Reform Councillor Quits Party After Formal Police Charge

A North East councillor elected for Reform UK just months ago is now sitting as an independent after being charged in connection with a grossly offensive social media post.

Glenn Gibbins, 66, represents Hylton Castle on Sunderland City Council, around 12 miles from Newcastle city centre. He was elected during the May 2026 local elections but council records now confirm that his period representing Reform UK ended on July 29. He has been officially listed as an independent councillor since July 30.

Reform UK councillor charged over social media post.

Northumbria Police confirmed on July 29 that Gibbins had been charged with an offence under the Communications Act 2003.

The charge relates to a social media post dating from 2024 which referenced the Nigerian community. Police received a report concerning the post in May 2026 and subsequently carried out an investigation before submitting a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charge.

The case is of wider interest across the Newcastle and North East area because it is being investigated by Northumbria Police, the force responsible for policing Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Northumberland.

Gibbins is due to appear before South Tyneside Magistrates' Court in August. He has been charged but has not been convicted of the offence, and the allegations will now be considered through the criminal justice system. Police have also urged members of the public not to speculate about the proceedings.

Reform representation ends after election.

Gibbins' change in political status comes remarkably soon after Sunderland's all-out local election.

All 75 seats across the city's 25 wards were contested on May 7 following changes to Sunderland's electoral boundaries. Each ward elected three councillors.

Official Sunderland City Council records show Gibbins' Reform UK representation running from May 11 until July 29. From July 30, his political affiliation is recorded as independent, while he continues to represent Hylton Castle as an elected councillor.

The development means voters who elected Gibbins under the Reform UK banner are now represented by a councillor who no longer sits for that party.

Nigerian population has grown in Sunderland.

The reference to the Nigerian community is particularly notable given changes in Sunderland's population over the past decade.

Office for National Statistics figures show that around 1,200 Sunderland residents reported Nigeria as their country of birth in the 2021 Census. That was up from fewer than 450 in 2011, meaning the Nigerian-born population had more than doubled over the decade.

Newcastle has also become considerably more diverse. Its population increased from around 280,200 in 2011 to approximately 300,100 in 2021, the largest percentage population increase among North East local authorities over that period. The proportion of Newcastle residents identifying as Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African also increased from 1.8 per cent to 3.3 per cent.

The figures provide wider context to a case that is likely to be watched beyond Sunderland as political parties across Newcastle and the wider North East face continued scrutiny over candidates, social media activity and standards in public office.

Have your say.

What do you think about councillors leaving the parties they were elected to represent?