A Labour Police and Crime Commissioner came under fire for allocating £5,000 of taxpayer funds to a gay pride event. This occurred just before a High Court decision labeled the participation of uniformed police officers in the event as biased and unlawful.
Emily Spurrell, the former councillor and PCC for Merseyside, directed the public money to help keep Liverpool Pride afloat amid financial difficulties.
The cash from her office – which was the top donation of any organisation or individual – helped the event to go ahead as planned, on July 26.
However, this came shortly after Northumbria Police faced criticism from a High Court ruling for allowing uniformed officers to participate in a pride march featuring a Progress flag that supported transgender ideology the previous year.
Mr. Justice Linden commented in his verdict that participating in such events conflicted with officers’ impartiality duties, as well as those of Northumbria’s Chief Constable, Vanessa Jardine, when considering joining the 2024 march in Newcastle.
The ruling prompted police forces across the country to reconsider their involvement in such events, with some deciding their officers should not participate unless they were there in an official policing role.
Critics of Ms. Spurrell argued that making the donation while the High Court case loomed was an ‘extraordinary misuse of public funds’ and called it ‘simply stupefying.’
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell made the £5k donation to help save Liverpool Pride, which was struggling financially
She was pictured at the event with police officers in 2024 wearing facepaint and a rainbow dress
Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin has slammed the donation as a ‘misuse of public funds.’
Sarah Pochin, Reform UK MP for nearby Runcorn and Helsby, said: ‘The Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner’s £5,000 donation to Liverpool Pride is an extraordinary misuse of public funds.
‘With rising crime and anti-social behaviour, taxpayers want to see safer streets not political gestures.’
Another outraged local told the Mail: ‘When other forces are following the ruling and making cancellations in relation to Pride events – the Merseyside PCC was shelling out thousands – that’s in no way impartial.
‘The decision to make the donation when that High Court case was on the horizon was simply stupefying.’
Under police regulations, which are set out in legislation, officers have a duty to act with impartiality and must avoid activities likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of their duties.
Allowing Northumbria police officers to march in Newcastle’s 2024 Pride in the City parade, and to staff a police stall decorated in the colours of the Progress flag, alongside a van painted in the same design, breached that duty, the judge found.
He agreed with lawyers for Linzi Smith, a lesbian who brought the case against the Northumbria force, that when police officers appeared in uniform or under official branding while displaying the Progress flag, it suggested an alignment or support for gender ideology or transgender rights. The Progress Pride flag is a variation on the original rainbow banner adopted by gay rights campaigners in the 1970s. It has extra colours to represent trans and non-binary people, as well as people of colour and those living with Aids.
A judge said police who marched at Newcastle Pride in 2024 breached rules on impartiality
The ruling prompted other forces across the UK to ban officers taking part in Pride marches in uniform unless they are officially on duty
Vanessa Jardine, Chief Constable of Northumbria Police, was criticised in the High Court ruling
Linzi Smith, a gender-critical lesbian, brought the legal action against the Northumbria force
Soon after the ruling, Chief Constable Tim Forber, of neighbouring North Yorkshire police, said any officers from his force who wished to participate in such parades, who were not officially on duty or ‘actively engaged in policing the event,’ would not be permitted to wear uniform.
‘Participating in protest activity, or parades that support any ’cause’ can quite rightly undermine the public’s confidence in that impartiality,’ he said.
‘I do not allow the altering of police uniform or the changing of the livery of police vehicles to show support for any cause.’
Similarly, Greater Manchester Police officers were also told they will not be able to take part and ‘represent the force’ at this year’s Manchester Pride parade later this month.
In a letter to staff, Assistant Chief Constable Stephanie Parker said the High Court ruling had concluded that ‘such participation could reasonably be perceived by the public as the police taking a side in ongoing societal and political debates.’
She specifically highlighted gender identity and ‘related issues’ in the correspondence.
While GMP ‘remains steadfast in its commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion’ and ‘would continue to support LGBTQ ‘colleagues and communities’, Ms Parker said they also needed to ‘uphold the principle of operational impartiality’.
The senior officer added that staff will continue to be able to attend Manchester Pride ‘in a personal capacity’ and encouraged ‘everyone to continue celebrating and supporting our diverse communities’.
‘We understand this may be disappointing to many, but this decision has been made to ensure we remain compliant with legal expectations and maintain public confidence in our impartiality,’ she added.
Ms Spurrell did not respond to requests for comment.
