Agenda item
Notices of Motion
Where a motion concerns an executive function, nothing passed can be actioned until approved by the Executive or an officer with the relevant delegated power.
Minutes:
MOTION 1: ATONEMENT AND REARATIONS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM’S TRANSATLANTIC TRAFFIC IN ENSLAVED AFRICANS
Councillor Russell moved the motion. Councillor Ozdemir moved the amendment. Cllr Russell exercised her right of reply.
The amendment was put to the vote and CARRIED.
The motion as amended was put to the vote and CARRIED.
RESOLVED:
(i) To support the innovative work which has been carried out by the Runnymede Trust, the Black Curriculum and others to engage young people and teachers with more expansive, representative and inclusive histories of Britain, to overhaul the curriculum to better educate about the United Kingdom’s role in slavery, and to support calls from the National Education Union to ‘review the curriculum to ensure it embraces the fact that Britain is rooted in Black and global history, achievement and culture and includes the achievements of Black Britons; as recommended by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.’
(ii) To continue to use the Council’s fantastic libraries and heritage services to further educate local people on key issues of Black history, slavery and systemic racial injustice;
(iii) To call on the UK government to urgently establish a commission to study the impact of the United Kingdom’s Transatlantic Traffic in Enslaved Africans on social, political and economic life within the UK and the rest of the world in order to begin understanding the legacy of slavery on the society we live in and to start conversations on how to address it, and within twelve months enact changes to learn the lessons of the commission and combat the impact of slavery on our society, including committing to holistic reparations taking into consideration various proposals in accordance with the United Nations Framework on Reparations;
(iv)To support City University’s review of ties to figures in the slave trade and to support a change to the name of Cass Business School.
MOTION 2: MOTION ON CEASING SPRAYING GLYPHOSATE IN ISLINGTON
Councillor Russell moved the motion. The amendment was moved by Councillor Watts in the absence of Councillor Champion. Councillor Clarke contributed to the debate.
The amendment was put to the vote and CARRIED.
The motion as amended was put to the vote and CARRIED.
RESOLVED:
(i) To bring forward an action plan and timetable for an integrated approach to phase out the spraying of herbicides such as glyphosate, wherever possible, in the borough;
(ii) To learn from London boroughs conducting trials and, look to implement alternative treatments if results prove cost effective, efficient at removing weeds, and offer increased environmental benefits;
(iii)To encourage more residents in Islington streets to take control of weed management and opt their street out of being sprayed, to help further reduce the use of glyphosate or other herbicides in the borough;
(iv)To continue to use glyphosate to tackle invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed, where there is a duty to eradicate, and no acceptable non-chemical alternative is available and seek to use stem injection rather than spraying where possible and practical.
MOTION 3: BLACK LIVES MATTER
Councillor Ngongo moved the motion. Councillor O’Halloran seconded. Councillor Russell contributed to the debate. Councillor Ngongo exercised her right of reply.
The motion was put to the vote and CARRIED.
RESOLVED:
(i) To stand in complete solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, and commits to fighting against all form of racism and injustice;
(ii) To call on the Government to make urgent policy changes to protect Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community through the pandemic and implement the recommendations from the review of Public Health England into the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities;
(iii) To call on the Government to take urgent meaningful action to address racial discrimination and injustices in the United Kingdom and implement the recommendations from the:
- Lammy report
- Angiolini review
- Home Office Windrush review
- McGregor-Smith review;
(iv) To work with all communities in Islington, Islington Council staff and partners to educate each other on systemic racism and take real action to address the inequalities and racism experienced by communities in Islington;
(v) To support calls on the Government to make Black history a mandatory part of the national curriculum in all schools in England.
MOTION 4: CENTRAL GOVERNMENT MUST DO WHATEVER IT TAKES
Councillor Watts moved the motion. Councillor Gill seconded. Councillors Lukes and Russell contributed to the debate. Councillor Watts exercised his right of reply.
The motion was put to the vote and CARRIED.
RESOLVED:
(i) To continue to call on central government to keep its promise to fully fund the costs of responding to Covid-19, by urgently providing the £6bn to local authorities needed to close the funding gap for this year;
(ii) To call on the central government to provide sustained, adequate and fairly distributed funding to public services, including councils, and not impose further austerity;
(iii) To prioritise the safety of local people and continue to support those who need it.
Supporting documents:
- Motions to Council 9 July 2020, item 113. PDF 134 KB
- AMENDMENTS TO MOTIONS - 9 July 2020, item 113. PDF 152 KB