Hackney Council admits debate on its tobacco investments needed

Smoke-free: children's play area, Clissold Park. Photograph: Hackney Council

Readers will be pleased to know that Cllr Jonathan McShane, Cabinet member for Health, Social Care and Culture, has declared councils should debate whether cigarette companies are an appropriate object of council pension funds’ investment.

The Guardian newspaper reports that McShane said at the recent Labour party conference that it was “up to councils to be bold and act in the interests of its residents. Hackney Council is considering banning smoking in parks and outside local cafes, encouraging tenants and residents associations to designate no smoking estates and debate whether it is appropriate for the authority to invest in tobacco companies while promoting messages about living healthy lifestyles (emphasis added).”

Sadly, Hackney Council has until this time been reluctant to engage in debate on this topic, has been unable to provide a proper justification for the Council’s £10.5m tobacco holdings and has maintained that these investments reflect a ‘duty’.

Much of the debate so far has been found in the comments section of the Hackney Citizen’s website, on the various stories highlighting the issue.

Right-thinking residents will be gratified that the council has finally come round to the view that a wider public discussion of this matter is needed.

As yet,  the council is unable to tell the good people of Hackney when the councillors themselves are to hold a debate on the subject, saying ‘no information’ is currently available.

Related:

Hackney Council’s tobacco investments back in the spotlight

Hackney Council pumps taxpayer millions into tobacco firms