Reform UK has suspended one of its Sunderland councillors ahead of a court hearing due to take place on Friday, the BBC reported on Wednesday, reversing a position the party set out only three weeks ago.
Glenn Gibbins, 66, who represents Hylton Castle on Sunderland City Council, is charged with an offence under the Communications Act 2003 over a social media post from 2024 which referred to the city's Nigerian community. He is listed to appear before South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on 21 August. The post has since been deleted and the charge does not amount to a finding of guilt.
The suspension marks a shift from the party's response when the charge was brought on 29 July, when a Reform UK spokesperson said only: "The party is aware of the situation involving Councillor Gibbins. We will monitor the verdict closely." The party has not yet issued a fresh statement setting out what has changed, and at the time of writing the development had been reported by the BBC alone.
Suspension from a political party does not affect a councillor's seat. Gibbins remains the elected member for Hylton Castle and no by-election is triggered.
The case has a long run-up. The allegations were first published by the campaign group Hope Not Hate on 1 May, six days before polling day, in an investigation that named Gibbins as Reform's candidate for the ward. He was elected on 7 May in an election that delivered Sunderland to Reform UK with 58 of the council's 75 seats — the first time any party other than Labour has controlled the authority since it was created in 1974.
Reform suspended him within days of the result. Speaking on the BBC's Politics North on 10 May, the party's Darren Grimes confirmed Gibbins "has been suspended and the party is investigating those very serious allegations", and accepted the episode represented "a failure of the vetting process". On the same weekend, deputy leader Richard Tice told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "Like any party we have internal party processes to look where people have said or done the wrong thing."
Gibbins issued a public apology in mid-May, saying the posts were made "prior to standing for election and before joining Reform UK" and were "intended as jokes, but were made in extremely poor taste". He said he "sincerely apologise[d] to anyone who may have been offended" and that his focus was "fully on serving the residents who elected me".
He was readmitted to the party on 10 June with a final written warning. Reform said at the time that he "has apologised for making the post and accepts that it was made in extremely poor taste showing poor judgment". Northumbria Police had received a report about the post the previous month, and a file was later submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charge in July.
The reinstatement drew criticism from Labour, whose then chair Anna Turley said in June: "Nobody who has made such disgusting comments is fit to serve the public." Her successor as party chair, Bridget Phillipson, later called on Nigel Farage to "urgently explain why he welcomed Glenn Gibbins back into Reform just last month".
Chris Eynon, the Reform leader of Sunderland City Council, defended the decision at the time, saying all political parties "have people who (allegedly) say things and fall beneath standards".
Northumbria Police has urged restraint while the case proceeds.
"We are aware there has already been significant interest in relation to this individual and the social media post. We would urge people not to speculate both online and in the community in relation to this case."
Proceedings are active. Under the Communications Act 2003, sending a grossly offensive message online carries a maximum sentence of six months' imprisonment.