Conservative councillor criticises Wolverhampton Council over payments to equality charity Stonewall
Wolverhampton Council has been urged to end its relationship with Stonewall after it emerged it had paid the controversial equalities charity £7,500 over the last three years.
The Labour-run authority has handed Stonewall £2,500 in taxpayers' cash every year since 2020 for membership of its 'diversity champions' programme.
The scheme urges organisations to replace references to 'women' or 'mothers' in favour of terms such as 'parent who has given birth', and suggests asking employees state their 'preferred pronouns' in emails.
Conservative councillor Ellis Turrell said taxpayers' money should not be given to "organisations which promote extreme views" and called for an immediate end to the council's relationship with Stonewall.
He said the council had assured him that no money had been paid to the charity. "I was shocked to discover that this wasn’t true, and in fact the council has made several payments to Stonewall totalling £7,500," he said.
"The charity is mired in controversy for pursuing a very narrow political ideology which is at odds with the majority of the public’s views.
"I have raised my concerns with the council’s chief legal officer, and I want to see Wolverhampton Council’s relationship with Stonewall end immediately.
"Taxpayers’ money should not be given to organisations which promote extreme views."
Mr Turrell said the council had worked with Stonewall to produce a "trans equality policy" – an issue over which the charity has faced mounting criticism after it suggested children as young as two could identify as trans.
A number of blue chip firms, including housebuilder Taylor Wimpey and Burberry, are understood to be part of its diversity champions programme, along with other local authorities.
The BBC withdrew from it in 2021, citing concerns over its impact on the broadcaster's impartiality.
A Wolverhampton Council spokesperson said: "For a modest annual fee, the programme supports the council’s work to tackle discrimination and promote equality and good community relations in the city. It also supports the council’s efforts to be an inclusive organisation that reflects the community."
Last year the council received a Silver Award for 'LGBTQ+ Inclusivity' for its submission to Stonewall's Workplace Equality Index, a tool to measure how inclusive as an employer it is for the LGBTQ+ community.
A Stonewall spokesperson said: "We’re proud of our diversity champions programme which supports workplaces to create LGBTQ+ inclusive environments where all staff can thrive.
"The facts show that Britons overwhelmingly support LGBTQ+ rights and want to support their LGBTQ+ friends, family members and colleagues.
"In a country that values and emphasises human rights, supporting LGBTQ+ people in the workplace is not a political or controversial act. Everyone, including LGBTQ+ staff, deserves to be free from discrimination and prejudice at work."
