When terrorist group, Hamas, attacked Israel on 7th October, 2023, murdering many and taking hostages, Gaza in particular reaped a terrible whirlwind. Very soon Sandwell Labour was itching to have its say on the conflict and, inevitably, its prevailing view was overwhelmingly hostile to the State of Israel.
Sundry left-wing and pro-Palestinian factions were soon demonstrating outside Council meetings.The "problem", however, is that the Council's legal status does not permit it to discuss UK foreign policy. Indeed, it is outwith the legal Constitution of the Council as I personally advised one group of demonstrators.
Other Councils around the country faced similar external pressure, but bowed to the legal reality and removed pro-Hamas/Palestinian motions from their agendas. It is, of course, open to Councillors to publicly express their views on the conflict in their personal capacities as the likes of proven liar Cllr Parbinder Kaur (who claims to be an NHS nurse) has done on social media with a post backing the UK-proscribed terrorists of Hamas. Equally the Sandwell Labour Group can collectively make its views known outside the Council Chamber, whether they coincide with national policy or not. Further, Sandwell Labour Councillors have a voice in their own political Party. Indeed, now that there is a Labour Government one would expect them to raise their concerns with the local Labour MP's and through the national Party structure. That is the proper route but, of course, that would deprive them of the opportunity to pathetically grandstand in the Council Chamber at taxpayers' expense.
In January, 2024 I wrote to Sandwell's, now part-time, Chief Executive, Shokat Lal. Sandwell confirmed that the email was also forwarded to "Mike" Jones, the bent Labour Council's Head of Legal and statutory Monitoring Officer, pointing out that any "Gaza motion" would be ultra-vires the Constitution and, therefore, unlawful. People who don't like this must lobby Parliament to change the law - it's as simple as that.
It appears that this view was initially accepted but in July, 2024 Lal and Jones permitted a Motion to be discussed which purported to be about "social cohesion" in Sadders but which directly referred to the Gaza conflict. The Council backed - with no legal power to do so - a UN call for an immediate ceasefire. It was seemingly allowed through by Lal and Jones as it referred to violence by both sides and called for the release of hostages - again matters over which even the braggarts of Sandwell Labour have no jurisdiction.The ludicrous motion called for supposed social cohesion in Sadders which was apparently likely to fall apart thanks to a conflict over 2,000 miles away, and even though Sadders is overwhelmingly antisemitic or anti the State of Israel (e.g. Piper) or both. And of course, there are very few Jewish folk actually living in the Socialist Sh*thole of Sandwell.
Now the elected members are at it again, though curiously at the behest of Independent Councillor, Richard Jeffcoat, seconded by notorious masturbator, Cllr John Tipper - an unholy alliance of the organist (Richard is an accomplished keyboard player) and the onanist (Tipper likes to get a tune or two out of the pink oboe).
Richard is a lovely guy and unlike most in the Chamber, is highly intelligent. He has singularly failed to hold Labour to account since his election - shamefully voting for their austerity budget - but he has otherwise worked tirelessly for the folk of Tipton. He is, however, an old, unreconstructed, leftie - though one with a social conscience. He won't stand for Labour because of the appalling conduct of that Party in Sadders for half a century. He actually lives in Tipton, and has personal knowledge of the damage Labour has done to that particular area.
Let me just set the scene before I go on.. All Council employees enjoy the generous terms of the local government pension scheme. Nationally, billions are held in these pension funds and the dirigiste "Socialists" of Labour have been itching to "steal" some of the dosh to invest in crackpot uneconomic schemes, bail-out defunct steelworks, and such like. But these pension schemes, usually locally administered, are run by trustees who have a legal duty to ensure that the funds are invested properly and to ensure there is enough dosh to pay the pensions as they fall due.
Jeffcoat (and many Labour politicians) make the fundamental mistake of claiming that the pension funds are "public money". They are not. Once the money passes to the pension fund it belongs solely to the members of the scheme i.e. the current and future pensioners.
However, there is some political input into these schemes - indeed Sandwell Council has a Cllr Dhariwal - on the West Midlands Pension Fund (WMPF) Committee which is overwhelmingly dominated by Labour but is supposed to act apolitically. Here is the legal framework:
"The Pensions Committee is responsible for exercising all of the functions that are required as an Administering Authority for a Local Government Pension Scheme under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.
Adhering to the principles required by Statutory Guidance, The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) Code of Practice and performing the duties set out in the Terms of Reference for the Pensions Committee as detailed in CWC’s [Wolvo Council which administers the local scheme] Constitution available on its website.
Members of the Pensions Committee are responsible for the Fund’s activities, ensuring that the Fund is managed in the best interest of all its members, employers, and beneficiaries. Members of the Pension Committee must therefore take a non-political approach to the decisions they take." [My emphasis]
Thus it is difficult to see how the Constitution of Sandwell Council or the legal framework of WMPF permits Sandwell Council to interfere in the operation of the pension scheme and it is surprising that the Monitoring Officer permitted this. (I am following this up.) As we shall see, some Councillors are paying into the WMPF or receiving pensions from it and so there is nothing to stop them making personal representations to the WMPF should they wish to do so. But, again, they want to publicly virtue signal (if you can call it that).
I believe the Motion was ultra vires the Council's Constitution and, therefore, unlawful. In any event, I do not believe Jeffcoat, Tipper nor any of the Councillors who voted for the Motion consulted in any way with employees or existing pensioners before deciding to interfere in their affairs - which is both inappropriate and appalling.
Jeffcoat's crazed motion (and he is aware of my views on this) called for:
"Disinvestment of West Midlands Pension Fund from companies that supply armaments that enable conflict and terror"
The wording of the crazed motion is all over the shop - you can read the full wording below* following the the Legal Notice - but veers from what seems like a total ban on arms investment to forcing the trustees to decide in respect of each global conflict whether there have been breaches of international law or human rights abuses and then ban investment in individual firms. Needless to say, despite Jeffcoat's woolly wording the mask slipped and "the conflict in Gaza" was specifically identified. Once again, Lal and Jones let this through.
There was not a named vote and one cannot see from the Council's film of the meeting who voted for this nonsense, but it seems it was almost unanimous save for one abstention which, curiously, appears to have been one of the Giles family (Labour). There is no indication that the useless rump of Tories voted against this or even abstained, but then what would anyone expect from that abysmal shower.
This motion was the very last item on the agenda and was rushed through in a couple of minutes. The Labour Leader, Kerrie "Dim Kez" Carmichael, was said by her ventriloquist's dummy, the odious Paul Moore, to be supporting the Motion (see further below) and it was quickly passed with, as above, just one abstention. Dim Kez was mandated to write a letter to the Pension Fund to develop a clear plan with regard to investments in arms/aerospace, to heed international and human rights law, and to report annually on its doings in this field.
What is absolutely shocking here is that Jeffcoat was seemingly unaware that WMPF already has such a policy. In any event he singularly failed to make the other Councillors aware of the policy which is on the website for all to see and is set out below**. He could not expect lazy Labour Councillors to have researched the matter and the Tories are incapable of doing anything unless it relates to dog sh*t or other mundane issues. I mean - the policy has only been in the public domain for 8 months ...
Despite WMPF pretending to be apolitical it is, as above, Labour-controlled. Thus they had no qualms in virtue-signalling about Gaza. Their public policy dated 26th June, 2024 specifically refers to "the ongoing conflict in Israel". The document explains that it already has strategies in respect of conflicts, international law and human rights and has already made the political decision to largely disinvest so that it now "has minimal exposure to the Aerospace and Defence sector".
Further the Fund is actively engaging with companies operating in the sector. And although Jeffcoat and the Muppets demanded an annual report on these issues the Fund is already producing quarterly reports on this for the Pension Committee!!!!
Interestingly, Cllr Dhariwal failed to declare an interest prior to the discussion of this Motion and also failed to alert colleagues to the already existing policy. How on earth is he fit to be on the WMPF governing body, overseeing huge sums of money on behalf or employees and existing pensioners?
My own declaration of interest is also set out below - underneath the Legal Notice.
Dhariwal was not the only one to have failed to declare an interest at the meeting since many Councillors who voted on the Motion either (a) receive a WMPF pension (e.g. Piper); (b) work for another Council and pay into the scheme (e.g. Millard), or (c) have close relatives working for councils (including Sandwell) who are WMPF members (e.g. Dim Kez). The Monitoring Officer is clearly present on the film of the meeting but failed to address this obvious breach of the rules. In the circumstances I have today filed a formal standards complaint against all those who should have formally declared an interest and here is the operative part of the complaint:
"Standards Complaint re various Councillors in respect of the full Council meeting on 25th February, 2025
At the full Council meeting on 25th February, 2025 Cllr Richard Jeffcoat put forward a motion in respect of Disinvestment by the West Midlands Pension Fund (WMPF) of investments in the Defence and Aerospace industries.
Notwithstanding the possible unlawfulness of the Motion it was passed overwhelmingly with just one abstention.
At the commencement of the meeting the Monitoring Officer confirmed that no declarations of interest had been received prior to the meeting and he invited any relevant declarations from the members. No declarations were forthcoming.
Many Councillors should have made declarations (and the Council will be able to identify the guilty parties).
Cllr Dhariwal sits on the WMPF Board and clearly has an interest.
Some Councillors receive WMPF pensions - such as Cllr Piper - and should have declared an interest. Some work for other Councils such as Cllr Millard and the public pays into the WMPF on their behalf and that group also has an interest to declare as do those Councillors who have close relatives receiving WMPF pensions or paying into the Fund - such as Cllr Carmichael whose husband she declares is working for SMBC.
Failure to declare relevant interests is a disciplinary matter and this must be formally addressed.
As the complainant I would accept the following remedies for most of the miscreants:
1 all guilty Councillors to formally and publicly apologise and to make formal declarations at tonight’s Council meeting so that the Minutes of the last meeting can be amended accordingly;
2. All Councillors should be reminded of their duty to declare interests - both their own and those of close relatives.
In respect of Cllr Dhariwal his omission is so egregious he must face full investigation and appropriate sanction."
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Jeffcoat's crazed, showboating, motion:
WMPF existing policy
** https://www.wmpfonline.com/news/exposure-companies-aerospace-and-defence-sector
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My own notice of interest - thanks to the GMB Union and Sandwell Council lawfare against me I haven't got a pot to piss in. My wife, however, has a small shareholding in Babcock International and is highly likely to indirectly hold some investments in arms and aerospace companies around the world via investments in sundry managed and tracker funds through the likes of Vanguard and Hargreaves Lansdown. She also receives a pension from the West Midlands Pension Fund.
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