Reform UK Sunderland reaffirms threat to withdraw Pride support if elected

Reform UK Sunderland has reiterated its intention to withdraw council support for the city’s annual Pride March should it gain control of the local authority next May.

The controversy began on 28 June when the Sunderland Echo shared a post on Facebook promoting the upcoming Sunderland Pride March. In response, Reform UK Sunderland commented: “Enjoy it while you can, when we take the Council next May we will be pulling all support for the event.”

The comment was later removed, prompting speculation. Reform UK Sunderland has since claimed that Facebook deleted the post following reports, not the party itself.

Despite public backlash, the party has doubled down on its position. In a follow-up post, Reform UK Sunderland stated: “We stand by our point. Recent developments have shown that the council grants £10,000 of public funds towards this politically motivated event. We just think there’s a better way to spend that money.”

The charity behind Sunderland Pride, Out North East, responded with concern. Chair Peter Darrant confirmed the group had received a £10,000 grant from the city’s Festival and Grant Fund – a scheme open to all local applicants. He emphasised that the total cost of the Pride events was £95,000, with the majority raised through sponsorship.

“For every £1 from Sunderland, we gave back £9,” said Mr Darrant, highlighting the economic and social benefits of the event. He also noted that all events organised by the charity were free to attend, and any ticketed events hosted by partners generated revenue for local businesses.

Mr Darrant criticised Reform UK Sunderland’s stance, saying: “It’s very sad to see an organisation making this kind of remark without any real grasp of the facts, purely to try and stir up hatred. We are more than happy to meet with Reform UK Sunderland and help them understand the value that Pride in Sunderland brings to the city.”

Reform UK Sunderland has denied accusations of homophobia or transphobia, stating: “Our Party chairman is gay, we have LGBT staff, candidates and elected officials. We don’t care who you are, we just think this event is a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

The party also referenced Staffordshire County Council, where Reform UK holds control, noting that it has already declined to fund this year’s Stafford Pride, with Council Leader Ian Cooper stating: “We are not going to spend taxpayers' money funding that.”