Agenda item

To consider a motion submitted by Councillor Mandy Bannon, seconded by Councillors Kevin Frea, Jason Wood and Joyce Pritchard.

The motion is set out in the agenda papers, accompanied by an officer briefing note as required by the Constitution.

Councillor Bannon proposed the following motion having given the required notice to the Chief Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15:-

“This Council notes there is a real need for Local Authorities to work together in solidarity to promote more peaceful and safer communities at the local and the global level. There remains over 13,000 nuclear weapons which have the explosive content to create 280,000 explosions of the size that destroyed the city of Hiroshima on 6^th August 1945. 

The Council also notes and welcomes the rapid development of the Mayors for Peace organisation, which campaigns for a more peaceful and nuclear weapons free world. It now has over 8000 member towns and cities from 166 countries representing over a billion people worldwide.  102 of those members are in the UK and Republic of Ireland and include cities like Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Dublin and Belfast.

The main charter of Mayors for Peace calls for “closer cooperation among towns and cities, strives to raise international public awareness regarding the need to abolish nuclear weapons and contributes to the realisation of genuine and lasting world peace by working to eliminate starvation and poverty, assist refugees fleeing local conflict, support human rights, protect the environment, and solve the other problems that threaten peaceful coexistence within the human family.” 

Action

The Council hereby resolves

·        To join the Mayors for Peace organisation and consider the approval of a suggested voluntary donation of £120 for larger Councils to assist development of the UK and Ireland Mayors, Provosts and Leaders for Peace Chapter and the international campaigning work of Mayors for Peace led by its International Secretariats in Hiroshima and Ypres.  

·       To consider, along with the Mayor, a permanent representative for the Council to attend up to twice yearly meetings of the UK & Ireland Mayors, Provosts and Leaders for Peace Chapter.  

·       To engage with the European Chapter of Mayors for Peace as it develops.  

·       To consider holding on August 6^th or 9^th an annual commemorative peace ceremony to remember all innocent civilians killed in all conflicts over the past 75 years and / or an annual ceremony to commemorate International Peace Day on September 21^st.”  

Councillor Wood seconded the motion.

An officer briefing note accompanied the motion on the agenda.

Councillor Bannon replied to a number of questions raised by Councillors before the motion was debated.

At the conclusion of the debate a recorded vote was requested in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.4.

The votes were recorded as follows:

For the motion:

Councillors Anderton, Askari, Bannon, Black, Blaikie, Brookes, Bryning, Dowding, Frea, Greenwell, Hamilton-Cox, Hanson, Hartley, Hunter, Jackson (Caroline), King, Lenox, Lewis, Matthews, Mills, Parr, Penny, Pritchard, Redfern, Robinson, Sinclair, Stubbins, Taylor, Thornberry, Whitaker, Whitehead, Wood and Young. (33)

Against the motion:

Councillors Budden, De La Mare, Gardiner, Guilding, Jackson (Joan), Wild and Yates. (7)

Abstentions:

Councillors Anderson, Boyd-Power, Cleet, Dennison, Greenall and Heath . (6)

Resolved:-

This Council notes there is a real need for Local Authorities to work together in solidarity to promote more peaceful and safer communities at the local and the global level. There remains over 13,000 nuclear weapons which have the explosive content to create 280,000 explosions of the size that destroyed the city of Hiroshima on 6^th August 1945. 

The Council also notes and welcomes the rapid development of the Mayors for Peace organisation, which campaigns for a more peaceful and nuclear weapons free world. It now has over 8000 member towns and cities from 166 countries representing over a billion people worldwide.  102 of those members are in the UK and Republic of Ireland and include cities like Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Dublin and Belfast.

The main charter of Mayors for Peace calls for “closer cooperation among towns and cities, strives to raise international public awareness regarding the need to abolish nuclear weapons and contributes to the realisation of genuine and lasting world peace by working to eliminate starvation and poverty, assist refugees fleeing local conflict, support human rights, protect the environment, and solve the other problems that threaten peaceful coexistence within the human family.” 

Action

The Council hereby resolves   

·        To join the Mayors for Peace organisation and consider the approval of a suggested voluntary donation of £120 for larger Councils to assist development of the UK and Ireland Mayors, Provosts and Leaders for Peace Chapter and the international campaigning work of Mayors for Peace led by its International Secretariats in Hiroshima and Ypres.  

·       To consider, along with the Mayor, a permanent representative for the Council to attend up to twice yearly meetings of the UK & Ireland Mayors, Provosts and Leaders for Peace Chapter.  

·       To engage with the European Chapter of Mayors for Peace as it develops.  

·       To consider holding on August 6^th or 9^th an annual commemorative peace ceremony to remember all innocent civilians killed in all conflicts over the past 75 years and / or an annual ceremony to commemorate International Peace Day on September 21^st.