Reform axes DCC Pride funding

Reform leaders have cut council funding for County Durham’s Pride event, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Bill Edgar. 

Darren Grimes, Durham County Council’s deputy leader, criticised the annual celebration and said the local authority will divert funding to key services instead. 

Thousands of people attended this year’s event on May 24-25 this year in Durham City to celebrate the region’s LGBT+ community. 

Up to £10,000 was invested by the council for this year’s event, as part of work to support the wider cultural offer in the region following its unsuccessful City of Culture bid. 

However, the Reform administration has signalled its intent to withdraw its support ahead of 2026.

“Durham Pride won’t be getting a single penny from this council next year,” Cllr Grimes said. 

This year, the region’s LGBT+ personnel, past and present in the British Armed Forces, were celebrated before a community parade and celebration of love and diversity over the Bank Holiday Weekend. 

But criticising the event’s agenda, Cllr Grimes added: “Pride stopped being a celebration of gay rights a long time ago.

“It’s morphed into a travelling billboard for gender ideology and political activism that many in the gay community — myself included — want no part of. Taxpayers shouldn’t be bankrolling it.

“The event can and will go ahead safely, but Durham County Council isn’t an ATM for contested causes. Our residents deserve bins emptied, roads fixed, and services funded — not more council-sponsored politics in fancy dress.”

County councillors have historically supported the event financially through their budgets, but it is understood this was not possible this year due to the timing of the elections.

Cllr Grimes added: “If Labour or the Lib Dems want to raid their members’ budgets to fund political street theatre, that’s on them — Reform will spend ours on the services everyone relies on, not on flying the latest alphabet flag for the professional offence industry.”

Durham Pride has teamed up with the Durham Miners’ Association (DMA) and the Trades Union Congress to fundraise for future events. 

Stephen Guy, chairman of the DMA, added: “The time has come for the Durham Miners Association, the NUM, and others in the trade union movement to ramp up support for Durham Pride, which has been a target for closure since Reform was elected in County Durham.

“Reform councillors across County Durham have underestimated the resolve of the LGBT+ community and the support of allies across the trade union movement.”   

A fundraising event will be held at Redhill’s, Durham Miners’ Hall, on Friday 5 September from 6:30pm-10pm and will feature former miners, politicians, and special guest Mike Jackson, a key figure and one of the founders of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, for a panel discussion.

Reform leaders sparked a backlash in May after taking down an LGBT+ Pride flag at Durham County Hall shortly after taking control of the local authority.