Reform UK’s Durham County Council has withdrawn all financial support for Durham Pride following a controversial decision to ban Pride flags from council buildings, sparking widespread condemnation from LGBT+ groups and opposition councillors.
The move comes after party leader Nigel Farage and Reform chairman Zia Yusuf announced in May that all 10 councils under Reform control would be prohibited from flying Pride flags, allowing only the Union Jack, St George’s flag and county flags on council property.
Durham Pride chair Mel Metcalf expressed deep concern about the organisation’s future, saying the rainbow flag had been flying at County Hall during Pride week for approximately 12 years as a symbol of inclusivity. We are of course disappointed,” Metcalf said, warning that more than 6,000 people expected to attend this year’s event faced uncertainty about future celebrations.
Council leader Andrew Husband confirmed the administration would redirect funding previously allocated to Pride events towards what he termed “core services. A Reform source within Durham County Council stated bluntly: “Not a penny of taxpayers’ money will go towards these events anymore.”
The decision mirrors similar moves across Reform-controlled councils. In Staffordshire, council leader Ian Cooper declared: “We’re not against Pride – have a great time, enjoy yourself. However, we are not going to spend taxpayers’ money funding that.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Ellie Hopgood condemned the action as a “disrespectful, mean-spirited act”, particularly criticising the timing ahead of Durham’s Pride in Armed Forces event. “It is disrespectful to the Britons of all sexualities who served in our armed forces and many who gave their lives for their country,” she said.
Deputy council leader Darren Grimes, who is gay, defended the policy, insisting the party was “anti-tokenism” rather than anti-gay. Flying our national and local flags is an act of unity. Swapping them out for niche political symbols is just more toxic identity politics,” Grimes stated.
The flag ban forms part of Reform UK’s broader agenda following their stunning local election success in May, where they secured control of councils including Durham, Kent, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Doncaster, North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire.
Farage, who previously stated Reform councillors would boycott diversity and climate change training, has positioned the party firmly against what he terms “woke ideology. The party’s manifesto pledges to “ban transgender ideology” in schools and opposes what it calls “divisive identity politics.
The controversy deepened when it emerged that Reform campaigners had been caught making homophobic remarks during election campaigns. George Jones, who runs events for Reform, was recorded calling a Pride flag on a police car a “f**king degenerate flag”, adding inflammatory comments about LGBT+ people.
Labour MP Mike Tapp criticised the timing of Reform’s announcement, which came shortly after VE Day commemorations. “As VE Day reminds us, Britain has a proud history of working with allies to defeat dictators and tyrants. It tells you all you need to know about Nigel Farage’s Reform that their very first act after winning elections is to ban the Ukrainian flag from our town halls.
Reform’s swift implementation of the flag policy has seen Pride flags removed from council buildings across all territories they control. The party announced that “Reform-controlled English councils will move at speed” to enforce the new rules, with chairman Zia Yusuf stating: “No other flags will be permitted to be flown on its flagpoles, balconies, reception desks or council chamber walls.
The funding withdrawal affects various Pride events that previously received support through councillor community funds. In 2024, four Durham county councillors had contributed £1,700 from their community funds towards Pride events, representing a fraction of the total costs exceeding £35,000.
Metcalf vowed that Pride celebrations would continue regardless of council support. “All I can say is Pride will happen every year in Durham. It might not be with support from Durham County Council but there will be support from many others,” he said, adding that organisers planned to send a letter to the new council leadership.
The move has raised concerns about the future of LGBT+ support services and inclusion initiatives across Reform-controlled areas. Durham County Council had also removed diversity, equity and inclusion training requirements, with sources describing previous sessions as “proper struggle session stuff designed to make normal people feel guilty for existing.
Reform UK’s electoral surge has positioned them as a significant force in local government, with recent polling suggesting they could become the largest party nationally if a general election were held today. The party’s hardline stance on cultural issues appears central to their appeal among voters frustrated with mainstream parties.
As Pride season approaches, organisers across Reform-controlled councils face similar funding uncertainties. The party’s message remains consistent – taxpayer funding for Pride events has ended, with Cooper’s declaration echoing across Reform territories: “If you want to do that, go to the private sector, ask charities, put your hand in your own pocket.
The Durham Pride controversy represents the first major test of Reform’s cultural agenda in practice, setting a precedent that could reshape how local authorities across England approach LGBT+ inclusion and support.
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