Agenda item

The first motion was moved by Councillor Penfold and seconded

by Councillor Kelleher . Following contributions from Councillors Dromey and

Hall the motion was then put to the vote and declared to be unanimously 

carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

Making the Universal Credit Increase Permanent

This council notes:

-          In April the Government plan to cut the benefit level for millions of

-          claimants by ending of the time limited increase to the basic rate of

-          Universal Credit (and the tax credit equivalent) announced by the

-          Chancellor on 20th March as part of his pandemic response package. 

-          The £20 a week boost reflected the reality that the level of benefits

were not adequate to protect the swiftly increasing number of

households relying on them as the crisis hit. Exactly because that

increase was a very significant and welcome move to bolster low- and

middle-income families living standards, its removal will be a huge

loss. 

-          Pressing ahead would see the level of unemployment support fall to its

-          lowest real-terms level since 1990-91, and it’s lowest ever relative to

-          average earnings. Indeed, the basic level of out-of-work support prior

-          to the March boost was – at £73 a week (£3,800 a year) – less than

-          half the absolute poverty line.

-          The increase in benefits have had a positive effect on the lives of

thousands of local claimants who are better able to pay for life’s

essentials such as food, clothing and utilities. 

-          The local economy has also benefited from the increase in benefit

-          levels as claimants spend their money locally thereby supporting local

-          businesses and jobs. 

This council resolves to:

-          Write to the Chancellor, Rushi Sunak and to the Prime Minister, Boris

-          Johnson demanding that the £20 increase to Universal Credit is made

-          permanent and extended to claimants on legacy benefits. 

-          Work with other local government organisations to form a coalition to pressure the government to make the £20 increase to Universal Credit permanen

The second motion was moved by Councillor Clarke and seconded by

Councillor Walsh. . Following a contribution from Councillor Smith, the motion

was then put to the vote and declared to be unanimously 

carried.

RESOLVED that the following motion be agreed:

The Perilous State of Women’s Human Rights in Poland

This Council condemns the current assault on women’s human rights in

Poland, including the total ban on abortion and the move towards the

restriction of women’s rights in other countries around the world. 

We support the women and men putting themselves at risk by protesting on

the streets in Poland to try to protect basic human rights in their country. If

successful, these reforms could have far-reaching consequences with the

adoption of extreme and discriminatory practices in countries around the

globe as noted by Irene Donadio of the International Planned Parenthood

Federation European Network, a global NGO, “This is a problem for all of us. 

If we let this happen in Poland, it could be just the start.”

The true danger is recognised by Amnesty International.  “Behind these latest

moves, lies a profound contempt for the rights of women… that is not limited

to Poland. Other countries, including neighbouring countries, follow a similar

agenda” (Monica Costa,  Senior Campaigner, Amnesty International). Poland

has been steadily rolling back women’s rights and has pulled out of the

Istanbul Convention, a European treaty aimed at preventing violence against

women.

The Geneva Consensus Declaration illustrates the possible wider

consequences.  It has been signed by 33 countries and was co-sponsored by

the United States, Brazil, Uganda, Egypt, Hungary and Indonesia. In Europe,

the other two signatories were Poland and Belarus.  Signatories say that there

is no right to abortion and that there is no international obligation for states to

organise or pay for it.  Activists fear that a steady elimination of women’s

rights could also develop into the oppression of groups in society.