'He doesn't represent Sunderland' - Protestors call for Reform's Glenn Gibbins to be removed from council
“In any other political party he would have been permanently removed”
Dozens of protestors gathered outside of Sunderland City’s to protest about a controversial councillor ahead of the new Reform UK-led council first cabinet meeting.
Protesters were calling on Wednesday for Cllr Glenn Gibbins to be permanently removed from the 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”.
Cllr 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.
Following the election, it was announced that Cllr Gibbins was under investigation by his party in relation to the alleged comments.
Earlier this month, 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.
However, the protestors gathered outside of City Hall don’t accept Cllr Gibbins’ apology and feel the decision needs to be reversed which would see him permanently removed from the party and his role on the council.
One of those at the protest was Sunderland Green Party interim secretary Heidi Tolson who said: “I read the comments Glenn Gibbins made towards Nigerians and I was disgusted and terribly saddened that Nigerian people in the city may have read those comments.
“I don’t think Cllr Gibbins should be allowed to be a councillor standing for any party here in Sunderland and he should be removed as he simply doesn’t meet the professional standards expected of a councillor.
“The apology doesn’t make up for what he said.”
Fellow protestor Peter Barley, 81, added: “I felt I had to come down here today to express my disapproval at the decision by Reform to reinstate Cllr Gibbins and in any other party he would have been permanently removed.
“As far as I’m aware his apology wasn’t to the Nigerian people who live in Sunderland. I simply can’t accept a councillor who holds those views.”
The protest was also attended by Reverend Chris Howson, who is also chair of the Sunderland City of Sanctuary Society, which was set up by the previous Labour Council to welcome Ukrainian families after the onset of the war with Russia.
Reverend Chris said: “I think Reform need to show they are not a party who accept any small minded people with racist and homophobic views. We need to show Sunderland as a more welcoming city.”
It was a sentiment shared by Dale Gillett, 36, who lives in Ashbrooke.
Dale said: “We need to show the people of Sunderland that no matter where people are from, their race, religion or community, they have a home here and are welcome and safe.
“They need to know Cllr Gibbins does not speak for or represent the people of Sunderland - not even close. We feel he should be held accountable and not be allowed to get away with his words with a cop out of an apology.
“He needs to apologise to the people who he mentioned face to face and do it properly.
We have contacted Reform UK and asked them to respond to today’s protest.
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."