Letter: I Was Shut Down at GBC’s Full Council Meeting

Published on: 21 Aug, 2025
Updated on: 21 Aug, 2025

Simon Higgins speaking at the full council meeting in July.

From Simon Higgins

Guildford Borough Council has investments in Barclays Bank who are bankrolling Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.

I have lived in Guildford for forty years and on 29 July I addressed the Full Council Meeting. My request was for Guildford Borough Council (GBC) to take an ethical and moral stand and divest from Barclays. I presented evidence obtained by independent research organisation Profundo that verifies Barclays’ complicity in the ongoing genocide.

Cllr Richard Lucas [Lib Dem, Ash Vale], responding on behalf of GBC said that he shared my abhorrence and revulsion at what is happening in Gaza, but said that Barclays’ website was in “direct contradiction” to the evidence I presented. I question the validity of making council decisions based on a company website as opposed to evidence produced by an independent research organisation.

Cllr Lucas continued to make statements quoting Barclays website that were false and misleading. He stated that in August 2024 Barclays withdrew from primary bond auctions. However, on 14 August 2024 The Financial Times published an article stating that Barclays was reaffirming its commitment to help the Israeli government sell its debt.

A United Nations report, compiled between June and July 2025 states that;

“As the main source of finance for Israel’s State budget, treasury bonds have played a critical role in funding the ongoing assault on Gaza. From 2022 to 2024, the Israeli military budget grew from 4.2 per cent to 8.3 per cent of GDP, driving the public budget into a 6.8 per cent deficit. Israel funded this ballooning budget by increasing its bond issuance, including $8 billion in March 2024 and $5 billion in February 2025, alongside issuances on its domestic shekel market. Some of the world’s largest banks, including BNP Paribas and Barclays, stepped in to boost market confidence by underwriting these international and domestic treasury bonds, allowing Israel to contain the interest rate premium, despite a credit downgrade.”

At the full council meeting I requested the opportunity to correct the errors in Richard Lucas’ statement, but was denied the right of reply. I was shut down.

The GBC decision making process is deeply flawed and undemocratic with no opportunity for discussion or debate.  GBC required me to submit my statement six days prior to the meeting, but gave me no advance notice of the council’s reply. GBC’s decision making was based on Barclays’ website, despite independent evidence to the contrary from Profundo, the Financial Times and the United Nations.

On behalf of Guildford residents GBC needs to demonstrate accountability and responsibility for its actions. To implement policy based on a company website, as opposed to independent research and  examination is irresponsible and potentially negligent.

Editor’s comment: Cllr Lucas has been invited to respond.

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