Mystery surrounds the Sunderland City Council future of newly-elected Reform UK candidate
Mystery remains around the political future of a suspended Reform UK candidate two weeks on from his success in the local elections in Sunderland.
Glenn Gibbins stood for Reform UK and was elected to be a councillor serving Sunderland City Council’s Hylton Castle ward in the polls earlier this month, finishing ahead of nine other candidates by attracting 1,295 votes.
It subsequently emerged Mr Gibbins was under investigation by his party over an alleged social media post from 2024 – now deleted – in which he is said to have complained about the “amount of Nigerians in town”.
A response from a Reform UK spokesperson has now stated: “Cllr Gibbins is currently under suspension pending investigation.”
They added this “is an internal matter for Reform UK” and it will be concluded with a decision made “in due course”.
On a list of councillors on Sunderland City Council’s website his name and details are still not present – despite all other 74 elected representatives being there.
A city council spokesperson confirmed as of noon on Thursday, May 21, he had not signed to “formally accept office” – although he has two months from his date of election to do so.
They said: “Newly-elected councillors are required to formally accept office and comply with a code of conduct which sets out standards of behaviour.
“Any alleged breaches of this code are considered in accordance with procedures agreed by the city council’s standards committee.
“The code applies to councillors when they are acting in their official capacity.
“Newly-elected councillors have two months from their date of election to formally accept office.”
Mr Gibbins was one of 58 Reform UK candidates voted in at the all-out local elections to give the party control of Sunderland City Council.
The polls saw Sunderland Labour lose dozens of councillors and majority control of the local authority, which the party had led for decades.
The other two successful candidates in the Hylton Castle ward were councillors Ian Jones and David Laing, who both represent Reform.
This week saw councillor Chris Eynon, leader of the council’s new majority Reform UK group, be formally appointed as local authority leader, with his executive cabinet made up of councillors from his party also confirmed.