Hampshire County Council debates £10bn pension fund investment strategy

A dispute has emerged within the Hampshire County Council regarding the investment strategy for its £10bn pension fund. The disagreement follows a public consultation where 138 responses were received, 62 of which addressed the conflict in Palestine or mentioned genocide in relation to fund investments.

Reform UK councillor Paul McCormick criticized the consultation results, describing them as “pretty pitiful” and suggesting that the feedback was driven by political activists and pressure groups attempting to “hijack” the process. He argued that the fund’s primary responsibility is to protect the long-term financial interests of pensioners and that many submissions were irrelevant to the specific questions asked.

In response, Liberal Democrat councillor Jack Davies defended the validity of the participants, stating that views should be heard regardless of whether councillors agree with them. He maintained that the fund has a responsibility to consider ethical concerns alongside financial performance.