Concerns Raised Over Lack Of Debate On Ethical Pension Fund Investment Motion

Concerns have been raised about what has been described as the Isle of Wight Council’s “ongoing failure” to debate a motion calling for the ethical investment of its pension fund.

Chris Jarman, leader of the Empowering Islanders group, said an attempt had been made to place the proposal on the agenda for January’s full council meeting but that it was “again blocked by the monitoring officer”.

However, a council spokesperson said no further motion had been submitted by Cllr Jarman since November last year, and therefore none had been assessed.

Cllr Jarman spoke out after more than 30 local authorities across the UK passed similar divestment proposals or made related statements, including Manchester City Council, Oxford City Council, North Somerset Council and West Berkshire Council.

Mark Chiverton, branch secretary for UNISON on the Isle of Wight, said the union remained frustrated by the lack of debate.

“UNISON continues to be very frustrated about the Isle of Wight Council’s ongoing failure to debate the very moderately worded motion on divestment which was originally considered by the pensions committee before being passed to the full council for consideration,” he said.

Cllr Jarman added:

“It’s been going on for a year now. This is the first-year anniversary of the matter being raised.

"It was raised at pension committee, pension board and at a whole range of informal meetings and then of course at full council a few times.

“The original discussions at the pension committee were resisted by officers who sought external advice on the matter.

"That external advice talked a great deal about peripheral issues to the key issue of the risk of investing in companies who were potentially complicit in the genocide against Gaza and Palestine.”

The Totland and Colwell councillor said companies could be considered complicit if they aided or enabled a genocide, for example by providing arms or weapons.

He referenced decisions by the International Court of Justice, which in 2024 found it plausible that acts by Israel could amount to genocide, and the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif.

Cllr Jarman said a motion on the issue had previously been brought before a full council meeting in October 2025 with the permission of an interim monitoring officer and was believed to have significant support across the chamber.

However, the meeting was interrupted by a fire alarm at County Hall and the item was deferred.

He said that ahead of the November full council meeting, objections were raised by the permanent monitoring officer, who provided legal advice to council chair Ian Dore.

The item was subsequently removed from the agenda.

“Continuing with our efforts, I’ve gone back to him and said we will seek to re-present an updated motion to both the pension committee and to full council and the monitoring officer’s reply to me is that those are unlikely to be successful,” Cllr Jarman added.

A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council said:

“The decision on councillor Jarman’s motion of November 19, 2025 was made by the chair of the council in line with established procedural rules, as reflected in the published minutes.

“No further motion has been submitted by Cllr Jarman since that meeting, and therefore none has been assessed.

"The monitoring officer cannot advise on the validity of any motion without seeing its full wording.

"The council remains committed to processing all motions fairly, transparently and in accordance with its constitution.”

A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Palestine Solidarity Campaign said:

“Approximately 30 local authorities across the UK have already taken ethical investment steps.

"Here, however, even securing a fair debate has become an uphill struggle.

"Motions allowed one month are ruled out the next; a fire alarm halts a meeting, and the issue is pushed back again.

“Islanders deserve transparency and democratic accountability. We will continue pressing for ethical investment and for the right of elected representatives to debate this vital issue openly.”

Mr Chiverton added that concerns about the situation in Gaza had been widely expressed within UNISON.

“Increasingly widespread and deep-seated concern has been regularly expressed at all levels of UNISON about the devastation systematically inflicted on the people of Gaza by the extreme policies pursued by the Israeli Government led by Benjamin Netanyahu,” he said.

“UNISON members clearly recognise that the suffering imposed on the Palestinian population over the recent period has massively compounded the longstanding injustices resulting from the illegal occupation of the West Bank and other neighbouring territories.

“The importance of ethical investment of the Local Government Pension Fund, including divestment from companies which invest heavily in Israeli defence-related industries, is an issue which the UNISON branch has regularly raised with both councillors and senior managers.”