Barnet Council has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting and defending its communities, with a motion passed at the recent Council meeting highlighting the importance of community cohesion and protective measures.
The motion, proposed by Councillors Sara Conway and Zahra Beg, acknowledged that Barnet exemplifies the British way of community life, where residents are proud to be British while freely expressing their ethnic and religious identities. This means that while we recognise and celebrate the cultures and traditions our friends and neighbours bring to Barnet, we stand together as fellow citizens and residents.
However, the motion noted with regret that many residents feel under threat due to their ethnicity or religion, citing increased levels of verbal racism and abuse directed at individuals and communal institutions. Between June 2025 and September 2025, 17 attacks on mosques or Islamic centres were reported across the UK, including the shocking recent arson attack on a mosque near Brighton. Attacks on synagogues and other Jewish institutions have also taken place, including the recent horrific and deadly attack on Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester, and a series of religiously motivated criminal damage attacks on synagogues, a school, and a nursery in Barnet.
Barnet Council resolves to continue building on the Connecting Communities
campaign, which has been co-produced with residents to highlight positive community initiatives across the borough. The council will also continue its work in reaching out to members of communities affected by rising hate and will examine further protective measures. Specifically, the Council will continue to examine what more can be done to protect its communities, including in its work with key partners.
Furthermore, Barnet Council will advocate at regional and national levels for community cohesion.
The motion was passed with an opposition amendment, proposed by Councillor Peter Zinkin, being lost. The votes on this amendment were recorded as: For: 16, Against: 31, Abstain: 2, Absent: 13, Total: 62.
