Thousands of pounds of taxpayers' cash in Nottinghamshire has gone towards a controversial charity, it has emerged. Research shows that Stonewall, a lobbying group and LGBTQ+ charity, received around £709,225 of taxpayers' money across the country for its Diversity Champions scheme in 2021-22, with £2,500 being paid to the scheme from cash-strapped Nottingham City Council.
Stonewall has come under scrutiny in recent years over its Diversity Champions programme, which is where organisations pay a subscription to the charity in return for guidance on issues such as gender-neutral spaces, pronouns and transgender inclusion. Stonewall has also faced criticism for receiving money from taxpayers through authorities, with many arguing that it puts the charity at an advantage to other good causes and groups.
Many members of the public are divided over Stonewall - some say the charity is important for modern society but some believe it is "extremist". Stonewall defended its Diversity Champions scheme, saying it helps workplaces to "create LGBTQ+ inclusive environments where all staff can thrive".
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Across the UK, it is reported that at least 175 public bodies are members of the Diversity Champions programme. Nottingham City Council is among the members, with the authority paying £2,500 to the scheme in 2021-22, according to the research by the TaxPayers' Alliance pressure group. Nottingham City Council must fill a £32million black hole in its budget for 2023-24, and to do this the Labour-led authority has proposed savings totalling £29m.
Councillor Neghat Khan, portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and safety at Nottingham City Council, said: "Like a number of other councils around the country, and as a large local employer, we are committed to ensuring we attract people from diverse backgrounds and that all of our staff feel protected, safe and valued in their workplace. Nottingham's communities are wonderfully diverse and it is absolutely right that the council's workforce reflects this.
"Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy outlines our vision and key commitments – one of these has been to become a Top 100 Stonewall Employer. To measure our progress against this ambition, we pay a membership fee to participate in the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme, an internationally-recognised scheme that helps employers take a strategic and structured approach to LGBTQ+ equality initiatives."
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust are also members, with each organisation paying £3,000 to the Diversity Champions scheme in 2021-22, according to the TaxPayers' Alliance research. NTU also paid an additional £144 to the group for another purpose and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue paid £300 to Stonewall for training purposes but is not a member.
The research also showed that Nottinghamshire Police was not a member of the group. Ashfield District Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council, Mansfield District Council, Bassetlaw District Council and Broxtowe Borough Council have all confirmed to Nottinghamshire Live that they are not members of Stonewall and have not made any payments to the group.
Cllr David Hennigan, Ashfield District Council's executive lead member for corporate communications, said: "While Ashfield District Council doesn't make any payments to Stonewall, we stand head and shoulders with LGBTQ+ staff and residents and allow them to be free to be themselves and live their lives to the full. I have concerns that the right-wing Taxpayers' Alliance are using other council's support for Stonewall to beat an organisation that does so much for inclusivity."
It is understood that Nottinghamshire County Council is no longer a member of Stonewall but was in previous years, including 2019 and 2020. Cllr Ben Bradley, leader of the county council, said: "One of the first tasks I looked at when I became leader of the county council was to review all funding streams for external organisations.
"The funding for Stonewall ceased almost immediately, as it was my strongly held view that taxpayers' money should be spent on important services for the people of Nottinghamshire and not virtue signalling causes." The TaxPayers' Alliance argued that Stonewall was in a "privileged position" compared to other charities and organisations by receiving taxpayers' cash.
A spokesperson for the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "Taxpayer-funded lobbying must come to an end so that public money is not being used to distort political decision making by unduly advancing policy positions which taxpayers may seriously disagree with." 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.
"With more than 20 years' experience of supporting employers to unlock the potential of their LGBTQ+ colleagues, it is hardly surprising that a wide range of organisations want to work with us. The facts show that Britons overwhelming 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."
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