Anti-racism education across schools in Sunderland faces severe disruption after the Reform UK-led city council decided to end its 30-year partnership and funding for the charity Show Racism the Red Card.

Christopher Eynon, the Reform UK leader of Sunderland City Council, announced the move by claiming the local authority would no longer provide support to "politically charged organisations with an agenda."

The decision has drawn fierce criticism from anti-racism campaigners and opposition politicians, including former Sunderland AFC captain and Show Racism the Red Card founding member Gary Bennett.

Gary Bennett 'Shocked and Disappointed'

Bennett, who made history in 1984 as only the second Black player to represent Sunderland and remains a club icon on Wearside, expressed profound dismay over the local authority cutting ties after three decades of collaboration.

"We’re not a political charity – they’re trying to say we are but we’re not," Bennett said. "Sunderland were the first council to come onboard to help fund us, that’s the annoying thing. For something like this to happen now, we just want to know the reasons why."

Bennett warned that the funding cut will immediately impact the charity's ability to run educational programmes in local schools, as well as workshops in prisons and workplaces. Highlighting the racist unrest seen across English cities, including Sunderland, in 2024, Bennett stressed the continuing need for anti-racism initiatives:

"You’ve got all different issues going on now. It keeps moving, it’s always something else which causes some form of racism. It’s something that is challenging every single day and we’ve got to keep the fight. There’s still lots of work to be done and we can’t just ignore it and think it’s going to go away because it’s not."

Political Backlash on Wearside and Beyond

Labour MP Bridget Phillipson condemned the council's decision, calling it "misguided, cruel and in no way backed by the people of Sunderland."

Eynon insisted that the council was not "stepping back from its opposition to racism or discrimination" and maintained that "racism has no place in Sunderland." However, he pointed to comments made by the charity's chief executive, Ged Grebby, who had previously described Reform UK as a "very dangerous organisation." Grebby defended his remarks as personal views, reiterating that the charity maintains broad support across the political spectrum.

The move comes amid wider controversy surrounding Reform UK local administrations. In Bradford, Reform councillors have proposed withdrawing from the Local Authority of Sanctuary scheme, prompting accusations from Labour group leader Imran Khan of "vice signalling" and promoting division rather than addressing residents' practical needs.