Sunderland City Council withdraws support for anti-racism charity

Sunderland City Council has withdrawn its support for the anti-racism charity Show Racism The Red Card, citing concerns that the organization has become “politically charged” and involved in activities beyond education.

Chris Eynon, leader of the council, accused the charity’s chief executive, Ged Grebby, of “stark political bias” following personal comments made by Grebby regarding Reform UK. Grebby has defended his remarks as personal opinions, maintaining that the charity itself remains cross-party and has historically received support from various political groups, including the SNP, Plaid Cymru, and the Greens.

The decision to end the 30-year partnership means that local anti-racism education programs, which recently trained 250 teachers and reached over 1,600 young people, may be scrapped. The charity is considering legal action for libel, with Grebby stating that false accusations of being a political organization could cause “huge damage.”