Firefighters have been warned over supporting Reform UK, sparking free speech concerns after an internal email from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) suggested that backing Nigel Farage’s party posed a risk to the organisation’s culture.
Warning and email
The warning, issued by the service’s “race and faith staff network” in April, came after several junior personnel were elected as Reform councillors in last month’s local contests. The email, sent ahead of polling day, acknowledged that staff members had chosen to stand for Reform UK in their local areas and said this “may cause concern within our network and wider”.
The network’s authors – who said they sought to “provide some clarity and reassurance” about “recent activity we’ve seen within the organisation” – confirmed that the individuals involved had been spoken to. They were reminded that as members of GMFRS, “our core values and professional behaviours must be displayed at all times”. The email added that legal guidance was being sought to “ensure we are protected from all perspective and that our inclusive culture remains safe”, and encouraged staff with “personal concerns” to come forward.
Senior figures within the service declared they were being advised on how to proceed with those who had become Reform councillors. While firefighters are expected to remain politically neutral in their professional capacity, there is no legal obligation preventing them from participating in national or local politics.
The network also said it planned to contact the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) over the matter. The FBU has publicly backed Labour’s Andy Burnham – who is Greater Manchester Mayor and reportedly a potential candidate for the Makerfield by-election – and last month it was revealed that Burnham had received a £10,000 donation from the union for his political campaign.
Free speech backlash
The email has drawn sharp criticism from Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union, who argued that it implied “representing Reform UK constitutes an inherent threat to the institution’s culture and values and is to be treated as morally suspect”. He stressed that no issues had been raised about firefighters supporting any other British political party.
“The email will create a chilling effect on the free speech of GMFRS employees who support Reform,” Lord Young warned. “The practical effect is that a public fire and rescue service governed by you is treating the lawful political activity of your electoral opponents as a reputational risk to their employer.”
The controversy comes as Reform UK made significant gains across Greater Manchester in the local elections, securing 79 wards. Notable successes included 24 out of 25 seats in Wigan, 18 out of 19 in Tameside, and 13 in Salford.
A GMFRS spokesman said the service was politically neutral. “All members of staff are entitled to be members of, stand as candidates for, or serve as elected representatives of mainstream political parties,” the spokesman said. “Fire service staff have stood for election across the political spectrum. Where a member of staff seeks elected office, it is standard practice for managers to provide guidance on maintaining political neutrality in the workplace and avoiding any perceived conflict of interest.”
One of the firefighters who became a Reform councillor blamed the email on the culture “which Burnham created in the service”. Burnham, as Mayor, oversees the overarching governance, strategic and financial management of the regional fire service, though some reports suggest the internal GMFRS matter is independent of his office.
Tony Greenhalgh, chairman of Stockport Reform and a former chairman of the regional FBU, warned that “this kind of identity politics causes a breakdown in the team ethos”. He added: “If Burnham becomes Prime Minister this sort of thing will become turbocharged. It undermines trust in the fire service, at a time when the public are already increasingly concerned about public services.”
The FBU, which re-affiliated with the Labour Party in 2015, has a history of political engagement and has previously expressed concerns about the fire service shifting focus towards crime prevention, potentially threatening its neutrality.
