Reform council leader cancels Pride celebrations in St Helen's with trans ranthttps://www.thepinknews.com/2026/06/10/st-helens-pride-cancelled/ 🔗Poppy-Jay St. Palmer (10 June 2026)
A Pride festival in St Helens has been cancelled by the Merseyside town's Reform UK council as one of its councillors posted a bizarre rant about trans people.
George Woodward, the council's leader, shared a statement around the Pride cancellation via his Facebook page on 9 June.
"St Helens Borough Council won't be supporting or promoting Pride. I have instructed officers to cease engagement with all aspects of the event," he wrote.
"We don't consider celebrations of sexuality, especially those with left-wing political leanings such as Pride, to be appropriate for St Helens Borough Council to dedicate valuable officer resources."
He went on to say that he was "deeply concerned" about Pride's affiliation with "harmful transgender ideology."
"As a council, we have a duty of care towards young children in the borough," Woodward wrote. "Being affiliated with a movement that often results in lifelong medical harm in young impressionable children is not the direction in which I want St Helens Council to travel.
Individuals, the private sector, and charities are welcome to continue to support the event as they deem appropriate."
It is also worth noting that St Helens Borough Council did not directly fund St Helens Pride. However, an alternative LGBTQ+ Pride celebration organised by the community went ahead on 6 June.
