Calls will be made for councillors to back a motion to pull out Powys pensions that are invested in firms who provide military hardware to Israel that could be used in the Gaza conflict.

At a Powys County Council meeting on Thursday, October 9, councillors will be asked to support a motion which includes writing to the Powys Pension Fund (PPF) and Welsh Pension Partnership (WPP) calling for ethical investment.

The motion will be put forward by Cllr Chloe Masefield (Liberal Democrat - Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower) and will be formally seconded by Cllr Sian Cox (Liberal Democrat - Llangors with Bwlch).

Cllr Masefield said: “The ongoing, deeply concerning, and harrowing conflict in Gaza has resulted in significant loss of innocent life.

“Recent figures obtained and analysed for the PPF suggest that 0.3 per cent of the total fund is invested directly in Israel.”

This is worth between £2.5 million and £3 million.

Cllr Masefield continued: “The UN (United Nations) list of companies complicit in Israeli aggression in Palestine, and research by Powys resident Michael Brown, who works in the ethical investment sector, suggest that, because many business interests are involved, indirect investment by the fund could be as much as £10 million.”

Cllr Masefield points out that in July, Cardiff council voted overwhelmingly to ask the Cardiff and Vale Pension fund and the WPP to consider divesting or financially withdrawing from firms that could be complicit in Israeli war crimes or in breaches of international law.

Cllr Masefield said that month, Carmarthenshire council also voted to do this and that Pembrokeshire and Monmouthshire councils would also be considering similar motions at their meetings this month.

Cllr Masefield’s motion asks that the council supports:

“Public sector pension fund investments in Powys and across Wales should not fund companies complicit in war crimes, human rights violations, or the potential breaking of international law regardless of how profitable the practice is.

“That the devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza requires an immediate bilateral ceasefire, the immediate, safe, consistent and comprehensive provision of food and medicine to the civilian population, and a lasting political and diplomatic solution.

“Although the council’s pension committee makes decisions independently of the political structures of Powys County Council, Full Council is within its rights to express a view on the matter.”

She asks that council resolves to:

• Express in strong terms this council’s view that it does not wish to be associated with companies potentially complicit in war crimes.

• Write to the PPF and the WPP to make these views clear and to ask them to review their investments and consider whether any holdings should be divested.

• To ask the Powys Pension Fund and Wales Pension Partnership to review their ethical/responsible investment policies to ensure there are strong checks prior to investment of whether any companies are potentially complicit in war crimes.

They also want these pension funds to report back to council on how this work progresses.

Earlier this year a similar motion was put forward by senior Liberal Democrat councillor, but this was withdrawn before councillors could debate it.