Cross party support declared for Ukraine at Rotherham council meeting

Councillor Firas Miro, Lib Dem representative for Rother Vale introduced the motion during yesterday’s (April 13) full council meeting.

Coun Miro told the meeting: “I was born and raised in Syria, and early in my adult life I became convinced that we were overdue a revolution that would shake the country to its core because of the practices and atrocities of the Syrian Regime that go back to the 80s and 90s.

“That revolution eventually came in 2011, and for years people held out hope for a resolution that would save the country and provide better prospects for the lives of its people.

“Russia did in Syria what it is now doing in Ukraine, from bombing residential areas including schools and hospitals to the killing of civilians, to the summary execution of large numbers of people and the use of mass graves.

“Ukraine is now fighting on behalf of all of us, and if the sad truth of Syria has not taught us what should have been done before, I do hope that what is now happening in Ukraine would galvanise us into action, so that no other country would find itself in the same position.”

The motion received support from Rotherham’s Labour and Conservative groups, and the council resolved to write to the Home Secretary to offer to do what it can to house displaced Ukrainian families.

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It also called on RMBC to review and cease any contracts with Russian suppliers, and divest any shares in Russian companies made by the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority.

Councillor Chris Read, leader of the council said that Russian contracts had been reviewed.

“There was a small amount of business being done with Russian companies that has come to a conclusion. We will double check back through that as a result of this motion.

“South Yorkshire Pensions, I understand, they had a relatively small investment, inevitably I think, in oil and gas production in Russia which they have since …been unable to offload that at he moment.”