According to IRNA on TRT, the Local Council Members’ Pledge for Palestine, launched in December by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and supported by the “Vote Palestine 2026” coalition, commits elected representatives to act to protect Palestinian rights and ensure that their councils are not complicit in Israeli violations of international law.
Among the proposed measures is the withdrawal of capital from council pension funds from companies that are involved in violating international law.
According to data from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, 31 councils have so far passed resolutions or issued statements in support of pension fund divestment, a position supported by 46 percent of voters and opposed by only 14 percent.
“The massive pro-Palestine movement that has brought millions onto the streets of Britain will not die,” Dan Ailey Williamson, a senior member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said in a statement on Saturday. “Our message to the authorities is clear: if you want our vote, stand up for Palestine.”
Of the 1,028 councillors who have signed the pledge, 345 are from the Green Party, 338 from Labour, 104 from the Liberal Democrats and three from the Conservative Party, with hundreds more from the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, the Scottish Greens and local parties or serving as independents.
The coalition also promotes the “People’s Pledge for Palestine,” encouraging voters to only support candidates who have signed the Council Members’ Pledge.
The move comes as Labour faces declining support nationally and there are concerns about the potential loss of key councils.
Richard Burgoyne, the Labour MP for Leeds East, said: “British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to defend the rights of the Palestinian people is wrong and has already severely damaged the Labour Party in the election.”
Reminder of the stance against apartheid
In some areas, the pledge could be decisive. In Hackney, where Labour has a large majority, all six Independent Socialist councillors and several Green Party councillors have signed the pledge, while only three Labour MPs have.
Green Party councillor and mayoral candidate Zoe Garbett said: “The council took a stand against South African apartheid and now it’s time to take a similar stand for the Palestinians.”
Hassaniya Jafari, a member of the Oxford Independent Council, also said: The pledge “highlights a candidate’s integrity, moral soundness, and consistency in implementing international law.”
Trafford councillor Hannah Spencer also said: “People in Gorton and Denton of all races and religions are appalled by this brutality. They don’t want a genocidal supporter or a Netanyahu cheerleader. They want a real alternative.”
According to IRNA, Palestine has become one of the main axes of political and legal controversy in Britain, and human and civil rights organizations have warned of the increasing strictness and its deterrent effect on the right to peaceful assembly.
Amnesty International in the UK had previously criticized the widespread arrests related to the “Action for Palestine” group case in a letter to the Chief of Police in London.
In the latest example of civil protests, reports indicate that dozens of civil society organizations, including human rights institutions and unions, have described new plans to increase police powers to restrict gatherings as “dangerous” and have called for a halt to the process of tightening anti-protest laws.
A recent report by Human Rights Watch, focusing on legal developments and enforcement practices in the UK, reported criticism from international human rights officials regarding the path of restricting the right to protest in this country, warning that this process could significantly limit freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
