A BID by Ulster Unionist councillor Joan Baird to get Moyle Council to ‘revoke and totally disassociate’ itself from a ‘Twinning Arrangement’ with Gaza failed on Monday night (March 26). The 15-member nationalist-controlled council previously supported twinning on March 12 when seven councillors - all nationalists - backed the proposal and six councillors - five Unionists along with Independent councillor Randal McDonnell - voted against. On Monday night Cllr Baird called on the Council to change its decision. Supporters of the ‘twinning’ say it will bring humanitarian aid to Gaza but opponents believe the move makes a one-sided political statement in the Middle East conflict. more

The Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, is proposing, in a show of sympathy with the people of Gaza, that his city enter into a twinning agreement with Gaza . "It's saying that we empathise with the plight of the inhabitants in that area." The move is another blow to Israel's attempt to isolate the people of the strip.

Worcester City Council has released the following rather terse statement following the Twinning Association decision not to twin with Gaza City we reported on earlier today: "The Council would like to thank the City of Worcester Twinning Association for considering the recent proposal that has been put to them. "We note the outcome of the Twinning Association's discussions and therefore have no plans to progress this matter further." A defeat for humanitarianism - but at least the Viva Palestina convoy got through, despite all the struggle and shenanigans along the way.

Received a statement from the Twinning Association via Kabbie Langford at the City Council's communications office which we have posted in full below. Unfortunately the twinning association has declined to take up the city council's resolution to twin with Gaza City and has passed the buck back to the council. The leader of the Labour group and the chief exec are in a meeting now and will be releasing a statement imminently. Don't hold out much hope that they will follow through on the resolution, but you never know... At its meeting on March 9th, the Executive Committee of the City of Worcester Twinning Association agreed on the following response to Worcester City Council: "As is well known to the world, the City of Worcester Twinning Association received an invitation from Worcester City Council "to consider a twinning arrangement with Gaza City". The Executive Committee appreciates the understandable desire to express sympathy with the sufferings of the ...

The Berrow's Worcester Journal James Connell reports tonight that the Worcester Twinning Association has made its decision on twinning with Gaza but, bizarrely, the chairman refuses to say what that decision is. We'll have to wait for a press statement from the City council tomorrow.

Last night saw 70 people gather in Worcester to support the twinning resolution passed by the city council.The meeting heard from Manal Timraz who lost 15 members of her family in the recent war. The Worcester Twinning Association meets tonight to make the decision and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War are holding a vigil to encourage the association members to make the right decision. The national press has derided the principled vote of the Labour councillors, leading the leaders of the Labour group to ban members from talking to the press. Read the report at the Berrow's Worcester Journal .

We reported on the twinning vote by councillors in Worcester on 26 February, before the national press belatedly started jumping up and down about the issue, and congratulated the city on the move - although it hasn't been signed off yet by Worcester's Twinning Association. Well now it looks like the Labour Party in Worcester is getting cold feet. What is it with these politicians? They do something really good and then have to bottle it. The leader of the Labour group on the council is banning the councillors from discussing the 'twinning controversy'. Gaza Solidarity will be investigating the issue further and hoping to find a councillor willing to break this ludicrous ban on promoting their own fine work. Jack Blanchard on the local paper also reports that the party is to hold its AGM next Monday at 7.30pm - the exact same time as the Twinning Association meeting to discuss/endorse the Gaza move. Come on Labour, stick to your guns, if that's the right expression...

Viva Worcester! Viva Palestina From the Berrows & Worcester Journal CITY councillors have backed a motion which could lead to Worcester being twinned with Gaza City in the Middle East. A notice of motion put forward by Alan Amos, Warndon city councillor, was passed after a carefully worded amendment tabled by David Tibbutt, councillor for Battenhall, was accepted. The amended motion read: "The city of Worcester invite the Twinning Association to consider twinning Worcester with Gaza City."