Renewed concerns have been raised over the Isle of Wight Council’s “ongoing failure” to debate a motion calling for the ethical investment of its pension fund, amid the “genocide against Gaza and Palestine”.
Empowering Islanders group leader Chris Jarman said an attempt had been made to get the proposal on the agenda of January’s full council meeting but that it was “again blocked by the monitoring officer”.
However, an Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said “no further motion” has been submitted by Councillor Jarman since November last year and that the monitoring officer cannot advise on the validity of any motion without seeing its full wording.
Councillor Jarman has spoken out after more than 30 local authorities across the UK passed similar divestment proposals or made related statements, including Manchester City Council, Oxford City Council, North Somerset Council and West Berkshire Council.
Chiverton: Ongoing failure to debate the very moderately worded motion
Mark Chiverton, UNISON’s Isle of Wight local government branch secretary, whose union represents over 1,000 workers at County Hall, said,
“UNISON continues to be very frustrated about the Isle of Wight Council’s ongoing failure to debate the very moderately worded motion on divestment which was originally considered by the Pensions Committee before being passed to the full council for consideration.”
Jarman: It’s been going on for a year now
Councillor Jarman said,
“It’s been going on for a year now. This is the first-year anniversary of the matter being raised. It was raised at Pension Committee, Pension Board and at a whole range of informal meetings and then of course at full council a few times.
“The original discussions at the pension committee were resisted by officers who sought external advice on the matter. That external advice talked a great deal about peripheral issues to the key issue of the risk of investing…in those companies who were potentially complicit in the genocide against Gaza and Palestine.”
Complicit companies
The Totland and Colwell representative said complicit companies were those which aid or abet a genocide by, for example, providing arms or weapons.
He cited decisions made by the International Court of Justice, which in 2024 found it plausible that acts by Israel could amount to genocide, and the International Criminal Court, that issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif.
Councillor Jarman said a motion on the matter was brought to a full council meeting in October 2025 with the permission of an interim monitoring officer and was believed to have “vast support from across the chamber”.
County Hall’s fire alarm went off during the meeting and the motion was deferred.
Seeking to re-present the motion
Councillor Jarman said that before the November full council meeting, objections to the motion were raised by the permanent monitoring officer who provided legal advice to County Hall’s chair, Ian Dore. Councillor Dore removed the item from the agenda.
Councillor Jarman added,
“Continuing with our efforts, I’ve gone back to him (monitoring officer) and said we will seek to re-present an updated motion to both the pension committee and to full council and the monitoring officer’s reply to me is that those are unlikely to be successful.”
IWC: No further motion has been submitted by Councillor Jarman since that meeting
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said,
“The decision on councillor Jarman’s motion of 19th November 2025 was made by the Chair of the council in line with established procedural rules, as reflected in the published minutes.
“No further motion has been submitted by Councillor Jarman since that meeting, and therefore none has been assessed. The monitoring officer cannot advise on the validity of any motion without seeing its full wording. The council remains committed to processing all motions fairly, transparently and in accordance with its constitution.”
PSC: 30 local authorities taken ethical investment steps
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Palestine Solidarity Campaign said,
“Approximately 30 local authorities across the UK have already taken ethical investment steps. Here, however, even securing a fair debate has become an uphill struggle. Motions allowed one month are ruled out the next; a fire alarm halts a meeting, and the issue is pushed back again.
“Islanders deserve transparency and democratic accountability. We will continue pressing for ethical investment and for the right of elected representatives to debate this vital issue openly.”
Chiverton: UNISON members clearly recognise that the suffering imposed on the Palestinian population
Mr Chiverton added,
“Increasingly widespread and deep-seated concern has been regularly expressed at all levels of UNISON about the devastation systematically inflicted on the people of Gaza by the extreme policies pursued by the Israeli Government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
“UNISON members clearly recognise that the suffering imposed on the Palestinian population over the recent period has massively compounded the longstanding injustices resulting from the illegal occupation of the West Bank and other neighbouring territories.
“The importance of ethical investment of the Local Government Pension Fund, including divestment from companies which invest heavily in Israeli defence-related industries, is an issue which the UNISON Branch has regularly raised with both councillors and senior managers, at both public meetings and in informal discussions.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
