Medway Labour and Cooperative Group today expressed surprise and welcome Medway Council’s U-Turn on fossil fuel disinvestment in local government pensions. 

Medway Labour Councillor, Tristan Osborne, councillor for Luton and Wayfield, proposed to Medway’s full council on 21st April a motion calling for disinvestment in fossil fuels in the council’s pension scheme. 

The Conservative Council Group voted down that proposal citing concerns about investments in fracking and the need for North Sea Oil.

Only weeks later, however, they have revealed that the Labour proposal now forms part of their Climate Emergency Action Plan with confirmation that discussions have already started with pension partners.

Cllr Osborne said:

‘Labour are leading on ideas to make Medway Council zero-carbon after the Council motion declaring a climate emergency and I was frankly surprised at the poor level of awareness amongst senior Tory Councillors’

‘The Conservative Group however was poorly briefed on the matter by their leadership team under Cllr Alan Jarrett, who has recently announced his retirement. This comes at a time Cllr Jarrett was laughing alongside Nigel Farage on GB News about how little the Council was investing in reducing the impacts of climate change.’

‘Over the next 12 months Labour will be setting a clear platform on how we make Medway a greener and more sustainable community for residents with a clear plan.’

Cllr Simon Curry, Medway Labour Group Shadow Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Culture and the Environment, said:

 ‘Medway needs effective leadership on the climate emergency as on so much else. That leadership is not being provided by the Conservatives who appear not to have briefed their own members on the facts. It is time for change in Gun Wharf’

 

 

ENDS

 

Notes

Medway Conservatives voted against our motion calling for fossil fuel divestments less than 2 months ago –

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/fossil-fuel-pension-links-questioned-266105/

Please see page 20 of the Action Plan (32 of the document) for the aforementioned U-turn

https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=5309&T=10

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