Sheffield Council Zionism row branded “self-indulgent psychodrama”
LibDem councillors attempt to remove two Green councillors from chairing counil committees
A Zionism controversy between Sheffield Labour and Green councillors was angrily denounced as a “self-absorbed, self-indulgent psychodrama” by one councillor.
The row about a Green Party conference motion equating Zionism with racism had threatened to derail the Labour-Green joint administration of the council, which is under no overall control.
That was avoided when council leader Fran Belbin announced a last-minute deal at the full council meeting yesterday (November 4).
The meeting was delayed by an hour over last-minute talks between Labour and the Greens. Details will be announced in the next few days.
Coun Simon Clement-Jones called for a LibDem motion to remove two Green councillors as committee chairs to be moved up the meeting agenda.
That would have allowed for discussion as the motion was last on the agenda, so would have fallen after the time limit when debate is cut off.
Coun Alexi Dimond chairs the transport, regeneration and climate policy committee and Coun Maroof Raouf is joint chair of the planning and highways committee.
Coun Clement-Jones said: “What have you subjected Sheffield to for the last six weeks?
“You’ve put this city through a self-absorbed, self-indulgent psychodrama, even delaying the start of council, the start of people attending council.
“Why? Because of a nasty policy by a nasty party.”
To applause by LibDem colleagues, he added: “Bringing this up the agenda will allow the Greens and Labour to apologise for the massive waste of time they’ve put us all through, justify the hours spent litigating Gaza and the cost of focusing on Sheffield in here.”
Coun Clement-Jones’ call was narrowly lost so councillors voted on the chairs removal issue later in the agenda, with no chance for debate.
That vote was lost by 34 to 39 with two abstentions.
LibDem leader Coun Martin Smith said later that the Green councillors named proposed the conference motion.
“We think it is incompatible with the values of our city for them to remain in those positions and we called on them to issue a personal apology.
“Their statement fell well short of that, and that’s why we tabled a motion at the full council meeting to have them removed from chairing council committees.”