Queen’s Speech includes measures to stop council boycotts
Government's bill pledges to stop public bodies 'imposing their own approach or views about international relations' with policies against foreign states
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Boris Johnson’s government has unveiled a new legislative programme that includes measures to stop publicly funded bodies backing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
A Bill announced during the Queen’s Speech to the House of Lord on Tuesday was aimed at stopping public bodies “imposing their own approach or views about international relations” by “preventing boycott, divestment sanctions campaigns against foreign countries.”
Councils will be banned from “taking a different approach” to the national government on sanctions or boycotts – including the BDS movement against Israel.
The government said legislation was required to address concerns that “such boycotts may legitimise antisemitism.”
The move would ensure that there was a “coherent approach to foreign relations” and ensure that “public bodies were not pursuing their own foreign policy agenda with public money.”
A government briefing note added: “This will be in the form of preventing public institutions carrying out independent boycotts, divestments and sanctions against: foreign countries, or those linked to them; the sale of goods and services from foreign countries; UK firms which trade with such countries, where such an approach is not in line with UK government sanctions.
“The measures will cover purchasing, procurement and investment decisions which undermine cohesion and integration.”
The Prime Minister had made a similar commitment to counter BDS is the December 2019 Queen’s Speech.
There have also been successful challenges made in the Supreme Court to government attempts to prevent local government pension funds from taking any divestment decisions that are not in line with government policy.
Jewish charity Norwood said they “welcomed” other commitments in the speech on early years education.
Although there was widespread criticism elsewhere on the lack of detail regarding social care legislation contained in Tuesday’s speech.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
