Glasgow City Council agrees to donate £20,000 to help people in Palestine

Glasgow City Council has agreed to donate £20,000 to a charity helping people in Palestine as “a signal of solidarity”.

The money will be given to UK-based Medical Aid for Palestinians, after the donation received almost unanimous support from councillors on the city administration committee on Thursday.

It follows a motion, presented by Bailie Leòdhas Massie and passed by the council in March, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Bailie Thomas Kerr, Conservative, recorded his dissent with the decision, saying he couldn’t justify the use of taxpayers’ money while the council is planning to remove up to 450 teaching posts in the city.

The donation was agreed in “recognition of the considerable additional strain placed on the resources of UK-based charities by the conflict in Gaza”.

Medical Aid for Palestinians is currently running an emergency appeal to support the provision of medical supplies, emergency food and humanitarian aid.

Following the decision, Bailie Massie said it was “a very welcome signal of solidarity that Greens requested for Medical Aid for Palestinians”.

He added: “It is vital that our words of solidarity with Palestinians are followed by direct, practical support. Greens are proud that this donation will show Glasgow playing our small part in giving support to those providing vital medical care with much needed resources to those suffering in Gaza.”

It matches a donation of £20,000 in March 2022 to UK-based charities supporting people affected by the crisis in Ukraine.

Bailie Kerr attempted to put forward an amendment to the proposal, but it failed as he had no one to second his changes.

He said: “The horrific scenes that we’ve seen in Palestine are absolutely heartbreaking. As a father of a young son, I can’t imagine the pain that people are going through on both sides of this terrible issue that’s kicked off in the Middle East.

“I am very proud that I was the first Scottish Conservative to call for an immediate ceasefire and I think I’ve got a record of showing I stand by the Palestinian people and the Israeli people when it comes to this issue.”

But he said the council has “huge strains when it comes to finances” with up to 450 teaching posts set to go. “I simply can’t justify going to the people of Shettleston and saying using money this way is a good use of taxpayers’ money for a local authority.”

He said would call on the UK Government to increase aid to people in Palestine.

Cllr Jon Molyneux, co-leader of Glasgow’s Green group, said: “I understand to a certain extent where Cllr Kerr was coming from with his amendment. I would have encouraged him to look at the position of the main teaching unions on the conflict in Gaza.

“Despite the issues going on in Glasgow, I don’t believe they would welcome the financial situation facing our education department as a reason not to show compassion in this case.”

Council leader Susan Aitken, SNP, said the chosen charity has “been providing aid to Palestinians for some decades now” and would be a “very trustworthy recipient of this small but important donation”.

Cllr John Carson, Labour, said there is an “immediate need” for the donation given the “humanitarian crisis taking place in Gaza”.

He said the people of Glasgow are “very outward looking”. “We have our own issues, but I have no doubt that if we were to go throughout this city and speak to the people that they would gratefully give this support,” he added.