Labour stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Labour has criticised County Durham’s ruling Tory-led Coalition for acting too slow to sever its ties with Russia.
Coalition and LibDem Leader, Cllr Amanda Hopgood, this week said County Durham’s twinning arrangements with the Russian city of Kostroma remained “under review” amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, only to cut links with the city 24 hours later.
Durham County Council’s “Charter of Friendship” with the Russian city ended after a letter was sent to Cllr Hopgood by Labour Secretary, Cllr Robert Adcock-Foster on behalf of the County Durham party, claiming failure to cut ties was “an insult to the men, women and children of Ukraine fighting an unprovoked and aggressive Russian invasion.”
In the letter to Coalition leaders, Cllr Adcock-Forster said:
“Governments, public bodies, and private businesses worldwide have taken steps to sanction, boycott and isolate Russia, often at considerable economic and financial costs, in a show of solidarity.
“Durham County Council has the opportunity to make a symbolic gesture of solidarity with the Ukrainian people by ending our links with Kostroma. County Durham people will be shocked at the decision to keep this matter ‘under review’.”
Earlier this week, Cllr Hopgood said:
“County Durham was first linked with the Russian City of Kostroma in 1968, although there are currently no active projects through the twinning. We will keep our twinning arrangements under review subject to any government guidance that is issued.”
24 hours later, she issued a statement stating:
“In light of the military action being carried out by Russia, and in line with steps already taken by other councils across the country, we will be ending the twinning arrangements with Kostroma as a show of our opposition.”
Labour claims the decision not to immediately end the Russian link was further evidence that the Coalition continues to act in opposition to the wishes of most people across the county.
County Durham Labour Deputy Leader, Cllr Rob Crute, said:
“I think the people of County Durham will be offended that this Tory-led Coalition did not act quickly, decisively and unequivocally to cut ties with Kostroma, rather than issue a weak statement to the media one day before taking the correct course of action the next day.
“We do not have to wait for Government guidance, we speak for County Durham, its people, its families, its businesses and organisations. Our communities want no connection to a regime threatening peace and security, undermining democracy, and indiscriminately targeting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
“It’s disappointing that it’s taken a letter from Labour Group to force the Coalition into taking the right decision – a decision most of us would have taken instinctively.”
Durham County Council signed a charter of friendship with the Russian city of Kostroma, around 250 miles to the north east of Moscow, on July 5, 1968.