Green action – October 3rd Council

This month, Green councillors are raising lots more issues at the full council meeting, including:

• Success of the campaign to keep the Walk-in Centre and Minor Injuries Unit open
• Tackling modern slavery and abuse, through the council’s spending power
• A people’s vote on Brexit
• Openness of official meetings
• Affordable housing
• Gleadless Valley
• Improving access to the General Cemetery

It will also be the meeting when Cllr Kaltum Rivers gives her maiden speech. She will address the needs of victims of modern slavery.

Cllr Rivers said,

“Support for victims of modern slavery needs to be designed to meet the needs of all of them, irrespective of their immigration status.”

Other amendments address the recent campaign to save the Walk-In Centre and a People’s Vote on Brexit.

Cllr Douglas Johnson said,

“Our amendment adds what has been left off the council agenda – to ask the City Council to support a People’s Vote. People need to have a say on whether Theresa May’s promised deal will leave us better or worse off than staying in the EU.”

“In 2016, people were only allowed to vote on leaving the EU. But what everyone is talking about is the nature of our future relationship with the EU. We should have a say on that.”

Cllr Martin Phipps said,

“We need a People’s Vote on whether we should go with the terms of whatever deal Theresa May might have negotiated or whether we should stay in the EU. We will then know what our choice is – how much of the crucial protections of workers’ rights, environmental standards, human rights protections, and the huge benefits of free movement we would stand to lose. Plus we’d have a clearer idea of the likely economic impacts.

“Around the country, Greens are at the forefront of demanding this democratic choice for the British people. Aberdeenshire Council last week backed a similar move, backing a motion headed by Green councillor Martin Ford. Oxford City Council did so back in July, also on the initiative of Green councillors.”

On openness, Cllr Rob Murphy said,

“We are continuing to ask questions about openness, not just in the City Council but also in other bodies controlled by council leaderships, like the City Region.”

Notes:

1. The Council agenda is at http://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=7003
2. The Green Councillors’ amendments are:
   Amendment to the Labour motion about saving the Minor Injuries Unit and Walk-in Centre

   1. In (e), insert “students unions” after “Healthwatch”

   2. Insert after (f):

   (g) Notes the Care Quality Commission’s recent review criticising the lack of scrutiny from the single-party Health &; Wellbeing board and supports the intention for the membership of this board to be reassessed;

   (h) Notes that one criticism of the CCG’s consultation was the lack of any actual proposal to improve access to patients’ own GPs for continuity of care; and therefore calls upon the CCG to bring forward quantitative proposals on how they intend to strengthen Primary Care in Sheffield;

   Amendment to the Labour motion on Modern Slavery

   Add:

   (g) “notes that, by doing so, the Council would also commit to imposing requirements on its contractors, with contract termination as a possible sanction for non-compliance.”

   (h) “Looks forward to an assessment by this Administration of whether, and how, it meets each of the points in the Charter against Modern Slavery;”

   (i) further, looks forward to an audit by this Administration of which of its suppliers currently comply with section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act by publishing a slavery and human trafficking statement each year.

   (l) Notes that, despite this council resolving to use powers to exclude companies with a poor track record of breaches of human rights and equality laws on 2nd July 2014, its ethical procurement policy was not brought into force until 2018.

   (m) Calls on the Administration to publish a final version of the Council’s own Modern Slavery Strategy.

   Amendment to Lib-Dem motion on Brexit

   Add “resolves that this Council supports a People’s Vote, which includes the option to remain.”