Overview
- On Tuesday Cllr George Woodward posted that he had instructed council officers to stop supporting or promoting Pride and to cease engagement with all aspects of the event, and staff were reportedly told to remove Pride references from council libraries.
- Woodward justified the decision by saying Pride has become linked to "harmful transgender ideology" and that the council must protect children from what he described as lifelong medical harm.
- The announcement drew strong local political criticism from fellow councillors, the town’s Labour MPs and the Liverpool City Region mayor, who said the language used could damage community cohesion and harm vulnerable people.
- Community groups had already organised and funded an independent Pride event at the World of Glass on 6 June, and organisers say the celebration did not rely on council funding or resources.
- The Pride decision follows an earlier withdrawal of council support for Refugee Week and signals a shift in the new administration’s approach to cultural and solidarity events, which could lead to further changes in council engagement and staff practice.