Proposed by Councillor Heading,
Seconded by Councillor Milne,
“This Council reiterates that it is committed to treating everyone fairly, with equality and respect, and through doing so help our City in its transition from a period of division caused by conflict to a City that celebrates diversity and pluralism.
The Council notes the recent comments made by President Trump regarding the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia, their lack of clarity and his failure to condemn racist organisations such as the Klu Klux Klan and Neo Nazi gangs. While recognising with gratitude the support provided by previous American administrations, this Council believes our core values of equality and respect to be at odds with the actions and statements of the current President of the United States of America.
As such, the Council agrees to write, through its Lord Mayor and First Citizen, to the British Prime Minster to request that any invitation, present or future, to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to visit Britain or Northern Ireland is withdrawn or excluded from consideration.
The Council is also aware that an invitation is traditionally extended to the Lord Mayor to attend the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at the White House, Washington DC, each year and requests that, in the event of this invitation being extended again in 2018 and in subsequent years, the Lord Mayor, subsequent Lord Mayors, or any other representatives of the Council, consider declining such an invitation to visit the White House or any state event at which the current US President is anticipated to be in attendance.”
(To be debated by the Council)
Minutes:
In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor Heading proposed:
“This Council reiterates that it is committed to treating everyone fairly, with equality and respect, and through doing so help our City in its transition from a period of division caused by conflict to a City that celebrates diversity and pluralism.
The Council notes the recent comments made by President Trump regarding the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia, their lack of clarity and his failure to condemn racist organisations such as the Ku Klux Klan and Neo Nazi gangs. While recognising with gratitude the support provided by previous American administrations, this Council believes our core values of equality and respect to be at odds with the actions and statements of the current President of the United States of America.
As such, the Council agrees to write, through its Lord Mayor and First Citizen, to the British Prime Minister to request that any invitation, present or future, to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to visit Britain or Northern Ireland is withdrawn or excluded from consideration.
The Council is also aware that an invitation is traditionally extended to the Lord Mayor to attend the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at the White House, Washington DC, each year and requests that, in the event of this invitation being extended again in 2018 and in subsequent years, the Lord Mayor, subsequent Lord Mayors, or any other representatives of the Council, consider declining such an invitation to visit the White House or any state event at which the current US President is anticipated to be in attendance.”
The motion was seconded by Councillor Attwood.
Amendment
Moved by Councillor Long,
Seconded by Councillor O’Neill,
That the motion, as proposed by Councillor Heading, be amended to provide for the replacement of the words “notes” and “recent” with the words “condemns” and “inconsistent” in the first sentence of the second paragraph, the insertion of the word “initial” before the word “failure” in that sentence and the deletion of the second sentence of the second paragraph and of paragraphs three and four.
At the request of Alderman Kingston, Councillor Long agreed to alter his amendment to include the following wording at the end of the final paragraph: “This Council recognises and strongly values the special relationship between the United States of America and Northern Ireland. We cherish the close historic, ancestral, cultural, economic, educational and political ties that we share with the United States.”
On a recorded vote, thirty-eight Members voted for the amendment which had been proposed by Councillor Long, as revised and as set out below, and eleven against and it was declared carried:
“This Council reiterates that it is committed to treating everyone fairly, with equality and respect, and through doing so help our City in its transition from a period of division caused by conflict to a City that celebrates diversity and pluralism.
The Council condemns the inconsistent comments made by President Trump regarding the tragic events in Charlottesville, Virginia, their lack of clarity and his initial failure to condemn racist organisations such as the Ku Klux Klan and Neo Nazi gangs.
“This Council recognises and strongly values the special relationship between the United States of America and Northern Ireland. We cherish the close historic, ancestral, cultural, economic, educational and political ties that we share with the United States.”
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For 38
The Lord Mayor (Councillor McAllister); The High Sheriff (Alderman Haire); Aldermen Convery, Kingston, McCoubrey, L. Patterson, Sandford and Spence; and Councillors Armitage, Austin, Beattie, Bell, Boyle, Campbell, Carson, Clarke, Corr, Dorrian, Garrett, Graham, Groves, Hargey, Howard, Hussey, Hutchinson, Kyle, Long, Magee, Magennis, McCabe, McConville, McVeigh, Mullan, Nicholl, O’Donnell, O’Hara, O’Neill and Reynolds.
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Against 11
The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Copeland); Aldermen McGimpsey and Rodgers; and Councillors Attwood, Bunting, Collins, Dudgeon, Heading, Johnston, Lyons and Walsh.
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The motion, as amended, was thereupon put to the meeting as the substantive motion and passed.