FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Public Pressure Mounts on West Sussex Council Over Pension Fund
Investments as Calls for Divestment Rejected
CHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX — October 15, 2025
On Friday, October 17 at 12:30pm, members of the grassroots campaign group WS – Divest! will gather on the steps of County Hall, Chichester, to protest West Sussex County Council’s refusal to divest its pension fund from companies complicit in the Israeli government’s occupation of Palestine and war crimes in Gaza.
The protest follows the denial of cross-party calls for urgent reviews of investment in ten companies linked to Israel’s system of apartheid. Campaigners say this rejection ignores mounting legal and moral concerns, as well as overwhelming public support for ethical investment.
“More than 3,000 West Sussex residents have now signed our petition calling for divestment,” said Gill Poole, convenor of WS – Divest!. “That’s thousands of people who don’t want their pensions, or public money, tied up in companies enabling human rights abuses. We call on the council to immediately divest from the companies implicated in profiting from violations of international law.”
The Companies in Question
WS – Divest! highlights evidence that the WSCC Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is currently invested in 10 companies implicated in enabling or profiting from violations of international law. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign estimates approximately £219.6 million in investments linked to companies accused of sustaining Israel’s system of apartheid and military
occupation. These include:
- Ford Motor Company – vehicles adapted for Israeli military use
- Maersk – ships military equipment to Israel
- Siemens – rail infrastructure crossing into occupied land
Cisco, Amazon & Alphabet (Google) – tech services for surveillance and cloud military infrastructure - Teva Pharmaceuticals – benefits from a captive market under occupation
Barclays & HSBC – provide billions in financing and services to arms manufacturers supplying Israel
This list is based on investment data obtained via Freedom of Information and verified by two internationally recognised databases: AFSC Investigate and Who Profits. Both are used and recommended by London CIV, the body responsible for managing pension investments for London boroughs.
Legal Responsibility
Legal Responsibility A legal notice, recently issued to all councils in England and Wales by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, argues that local authorities administering LGPS funds are under an immediate legal obligation to divest from companies enabling Israel’s military occupation, apartheid, and acts of
genocide.
The notice, drafted by legal experts, states that by investing in companies tied to arms, infrastructure, finance, or settlement expansion in occupied Palestinian territories, councils may be complicit in serious breaches of international law.
WS – Divest! argues that West Sussex County Council (WSCC) cannot simply claim uncertainty — this legal notice demonstrates that inaction is becoming increasingly untenable under current legal frameworks. More than 17 councils have taken steps toward divestment nationwide, with Brighton & Hove City Council being the most recent. On Monday 13th October, an overwhelming majority voted in favour of a motion instructing officials to analyse the council’s exposure to complicity.
Cross-Party Concern Ignored
The protest follows calls from Labour for a member-led review of council investments, which were rejected at the last full County Council meeting in July. Green councillor Sarah Sharp has backed these efforts by submitting a further question regarding the council’s complicity, to be addressed at the upcoming full County Council meeting on 17th October.
“At the last council meeting, elected representatives raised serious ethical and legal concerns about where pension funds are invested,” said Mark Record, WS – Divest! member. “Rather than engage, the council refused to conduct a review of the concerned investments. We urge them to reconsider in order to ensure the council’s actions truly reflect the values and concerns of West Sussex residents.”
— Mark Record, member, WS – Divest!
Protest Details
- Location: County Hall, West Street, Chichester PO19 1RQ
- Time: 12:30pm, Friday 17th October 2025
- Speakers and spokespeople from WS – Divest! will be available for interviews
About WS – Divest!
WS – Divest! is a grassroots group of West Sussex residents calling for the County Council to divest its pension fund from companies complicit in breaches of international law and human rights abuses in Palestine. The campaign is citizen-led and supported by residents, students, workers, and pension holders across the county.
High-resolution image of campaigners is available here:
https://wsdivest.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/13thOct03.jpg
Media Contact
- Gill Poole
- Convenor, WS – Divest!
- ws.divest2025@gmail.com
- https://wsdivest.uk/
- 07717146396
Press Release in PDF Format
Please find a PDF version of press release on this link