Councillors have agreed to grant the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) the Freedom of the City following recent hostility directed towards the charity.
In mid-October, Portsmouth City Council members approved a notice of motion supporting the award of the civic honour to the RNLI’s Eastney lifeboat station.
It followed the arrival of migrant boats in September, when lifeboats transported asylum seekers ashore at Eastney before they were taken to Kent for processing.
Abuse directed at lifeboat volunteers
RNLI volunteers subsequently faced threats, intimidation and abuse, leading to the temporary closure of the Eastney lifeboat station.
RNLI crew from the Island were also involved in the operation and received online intimidation and abuse. The Isle of Wight Council leader, Jonathan Bacon, condemned the abuse at the time.
During the meeting, an email from the lifeboat station was read to members, detailing the abuse crew members had experienced. This included being confronted in pubs, yacht clubs and shops, while two volunteers said their children had been bullied at school.
Highest civic honour conferred
Following approval of the motion, the council has now conferred the city’s highest civic honour under the Local Government Act 1972.
The motion states that “for generations, the volunteer crews of Portsmouth Lifeboat Station have put to sea in all weathers and at all hours to save lives, of local people, in the waters around our city, giving their time and courage freely in the service of others.”
Arrangements will now be made for the presentation and formal admission to the Freedom of the City.
Vernon-Jackson : A life worth saving
Before the vote, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson told the chamber that any life at danger at sea “is a life worth saving”, regardless of who they are.
He said that “for over 200 years” the RNLI had “put their lives at risk and we owe them our thanks”.
He added that the council needed “to stand with these brave volunteers” at a time when “they’re facing abuse”.
Reform UK councillors abstain
All members voted in favour of conferring the honour, apart from the seven Reform UK councillors, who abstained.
Their decision prompted the word “disgrace” to be heard murmured across the chamber.
During the debate in mid-October, the Reform group said it would support the motion if references condemning the RNLI being described as a “taxi service” were removed, arguing that residents were entitled to express that view.
What is the Freedom of the City?
A Freedom of the City award is the highest civic honour a council can grant, recognising individuals or organisations for exceptional contributions to the community and city.
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
