- Conference
- 2025 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 31 July 2025
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes the alarming increase in Reform UK councillors and Mayors in local government and the direct threat this poses to Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Trans plus (LGBT+) equality and equality for all protected groups, action on the climate crisis and workers’ rights.
Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, has made his intentions clear, stating after the May 2025 local elections: “I would advise anybody who’s working for Durham County Council on climate change initiatives or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion… you all better really be seeking alternative careers very, very quickly”. This is not just rhetoric – it is aimed at dismantling equality for workers and in the provision of public services.
Farage has also declared that Reform Councillors will refuse training on climate change and diversity, claiming “we believe all people should be treated equally”- a statement that dangerously conflates equality with erasure of targeted support. In councils they now control, such as Durham and Lincolnshire, Reform have:
1)Removed Pride flags from council buildings, replacing them with national and county flags only.
2)Renamed departments to strip out references to equality and climate action.
3)Refused to fund Pride events, as seen in Staffordshire, where the council leader stated: “We are not going to spend taxpayers’ money funding that”.
4)Proposed cuts of up to 10% of council staff, targeting roles focused on inclusion and sustainability.
These actions are not isolated, they are part of a coordinated rollback of progress. Reform UK’s manifesto pledges to ban “transgender ideology” in schools and scrap Equality, Diversity and Inclusion roles in public services. This is a direct attack on LGBT+ people, especially trans and non-binary people, and undermines the legal obligations of councils under the Equality Act 2010.
UNISON General Secretary Christina McAnea has led the fight back: “This isn’t the USA – we have laws that protect workers… Unions are there to ensure no one can play fast and loose with the law”. She has urged council staff in Reform-run areas to join UNISON to defend their rights and their roles.
Conference believes that Reform UK’s policies and actions represent a serious threat to the safety, dignity, and rights of LGBT+ people and all those working to build inclusive communities.
UNISON must stand firm in the face of this regressive agenda and to continue championing equality, inclusion, and justice for all.
Conference calls on the national LGBT+ committee to work with the National Executive Committee and Local Government Service Group as appropriate to:
a)Launch a national campaign to expose Reform UK’s anti-equality agenda, in particular the attacks on LGBT+ people.
b)Work with regions to collate information on Pride events and LGBT+ services affected by Reform council cuts.
c)Seek to ensure all councils uphold their legal duties under the Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty including for the protected characteristics of sexual orientation and Gender reassignment.
d)Work with Labour Link to produce information on how to challenge misinformation, including about LGBT+ equality, for the 2026 local government elections.