Sunderland’s Reform Council ends Show Racism the Red Card support

Bennett said the charity had made a difference to attitudes about those from different backgrounds over the years, especially in Sunderland.

“It’s seen in the football team,” he said. “You have near enough over 12 different nationalities playing for the football club… 20 or 30 years ago you wouldn’t have had this conversation.”

He said that he hoped the council would relent and “come to some sort of agreement”.

But Eynon told the BBC the authority did not need an affiliation with the charity “in order to oppose racism”.

He said the decision should not be seen “as the council stepping back from its opposition to racism or discrimination”.

“Racism has no place in Sunderland and the council will continue to treat all residents fairly and challenge discrimination wherever it occurs,” he said.

“The issue is specifically whether Sunderland City Council should maintain a formal association with, financially support and publicly endorse, the campaigns of a particular external organisation.”

He claimed the charity had “increasingly become involved in activity” beyond anti-racism education and took issue with Grebby describing Reform UK as “very, very dangerous organisation”.

But he said the council was not preventing the charity from campaigning and it “remains entirely free to work with schools, businesses, Sunderland AFC and anybody else who wishes to support it”.