Agenda item

Motion submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 15

Proposed by Councillor Hannah Perkin and seconded by Councillor Ben J Martin.

 

1. This council notes that:

a)    Women and minority groups face discrimination and disadvantage on a daily basis.

b)    Hate crime across different minority groups has risen by 123% in the last eight years.

c)    Minority groups are underrepresented as councillors both nationally and locally:

a.    Fewer than one-third of councillors nationally are female, while in Swale the figure is less than one-fifth.

b.    Nationally fewer than a quarter of councillors are aged between 18 and 49, whereas this same age range makes up approximately half of the general population.

c.    A significantly smaller proportion of councillors nationally have a disability or other long-term health problem than is the case for the whole population, notwithstanding councillors’ high average age compared to the general population.

d)    The pace of change in improving the representativeness of elected representatives is negligible.

 

2. This council believes that:

a)    All forms of hate crime are abhorrent.

b)    We should condemn all forms of discrimination based on personal characteristics.

c)    We should provide all our members with the training and support needed to eradicate discrimination and champion diversity.

d)    We should welcome and support people from underrepresented groups to stand as councillors, because more inclusive councils bringing more diverse perspectives are better equipped to represent the interests of their communities.

 

3. This council therefore resolves:

a)    To agree that members will work actively with each other to encourage a safe and fair working environment for all members, by advocating robustly and actively for minority groups and by condemning incidences of discrimination in their role as a councillor, whether in the chamber or out in their communities. 

b)    To support members and officers in speaking out against and condemning any form of discrimination based on personal characteristics, whether this be racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, maternity-, paternity- or faith-based discrimination, or any other form of discrimination.

c)    To encourage greater diversity within our council by working to understand and break down barriers for underrepresented people wanting to stand for election.

d)    To recall its adoption in 2017 of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, and to adopt the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia as follows:

Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

e)    To implement compulsory training for all members on diversity and equality, including unconscious bias, and to request officers to consider how the allocation of seats on some committees could be restricted to those who have completed the training.

f)     To call on those charged with providing pastoral care to members (including group leaders and senior officers) to be sensitive to diverse members’ needs and ready to signpost to sources of help and support.

g)    To call on the standards committee to ensure that incidents of harassment and discrimination in any form are dealt with appropriately.

h)   To request officers to produce an action plan for improving equality and diversity among members, to include policies on disability as well as maternity, paternity and adoption.

 

Minutes:

The Mayor advised that one motion had been submitted, and confirmed that he was happy for the Council to debate it, notwithstanding that it would need to be referred to the General Purposes Committee for further consideration.

 

The Deputy Monitoring Officer confirmed that the motion, if approved, would set the strategic direction and would act as a guide for Members and officers when considering the motion in more detail at various Committees.

 

Councillor Hannah Perkin proposed the following motion:

 

“1. This council notes that:

a)   Women and minority groups face discrimination and disadvantage on a daily basis.

b)   Hate crime across different minority groups has risen by 123% in the last eight years.

c)    Minority groups are underrepresented as councillors both nationally and locally:

      (i)    Fewer than one-third of councillors nationally are female, while in Swale the figure is less than one-fifth.

      (ii)  Nationally fewer than a quarter of councillors are aged between 18 and 49, whereas this same age range makes up approximately half of the general population.

      (iii) A significantly smaller proportion of councillors nationally have a disability or other long-term health problem than is the case for the whole population, notwithstanding councillors’ high average age compared to the general population.

d)   The pace of change in improving the representativeness of elected representatives is negligible.

 

2. This council believes that:

a)    All forms of hate crime are abhorrent.

b)   We should condemn all forms of discrimination based on personal characteristics.

c)    We should provide all our members with the training and support needed to eradicate discrimination and champion diversity.

d)   We should welcome and support people from underrepresented groups to stand as councillors, because more inclusive councils bringing more diverse perspectives are better equipped to represent the interests of their communities.

 

3. This council therefore resolves:

a)  To agree that members will work actively with each other to encourage a safe and fair working environment for all members, by advocating robustly and actively for minority groups and by condemning incidences of discrimination in their role as a councillor, whether in the chamber or out in their communities. 

b)   To support members and officers in speaking out against and condemning any form of discrimination based on personal characteristics, whether this be racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, maternity/paternity, or faith-based discrimination, or any other form of discrimination.

c)    To encourage greater diversity within our council by working to understand and break down barriers for underrepresented people wanting to stand for election.

d)   To recall its adoption in 2017 of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, and to adopt the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia as follows:

Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

e)   To implement compulsory training for all members on diversity and equality, including unconscious bias, and to request officers to consider how the allocation of seats on some committees could be restricted to those who have completed the training.

f)     To call on those charged with providing pastoral care to members (including group leaders and senior officers) to be sensitive to diverse members’ needs and ready to signpost to sources of help and support.

g)   To call on the Standards Committee to ensure that incidents of harassment and discrimination in any form are dealt with appropriately.

h)   To request officers to produce an action plan for improving equality and diversity among members, to include policies on disability as well as maternity, paternity and adoption.

 

In proposing the motion, Councillor Hannah Perkin made reference to the following statistics:

 

·         A report by the Fawcett Society acknowledged that less than 1 in 3 councillors were women. 

·         Swale Borough Council ranked in the bottom ten nationally in terms of representation of women, with just 16% of councillors being female.

·         Operation Black Vote, Local Government Audit, raised some important facts about the lack of racial equality that exists, with a third of the 123 councillors surveyed not having a single black minority and ethnic (BME) member.

·         Local Government Association statistics show that the proportion of white councillors dropped between 2004 and 2018 from 96.5% to 95.8%.

·         Racially motivated hate crime had soared in the past five years and in Kent specifically attacks on children had risen to 6 per week.

·         Kent Police had reported a 42% increase in hate crime against the lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) community.

·         Over 26% of councillors were over 70 and 10% were under 40, and considerably fewer lived with long term health conditions or disabilities than was representative of communities.

 

Councillor Hannah Perkin considered that the Council needed to be proactive in recognising the barriers and to improving diversity in the Council, and must outwardly and actively condemn instances of discrimination of any kind both within the Council and in the community.  She encouraged Members to support the motion which was a statement of intent to work towards improving diversity and equality and eradicating discrimination.

 

Councillor Ben J Martin seconded the motion and reserved his right to speak.

 

The Leader congratulated and thanked Councillor Hannah Perkin and Councillor Ben J Martin for the very comprehensive motion, and hoped that Members would accept it as a progressive statement of values and attitudes.  He spoke of the need for more comprehensive and inclusive diversity and equality training than had happened previously, which would be a benefit to all Members.  He drew attention in particular to part 2(a) of the motion and the abhorrent rise in incidences of hate crime and vile intimidation in politics.  He encouraged Members to support the motion which, if agreed, would be referred to the General Purposes Committee and Cabinet.

 

The Leader of the Conservative Group spoke in support of the meaning of the motion and his support for further consideration of the detail by the appropriate Committees.

 

A Member referred to instances of previous conversations with Members which could be deemed to be deeply offensive, and expressed her support for the motion.

 

Councillor Ben J Martin, seconder of the motion, spoke in support of the motion and the need to look at the issues very carefully and to ensure that others were treated as they expected to be treated, regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation or disability (including learning disabilities).  He said the Council should show leadership and set an example of what was expected in society. 

 

In conclusion, Councillor Hannah Perkin thanked Members for their positive feedback and candid responses, referring to her own experiences, and drew attention to part 3(h) of the motion to develop an action plan to improve equality and diversity among Members.

 

The Mayor put the motion to the vote, which was agreed unanimously.

 

Resolved:

 

(1) That this council notes that:

a)  Women and minority groups face discrimination and disadvantage on a daily basis.

b)   Hate crime across different minority groups has risen by 123% in the last eight years.

c)   Minority groups are underrepresented as councillors both nationally and locally:

(i)    Fewer than one-third of councillors nationally are female, while in Swale the figure is less than one-fifth.

(ii)   Nationally fewer than a quarter of councillors are aged between 18 and 49, whereas this same age range makes up approximately half of the general population.

(iii)      A significantly smaller proportion of councillors nationally have a disability or other long-term health problem than is the case for the whole population, notwithstanding councillors’ high average age compared to the general population.

d)    The pace of change in improving the representativeness of elected representatives is negligible.

 

(2) That this council believes that:

 

a)    All forms of hate crime are abhorrent.

b)   We should condemn all forms of discrimination based on personal characteristics.

c)   We should provide all our members with the training and support needed to eradicate discrimination and champion diversity.

d)   We should welcome and support people from underrepresented groups to stand as councillors, because more inclusive councils bringing more diverse perspectives are better equipped to represent the interests of their communities.

 

(3) That this council therefore resolves:

a)   To agree that members will work actively with each other to encourage a safe and fair working environment for all members, by advocating robustly and actively for minority groups and by condemning incidences of discrimination in their role as a councillor, whether in the chamber or out in their communities. 

b)   To support members and officers in speaking out against and condemning any form of discrimination based on personal characteristics, whether this be racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, maternity/paternity- or faith-based discrimination, or any other form of discrimination.

c)   To encourage greater diversity within our council by working to understand and break down barriers for underrepresented people wanting to stand for election.

d)   To recall its adoption in 2017 of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, and to adopt the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims’ definition of Islamophobia as follows:

Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.

e)    To implement compulsory training for all members on diversity and equality, including unconscious bias, and to request officers to consider how the allocation of seats on some committees could be restricted to those who have completed the training.

f)     To call on those charged with providing pastoral care to members (including group leaders and senior officers) to be sensitive to diverse members’ needs and ready to signpost to sources of help and support.

g)    To call on the Standards Committee to ensure that incidents of harassment and discrimination in any form are dealt with appropriately.

h)   To request officers to produce an action plan for improving equality and diversity among members, to include policies on disability as well as maternity, paternity and adoption.