On Monday 20 January, Keir Starmer’s own council is set to decide whether to divest from companies complicit in Israel’s genocide and the illegal occupation of Palestine, after thousands of residents demand action.
Starmer: feeling the heat in Camden
Over 4,000 locals in prime minister Starmer’s own constituency have signed a petition demanding Camden Council divest from companies complicit in human rights abuses and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Led by Camden Friends of Palestine, the petition calls for transparency and divestment from companies such as BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and RTX: arms manufacturers that supply weapons to Israel.
A series of shocking Freedom of Information (FOI) requests exposed that Camden Pension Fund is currently investing millions of pounds in funds connected to these companies. Despite repeated attempts by the council to avoid scrutiny – canceling meetings, closing the public gallery, refusing deputations, and even involving police – this petition has forced Camden Council to hold a crucial debate and vote on divestment on Monday 20 January.
A Camden resident and spokesperson for Camden Friends of Palestine said:
Camden council has repeatedly ignored the wishes of its communities, actively sidestepping demands for ethical investment. This petition will make Starmer’s own council confront the question of divestment face on, for the whole of Camden to see.
There is clearly a huge groundswell of support for divestment from these companies that are currently supplying weapons to Israel. The council must end its complicity now.
Any other option but divestment would mean councillors prioritising a career in Starmer’s Labour party over the communities they represent, opposition to genocide and international law.
Dominated by the right wing of Labour
Presenting the petition to the councillors will be two Camden residents: Lubaba Khalid, a Palestinian resident, and Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos. Both are vocal in their stance against the British government’s complicity in genocide and will be representing the 4,000 local residents who signed the petition calling for divestment.
It is widely considered that Camden Council is dominated by Starmer’s wing of the Labour Party.
In the 2024 summer election, several councillors from Camden Council were rewarded with MP seats by the Labour Party. These include former council leader Georgia Gould, who became an MP, along with Danny Beales and Lloyd Hatton, both of whom also transitioned from local politics to parliament.
This demonstrates Camden’s importance as a key political power base for Starmer’s Labour.
Camden is represented by two MPs, one of whom is the PM who’s constituency covers more 60% of the wards in the Camden Council. Starmer’s majority was significantly reduced in the 2024 summer election – down from 22,766 in 2019 to just 11,572.
This sharp decline highlights growing discontent in the constituency, in large part due to his position on Palestine and his support for the apartheid state of Israel.
Awkward for Starmer?
The decision the council faces follows the likes of Waltham Forest who committed to arms trade divestment amid pressure from Palestine activists.
Local residents and activists will gather outside Camden Town Hall on Monday 20 January to show their support for divestment and urge councillors to vote in favour of the community led presentation:
📢TOMORROW EVENING: Join us, @camden_psc and @camdenabudis outside Camden Town Hall to demand @CamdenCouncil listen to the 4,000 people who signed our petition:
🇵🇸 DISCLOSE AND DIVEST THE PENSION FUND FROM APARTHEID & GENOCIDE
🕕 6pm, Mon 20 Jan
📍Judd St, WC1H 9JE pic.twitter.com/P81Bmi4laV— Camden Friends of Palestine (@CamdenPalestine) January 19, 2025
Featured image via the Canary
