A new low: city MPs react to Reform's decision to reinstate Cllr Glenn Gibbins after alleged Nigerians comment
Sunderland’s three MPs have called for Reform UK to reverse their decision to reinstate Hylton Castle ward councillor, Glenn Gibbins.
Bridget Phillipson, Lewis Atkinson and Sharon Hodgson have labelled Reform UK’s decision to reinstate Glenn Gibbins to the party, allowing him to take up a place on Sunderland City Council, as “disgusting” and “a new low”, and have accused Reform of “turning a blind eye” to alleged racism and misogyny.
Glenn Gibbins was elected to serve Sunderland City Council’s Hylton Castle ward following local elections on May 7 in which the Reform UK candidate finished ahead of nine other candidates by attracting 1,295 votes.
However, following the election it was announced that Cllr Gibbins was under investigation by his party over an alleged social media post from 2024 – now deleted – in which he is said to have made a distasteful comment about the “amount of Nigerians in town”.
Last week Reform UK announced that Cllr Gibbins was being reinstated in the party after apologising for the post, for which he was given a written warning.
Following reports of the alleged contents of the language used in the post by Cllr Gibbins, the three Sunderland MPs wrote a letter to the city council voicing their “grave concerns about the suitability of Cllr Gibbins for public office” and called for the Reform to remove him from the party.
After news of Reform’s decision to reinstate him, the education secretary and Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson said: “Reform UK have somehow managed to sink to a new low”, adding: “I made clear to Reform’s leader of Sunderland City Council that this hatred and division is not welcome in our city, who dismissed these concerns as ‘political point-scoring’.
“Sunderland’s elected representatives should stand up for everyone in our community, regardless of identity. Reform UK must reverse this decision and apologise for trying to sneak Gibbins and his vile views back into their party.”
Sunderland Central MP Lewis Atkinson labelled the alleged comments made by Cllr Gibbins as “deeply disturbing, dehumanising and having no place in our city”.
He added: “I know many people in Sunderland’s Nigerian community will be deeply hurt by Reform UK’s decision to welcome Cllr Gibbins back into the party.
“They deserve to know that they are valued, respected and make an enormous contribution to Sunderland.
“These comments also included offensive remarks about women that many people will find equally upsetting.
“Public representatives should bring communities together, not demean or degrade them. Reform UK have shown very poor judgement by treating behaviour of this nature as something that can simply be brushed aside with a written warning.”
Hylton Castle ward is part of Washington and Gateshead South MP Sharon Hodgson’s constituency.
Ms Hodgson said: “I’m shocked and disgusted by this decision from Reform UK to return the party whip to Cllr Gibbins. His comments were despicable and have no place in the politics of our city.
“My constituents in Hylton Castle ward deserve a decent representative who will fight for everyone irrespective of gender, race, or ethnicity, as our former Labour councillors did passionately for many years.
“I urge Reform UK to reconsider this and to remove Cllr Gibbins from their party for good.”
Members of the Nigerian community in Sunderland protested outside City Hall on inauguration day last month, rejecting Gibbins’ online apology and demanding that he resign.
We have contacted Reform UK and asked them to respond to what the city’s three MPs have said. As yet, they have not replied.
Following the decision to reinstate Cllr Gibbins, a Reform UK party spokesperson said: “Following an internal disciplinary process, Cllr Gibbins has been readmitted to the party and issued with a final written warning. He has apologised for making the post and accepts that it was made in extremely poor taste showing poor judgment."
Earlier this month, a war of words erupted between MP Bridget Phillipson and the new leader of Sunderland City Council, Cllr Chris Eynon, who launched a scathing verbal attack on the education secretary.