Council tax payers don’t pay for Palestinian twinning

Whatever Coun. James Starkie says (Letters, June 14th) the twinning with Palestine is now a fact, as was shown by our very successful, recent project which brought 24 Palestinian and UK students together in Pendle, the entire cost of which was met by voluntary contributions from the public.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Jul 2013, 16:10 BST
Palestinians watch a bulldozer filling a crater caused by an Israeli airstrike in the Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)Palestinians watch a bulldozer filling a crater caused by an Israeli airstrike in the Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
Palestinians watch a bulldozer filling a crater caused by an Israeli airstrike in the Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

He is incorrect to say the Mayor has not accepted our invitation to be president – he has – and incorrect to say the twinning is my “private arrangement”; our group administers the twinning with Beit Leed on behalf of the council, just as the twinning association oversees the council’s twinning with Creil and Marl.

If Coun. Starkie is really interested in accuracy, he should have a word with whoever in his own party was responsible for the recent “survey” which tried to mislead Pendle electors into thinking taxpayers’ money is used for the twinning with Palestine. This is simply not true; we don’t get a penny from Pendle Council.

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Despite such blatant misrepresentation, our group will continue building the links with Palestine which, in the spirit of friendship, many Pendle people support.

Richard MacSween

Chair, Pendle Palestine Twinning Group

Related topics:PalestinianPendlePalestineMayorPendle Council