Green Party councillors in Manchester and Trafford have been making a coordinated effort for change at the troubled Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF).
Trafford’s Green Party councillors have brought a motion to November council looking at the pension fund’s investments in the arms trade, as well as companies implicated in breaches of human rights, violations of international law, and working in occupied territories.
This follows Trafford Green Party’s motion in October on fossil fuel divestment – asking the pension fund to stop funding polluting companies that are contributing to the climate crisis. This was voted down by Labour.
Meanwhile, Manchester Green Party are bringing a motion next week asking the pension fund to divest from both fossil fuels, and companies involved in the arms industry.
The fund is being run by Tameside Council which has recently had resignations from its CEO, Leader and others. However, that CEO continues to run the pension fund. The local Labour MPs said of the council that “a change of corporate leadership was required”. The Green Party has suggested that if there are legitimate questions to be asked about why someone whose leadership is not acceptable for the council, can continue at the pension fund.
A wide range of organisations support divestment from fossil fuels and the arms and related trades. These include: Unison, Unite, UCU, Friends of the Earth Manchester, Fossil Free GM, and the Climate Justice Coalition. They and local anti-war groups, GM Friends of Palestine, amongst others are united in calling for divestment.
In Trafford, Geraldine Coggins, Green Party councillor for Altrincham said:
“We’re glad to have tonight’s motion passed. This motion asks for the work before divestment to be done. This means reports gathering information on what companies are doing. These are companies in the arms industry, companies implicated in breaches of international law and violations of human rights, and companies working in land recognised as occupied territory under international law.“
“It is disappointing however that Trafford Labour didn’t support our motion to stop funding the fossil fuel giants last month.”
Cllr Astrid Johnson, deputy leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council and proposer of the motion, said: “The GMPF, which is partially funded by taxes on Greater Manchester residents, has £1.5bn invested in fossil fuel companies, and over £241 million in companies that profit from arms sales to states carrying out human rights abuses.“
“There are inextricable links between war, climate destruction and human suffering. We simply cannot stay invested in climate-damaging infrastructure such as airport expansions, fossil fuel companies’ greenwashing schemes, and arms sales directly connected to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and other conflicts across the world.”
“Now is the time for Manchester council to demand that the GMPF aligns with Manchester’s and GMCA’s net-zero carbon emissions target of 2038. And it is time to end our investment in the arms trade.”
NOTES:
- Trafford Green Party’s November 2024 motion on Arms Trade can be found here at item 8a. https://democratic.trafford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=3798&Ver=4
- Trafford Green Party’s October 2024 motion here at item 34. https://democratic.trafford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=3797&Ver=4 Watch the debate here from 2 hours 6 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVUYqRndnSA
- The previous Trafford Green Party motion 2019 is covered here https://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/17962506.trafford-council-will-pull-fossil-fuel-investment-protest-outside-town-hall/
- Manchester Green Party motion for 27th November 2024 council meeting:
https://democracy.manchester.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=15369