JUNE has arrived which means only one thing at Belfast City Hall- out with the old and in with the new with a change of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor.

The meeting was interrupted occasionally due to technical difficulties which was probably inevitable given that some councillors were in attendance in the City Hall Chamber but most still attending remotely at home.

Outgoing Lord Mayor Frank McCoubrey reflected on “a year like no other” due to the COVID-19 pandemic and said he had witnessed the pain of Belfast.

Alderman Mr McCoubrey received widespread thanks and praise for his work as First Citizen during the pandemic from all parties, with many using words such as a “grounded man” and “dignity” to describe his hard work.

Then the chain and the 'big chair'— so massive it rolls on rails —  to incoming Lord Mayor Kate Nicholl. The Alliance Party councillors is a native of Zimbabwe and the first person in recent times to hold the post who was not brought up here.

The freshly-minted Lord Mayor said she was going to bring “energy and positivity” and “love and pride” for Belfast over the next year, with her theme of ‘Our Belfast’.

There was also a farewell to outgoing Deputy Lord Mayor Paul McCusker who was praised for his compassions and hard work during the past year also, particular on homelessness, child poverty and youth work. 

Councillor McCusker said he will “never forget” the opportunity he was given, something he never dreamt of growing up in Ardoyne.

DUP Alderman Tom Haire was subsequently installed as the new Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast.

After a short break, it was on to the normal monthly business for councillors.

First up was an address to Council from Mohammed Samaana and Sue Pentel ahead of motions later that evening on support for Palestine.

As discussion of the minutes began, Sinn Féin Group Leader Ciarán Beattie welcomed progress on statues for two Belfast icons - Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney - set to be installed in City Hall grounds.

Green Party councillor Áine Groogan proposed an amendment to the minutes of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee regarding the use of all taxis in bus lanes.

She called for the Council to overturn its corporate position on the matter and ban the use private hire taxis in bus lanes.

Councillor Groogan says congestion issues threaten the health of citizens and the current rules negatively impact those without access to cars.

PUP Councillor John Kyle said the current rules don't encourage "active travel" and put cyclists in danger with Alliance councillor Eric Hanvey saying his party does not want to ban taxis from the roads entirely, but to strike a balance and encourage active travel, while protecting cyclists.

Sinn Fein's Ronan McLaughlin says there no conclusive evidence that removing private taxis from bus lanes would help reduce emissions as the vehicles will still be on the streets. He added: "At the end of the day, it is a bus lane and not a cycle lane. I live in West Belfast and there is a lack of safe segregated cycling network. You cannot put taxi drivers and cyclists together just for the sake of it."

Following a vote, Councillor Groogan’s was defeated by 32 votes to 24.

Councillors also ratified proposed locations for new Belfast Bikes stations, including at the Waterworks and at Lisnasharragh and Olympia Leisure Centres.

The first major debate of the night came after a PBP motion by Fiona Ferguson which called for a request to the Irish Government and the UK Government to expel the Israeli Ambassadors.

Councillor Ferguson described the treatment of Palestinians by Israel as apartheid and said it was no longer good enough to just condemn it - that action was needed. She said expelling Israeli ambassadors would be a small but symbolic step.

Alliance councillor Nuala McAllister agreed that there needs to be action instead of words but did not agree with expelling ambassadors nor did she think it is realistic.

Her amendment called for economic and diplomatic measures instead.

DUP Alderman Brian Kingston argued the focus should be on welcoming the recent ceasefire and "not taking a one-sided approach".

PUP councillor John Kyle said his party would also not support the motion.

A vote on councillor McAllister’s amendment was defeated by 49 votes to 10, but a vote on the original motion was passed by 31 votes to 28.

A further motion on Palestine prompted similar debate from councillors as Sinn Féin councillor proposed a motion calling on Council to write to the Local Government Pension Scheme to seek as part of its responsible investment strategy that it will begin the process of divesting from any Israeli Sat- owned company or private company involved in the occupation and the violation of Palestinian human rights. 

DUP councillor David Brooks hit out at Sinn Féin’s Seanna Walsh for a comparison of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as being “like the Holocaust”.

He called it “absolutely disgusting” and called on councillor Walsh for to apologise.

The motion was eventually passed by 41 votes in favour to 16 against.

Other motions passed without debate included calls for safe access to facilities providing sexual and reproductive care services by Green Party councillor Áine Groogan and a motion on employment rights which called out companies making employees redundant before hiring them again on less-favourable terms and conditions.

Due to further technical difficulties, the final two motions of the night were agreed unanimously without debate, including one on ending child poverty — a subject that the Lord Mayor says will be top of her agenda during her year in office — and the marathon meeting came to a close almost six hours after it started and just shy of midnight.