Latest news with #LukeCharters
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Councils fly flags to support Ukraine – but block defence spending
Councils are flying flags for Ukraine from their town halls while blocking investment in the British defence industry. At least a dozen English councils have passed motions to 'divest' from defence companies because of the war in Gaza, or have taken steps to reduce their holdings in arms companies. A report by two Labour MPs has found that defence companies have missed out on at least £30 million in investment because of action taken by local councils to focus their pension funds on 'ethical' firms. Despite this, several of the councils have displayed the Ukrainian flag from their town halls in solidarity against Russia. The MPs, Luke Charters and Alex Baker, said there was 'untapped potential' in local government pensions that could be used to boost investment in the defence sector, which often struggles to access finance. They argued that supporting British defence companies would help Ukraine, which has received more than £18 billion in military and humanitarian support from the UK. The MPs said there was a 'concerning trend among UK councils to divest from defence, with at least a dozen authorities implementing partial or full exclusion policies since 2022'. The MPs did not name the councils, but The Telegraph has found evidence of town halls in London, Bristol, Somerset, Oxford and Dudley where motions have been passed banning defence investment in support of Palestine. Dudley council, which is under no single party's overall control, passed a motion to divest from defence companies with the support of Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors. The council has flown the Ukrainian flag several times since the Russian invasion in February 2022, and lit up its town hall in blue and yellow. Labour-run Manchester city council, which voted to pressure its pension provider to abandon weapons manufacturers in November last year, has celebrated Ukrainian independence day and spent £50,000 to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the city. The motion noted that councillors 'recognise the inextricable link between war, climate destruction, and human suffering' and that 'armed conflicts not only result in loss of life, including civilians and children, but also lead to intense environmental destruction'. Labour-run Waltham Forest Council, which announced plans to sell all defence investments in August last year, has hosted events for Ukrainian residents affected by the 'crisis' in their home country. Mr Charters told The Telegraph: 'With war on our continent, this is not the moment for councils to pull back from investing in UK defence. 'Firms and financiers have been clear when we have engaged with them: barriers like weak demand signals, short-term contracts, divestment, and regulatory uncertainty are holding the sector back. 'Our report calls for urgent engagement with local government pension schemes – and sets out 12 reforms to help unlock the capital and credit our defence sector needs to grow. 'Financing sovereign defence isn't optional – it's vital to our security and economic future.' The report's findings also include an apparent admission from the parliamentary pension scheme for MPs that their savings are often deliberately not invested in defence. A letter to the MPs from the chair of the fund said that while there was no specific ban on defence investments, 'environmental, social, governance and climate change issues tend to be more pronounced in some defence companies'. Mr Charters and Ms Baker said: 'There needs to be a holistic review by officials to understand how public investment vehicles are performing when it comes to defence sector investment. 'The UK cannot afford to miss this moment due to outdated ethical aversions. 'Defence investments represent not only a financial opportunity, but also an ethical obligation to secure the nation's future amidst an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.' Dudley council, Manchester city council and Waltham Forest council have all been approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
20 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Councils fly flags to support Ukraine's war – but block defence spending
Councils are flying flags for Ukraine from their town halls while blocking investment in the British defence industry. At least a dozen English councils have passed motions 'divesting' from defence companies because of the war in Gaza, or taken steps to reduce their holdings in arms companies. A new report by two Labour MPs found that defence companies have missed out on at least £30 million in investment because of action taken by local councils to focus their pension funds on 'ethical' firms. It comes despite the fact that several of the councils have displayed the Ukrainian flag from their town halls in solidarity against Russia. The MPs, Luke Charters and Alex Baker, said there was 'untapped potential' in local government pensions that could be used to boost investment in the defence sector, which often struggles to access finance. They argued that supporting British defence companies would help Ukraine, which has received more than £18 billion in military and humanitarian support from the UK. The MPs said there was a 'concerning trend among UK councils to divest from defence, with at least a dozen authorities implementing partial or full exclusion policies since 2022'. The MPs did not name the councils, but The Telegraph has found evidence of town halls in London, Bristol, Somerset, Oxford and Dudley where motions have been passed banning defence investment in support of Palestine. Dudley Council, which is under no single party's overall control, passed a motion to divest from defence companies with the support of Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors. The council has flown the Ukrainian flag several times since the Russian invasion in February 2022, and lit up its town hall in blue and yellow. Labour-run Manchester City Council, which voted to pressure its pension provider to abandon weapons manufacturers in November last year, has celebrated Ukrainian independence day and spent £50,000 to support Ukrainian refugees arriving in the city. The motion noted that councillors 'recognise the inextricable link between war, climate destruction, and human suffering' and that 'armed conflicts not only result in loss of life, including civilians and children, but also lead to intense environmental destruction'. Labour-run Waltham Forest Council, which announced plans to sell all defence investments in August last year, has hosted events for Ukrainian residents affected by the 'crisis' in their home country. Mr Charters told The Telegraph: 'With war on our continent, this is not the moment for councils to pull back from investing in UK defence. 'Firms and financiers have been clear when we have engaged with them: barriers like weak demand signals, short-term contracts, divestment, and regulatory uncertainty are holding the sector back. 'Our report calls for urgent engagement with local government pension schemes — and sets out 12 reforms to help unlock the capital and credit our defence sector needs to grow. 'Financing sovereign defence isn't optional – it's vital to our security and economic future.' The report's findings also include an apparent admission from the parliamentary pension scheme for MPs that their savings are often deliberately not invested in defence. A letter to the MPs from the chair of the fund said that while there was no specific ban on defence investments, 'environmental, social, governance (ESG) and climate change issues tend to be more pronounced in some defence companies'. Mr Charters and Ms Baker said: 'There needs to be a holistic review by officials to understand how public investment vehicles are performing when it comes to defence sector investment. 'The UK cannot afford to miss this moment due to outdated ethical aversions. 'Defence investments represent not only a financial opportunity, but also an ethical obligation to secure the nation's future amidst an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.'
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Large fire at Strensall Common nature reserve scaled back
An operation to tackle a large fire which tore through a nature reserve on the outskirts of York has been scaled its height on Tuesday, 10 fire engines were called to the scene of the blaze at Strensall Common after it broke out at about 15:30 an update posted at 01:00 BST, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the incident had been scaled down to one said crews were in contact with the emergency control room in the event of any escalation. Strensall Common is a nature reserve about six miles (10km) from York city centre and is the only place in England where the rare dark-bordered beauty moth can be on Tuesday, Luke Charters, MP for York Outer, said: "Strensall Common is a place I care about deeply."Like many local residents, I treasure it for its natural beauty and peace." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
York MP calls for rail route be named after Alan Turing
An MP has called for a new train line upgrade to be named after mathematician and codebreaker Alan Charters, who represents York Outer, asked the Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, whether the new TransPennine York to Manchester line should be renamed as the Turing year, the government announced a £400m funding package for an upgrade to the main line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds, and York, to cut journey times to a little as 63 Charters said renaming the route would honour Mr Turing's legacy due to his work on computing at the University of Manchester. He said: "I'm thrilled to receive support from the Leader of the House on this campaign. Both our constituencies in York Outer and Manchester Central are not only tied together by a strong northern identity, but vital rail infrastructure making it easier for our constituents to travel between our two great cities."Alan Turing is one of the most influential people in the history of this country. It would be a fantastic moment for this new rail line to become a tribute to his work - and the historic legacy he has left our great nation – not least following the 80th anniversary of VE Day."With two weeks until Pride celebrations begin across the country, this is a fitting time to pay tribute to one of Britain's most influential LGBTQ+ figures."Powell said it would be "a fitting tribute to consider the TransPennine route or perhaps another railway line being named after him". While at the Bank of England, Charters was part of the team that helped put Mr Turing on the new £50 Turing's efforts in cracking the Enigma code are part of the reason that Britain won World War 2017, thousands of men convicted under historic homophobic laws were also posthumously pardoned as part of "Turing's Law". Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Spectator
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Football's beer ban makes no sense
Should football fans be allowed to have a pint in the stands during a game? Luke Charters, the Labour MP for York Outer, certainly thinks so, and is calling for trials to see what impact lifting the ban on booze in the stands might have. 'The days of hooliganism are gone', he said. 'Fans of other sports can drink in the stands but football fans cannot.' The Labour backbencher raised the issue in the House of Commons during a debate on the Football Governance Bill, proposing designated drinking zones in view of the pitch as a potential way forward. He says it is all about allowing fans who want to drink the 'chance to do so responsibly' and that it is an opportunity to give back to fans who support their teams loyally. The Football Supporters' Association has given its backing to allocated drinking zone trials, pointing out: 'In the past, this is actually something many clubs have called for too.' Charters is no revolutionary – just someone who wants to prompt a wider debate.
