Councillor kicked out of council meeting over Israel divestment motion speaks out

Socialist Lotte Collett was asked to leave the meeting after calling for Israeli weapons suppliers to be axed from Haringey Council’s pension fund, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Tottenham Town Hall with (inset left) Lotte Collette and (inset right) Mary Mason — Tottenham Town Hall with (inset left) Lotte Collett and (inset right) Mary Mason

An independent councillor has expressed her shock over being told to leave a council meeting after calling for the divestment of Haringey’s pension fund from firms supplying weapons to Israel.

Independent Socialist Group councillor Lotte Collett was proposing a divestment motion at Tottenham Town Hall last week when she was interrupted three times by Haringey mayor and meeting chair Sue Jameson, before being asked to leave along with colleague Mary Mason, who was seconding the motion.

The pair are former Labour councillors who quit the party two years ago before forming a separate group on the council, which also includes a third ex-Labour member.

The disagreement at the meeting on Monday, 24th March, arose because Cllr Collett wanted to include mentions of Israel and Palestine in her motion calling for the council to divest its pension fund from unethical companies.

A council spokesperson insisted this week the two councillors had moved “away from the agreed subject matter” and that the mayor was entitled to intervene since they were trying instead to discuss “international matters beyond the council’s control”.

After the two socialist councillors left, an amended motion without mentioning Israel or Palestine was instead agreed by Labour councillors.

Explaining her reaction to being asked to leave the meeting, Cllr Collett said: “Effectively there were only a few words left of what was our original motion. The intent [of the motion agreed instead] is now changed. We were blocked.”

She described the Labour administration’s alternative motion as a “refusal to acknowledge that anything was happening in Gaza” and instead about “looking into divesting” rather than “just doing it”.

Explaining the reason for their motion, Cllr Mason highlighted the high number of dead civilians in Gaza, in particular the number of deaths of young children and teenagers killed by Israeli air strikes.

She said: “In Israel the government has been challenged in international courts and accused of genocide, therefore we should not be investing in any companies that are linked, and there’s a legitimate body of opinion in Haringey that agrees.”

Voicing her surprise at the removal, Cllr Collett added: “We’re only allowed to bring one motion a year to the chamber, so the council was well aware we would bring this motion on 24th March.

“We had everything passed with the council’s legal department and had undergone extensive discussions with democratic services and at no point was I informed that I couldn’t mention the words Israel or Gaza. Then, I’m afraid I refused to stop speaking.”

Pointing out the experience was “deeply intimidating” and her surprise at people she thought were “decent human beings”, she said “on the whole” the council was being reduced to “performative politics” and “authoritarian rule”.

Former St Ann’s ward councillor Tammy Hymas, who resigned after voicing criticism of both the national and local government, particularly on the Gaza issue, expressed support for the two councillors.

She said: “I think the council should be working towards a responsible investment policy with the pension’s committee. We need more leadership around this issue and it is the role of the local government to stand up for the interests of people who have experienced injustice internationally.”

A council spokesperson said: “Council procedures were followed both before and during the full council meeting.

“The wording of the motion was agreed by the monitoring officer in the usual way. If individuals decide to move away from the agreed subject matter, the mayor has the power to intervene and ask them to stop.

“The council’s standing orders are clear that motions must only debate issues for which the council has a responsibility, or affecting the wellbeing of the borough, not international matters beyond the council’s control.

“When Cllr Collett did not directly address the motion despite repeated requests to do so, the speech was curtailed in line with the standing orders. The mayor provided three verbal warnings and then the councillor was asked to leave the meeting.

“An amended motion was put forward, which was debated and agreed by full council.”

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