Tonight, Barnet Council will be discussing many things, but one of interest to me is the motion tabled by Cllr Alison Moore, leader of the opposition Labour Group.
The motion is below, and Cllr Brian Gordon (Conservative) has also tabled a similar motion. Cllr Gordon’s motion asks the Chief Executive to write to the IOC and LOCOG, Cllr Moore’s asks all three party leaders to write to the IOC and LOCOG. Cllr Moore’s also provides some background on the awful events of 1972.
As someone who has been working professionally on this issue for the last three years, I believe that for the letter to have the greatest effect, it needs to show cross party support, from all three political groupings.
Those of you who do not normally watch Barnet Council meetings will not know, but the local Conservatives vote down anything that Labour put forward, out of principle and spite, regardless of whether the motion makes sense. If the Tories vote down this motion tonight, in front of not just the local press, but the Jewish press, then it will show this toy town administration for what it really is.
The Barnet Conservatives must support this motion.
Council: Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Non-Executive Business Item: Councillor Alison Moore
Minute’s silence for the victims of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack Council notes that the London Olympics marks the 40th anniversary of the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics – the first Olympics that Israeli athletes took part in after the Holocaust.
Council asks all councillors to support the campaign for a minute’s silence in both the House of Commons and at the London Olympics to commemorate the victims of the Munich Olympics terrorist attack. Council asks the Leaders of the three political groups on the council to write a joint-letter to the International Olympic Committee expressing Council’s support for a minutes silence at the London Olympics. Council also calls on Barnet’s three MPs to support the minutes silence in the House of Commons and to sign EDM 100 backing calls for the official minutes silence at the London Olympics.
Under Standing Order Part 4, Section 1, 31.5: if my item is not dealt with by the end of the meeting I ask that it be voted upon at the council meeting.
I am sorry, but this is political posturing of the very worst kind. The substance of the motion is, of course. worthy. I have not seen Cllr Gordon’s motion but suspect the sentiment is equally honourable and correct. However, what has any of this got to do with Barnet Council?
Does anyone seriously think that the morons who run the I.O.C. are sitting there quaking in their boots worried that councillors in Barnet (a place they have probably never even heard of) are about to write them a letter which will go straight into the bin?
The I.O.C. have stated many times that they are not going to hold a minute’s silence. Nothing Barnet Council can say or do will change their mind. The issue has already been raised at senior levels of government, but the I.O.C. have their heads buried firmly in the sand.
Both motions before the council are nothing more than an exercise in grandstanding to local residents. Where were the motions to ban the relay torch from passing through the Borough? Or to ban Olympic flags from lamp-posts? They might have had some effect.
Rather than protesting about something over which the council has absolutely no jurisdiction, it would be a more productive use of councillors’ time to debate a motion condemning the Chief Executive for the disgraceful hounding of Helen Michael.