A petition calling for Hertfordshire Local Government Pension Scheme (HLGPS) to divest from companies “complicit in war crimes, apartheid and occupation” has been backed by more than 1,500 signatures.

The petition was launched on the council’s website on 27 January, and when it closed on 14 May, it had been backed by 1,525 people, who must either live or work in the county.

Now, as part of the council’s petition scheme, the petition, having gained more than 1,000 signatures, can be presented to and debated by a meeting of the full county council.

The petition calls for the HLGPS to divest from “companies complicit in Israel’s well-documented human rights abuses against Palestinians”.

In addition, it calls on the county council to “refrain from any such investments in future through implementation and review of its responsible investment policy”.

Responding to the petition, a spokesperson for HLGPS said its democratic services team were “currently in discussion” with the petitioner as to which meeting they wished to present the petition to, but as it had received more than 1,000 signatures, under the terms of the constitution it has passed the threshold to be discussed at a full council meeting.

They also referred to a previous statement on the matter, which read: “The overriding duty of the HLGPS is to pay the pensions of retired employees, and the cross-party pensions committee has a fiduciary duty to invest responsibly and in the best interest of pension scheme members.

“We insist that our investment managers invest ethically, and investments will continue to be made in line with our financial responsibilities.

“While campaigners will have strong views, the beneficiaries of the pension scheme themselves may also hold a different view as to where their retirement savings are invested.

“The pension committee will maintain a responsible investment policy that focuses on the long-term, ensuring the fund can continue to pay the pensions of its members.”

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