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Pressure is mounting on Cornwall Council to oust former defence secretary Lord Hutton from his role as chair of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Economic Forum. It follows his decision to stand down as chair of trustees at the Hall for Cornwall last week.

The Labour peer, who lives in Cornwall, is the chair and non-executive director of Pearson Engineering, a military equipment manufacturer which is owned by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd, which in turn is owned and overseen by the Israeli Ministry of Defence. He has been accused by activists of "profiting from genocide".

At a meeting of Cornwall Council this week, Green Party councillor Karen La Borde asked the authority's Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Leigh Frost if he would be demanding Lord Hutton's resignation from the forum, which advises Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly on economic priorities to create local jobs and drive growth.

She told the meeting: "Lord Hutton is the chair of Cornwall and Isles of Scilly's economic forum. He's also a director of Pearson Engineering, which is owned by Rafael Defence Systems, an Israeli state-owned company.

"Lord Hutton was appointed after the Israeli government's acquisition of Pearson Engineering presumably as he is an ex-Labour defence minister and can help them navigate the halls for Westminster to lobby the UK government. In the light of the announcement that the UN Commission declares Israel is and has committed genocide, does the leader of this council believe it appropriate that someone so closely associated with the Israeli government should be heading up a forum on behalf of Cornwall Council?"

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Cllr Frost responded: "Lord Hutton has a contract as the chair of the economic forum. He's coming up to his one-year review and we will review his position in line with that contract.

"Obviously there is a lot of noise around Pearson. I don't personally understand how far Pearson is removed from the Israeli government. I can't stand here and be judge, jury and executioner of someone without understanding all of the facts. I will do that and come back to you."

Cllr La Borde pressed further. "Lord Hutton resigned from the board of the Hall for Cornwall for presumably these very reasons. Will you be seeking his resignation should you be satisfied with the case I laid out about how close he is working with the Israeli government?"

Cllr Frost said Lord Hutton's Hall for Cornwall role was voluntary while his economic forum role is contracted. "It's two very different things and I think it would be inappropriate of me to make judgements like that in a public chamber. I need to learn all the facts and make a determination that is fair and democratic."

A protest group, the Lord Hutton Campaign, which has dubbed him 'War Lord Hutton', launched on social media criticising what they say is his "leading role in the Israeli arms trade and his support of the genocide against the Palestinian people".

The campaign is claiming that following pressure from activists, the Hall for Cornwall requested that Lord Hutton resign his position as chair of trustees. The theatre has not publicly stated that it is down to outside pressure that Lord Hutton stood down.

As well as posting 'War Lord Hutton' stickers outside the Hall for Cornwall, protesters also plastered the County Hall / Lys Kernow sign at Cornwall Council's headquarters in Truro earlier this month when he was expected to visit for a meeting.

We have contacted the House of Lords asking Lord Hutton to respond to our request for a comment.