Government plans to prevent procurement campaigns that conflict with national policy – such as those against Israel and UK arms companies

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Councils and local authorities are to be blocked from boycotting Israeli products or pursuing other foreign policy goals that conflict with the government.

Conservative aides said the measure was a response to growing concern about the “militant actions of leftwing councils” that they claimed was spurred on by the Labour leadership.

The new rules will stop politically motivated boycott and divestment campaigns by town halls against UK defence companies and against Israel.

The Cabinet Office minister, Matthew Hancock, said the action was intended to prevent “playground politics” from councils.

The government will amend pension legislation to make clear that using pensions and procurement policies to pursue boycotts, divestments and sanctions campaigns against other countries and the UK defence industry are inappropriate, unless they are in line with action on a national level.

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Local authorities have in the past introduced investment or boycott policies designed to punish companies and countries they disagree with politically. Last November, Leicester city council agreed a boycott on products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The crackdown against such actions by councils will be contained in new procurement policy guidance.

The communities and local government secretary, Greg Clark, said: “Divisive policies undermine good community relations, and harm the economic security of families by pushing up council tax.

“We need to challenge and prevent the politics of division. Conservatives will provide the stable, competent and sensible government that working people want to see.”



