Labour councillor rebels against council rules to speak on Gaza-Israel war and almost gets thrown out
An East London Labour councillor was almost chucked out of a meeting on Wednesday evening (November 15) after she rebelled against council rules and used a debate to speak on the Gaza-Israel conflict and called for a ceasefire. A head of this week's full council meeting, the Aspire, Labour and Green party at Tower Hamlets Council had wanted to present motions on the ongoing conflict, which all called for a ceasefire and pledged to support communities in the borough who have been affected by the events. However, they were all rejected on the grounds that they were outside of the council's remit, as well as there reportedly being safety concerns for some councillors. Motions last for 30 minutes and are put forward by councillors to debate an issue, ending with a decision on whether to adapt it or not. According to the council's constitution, motions must be 'about a matter for which the council has a responsibility or which affect the area', otherwise they can...