Reform councillor in Northumberland claims studying non-Christian religion could “brainwash” children

Cllr David Fitzgerald, who represents the Choppington and Hepscott ward, made the comments during a meeting of Northumberland County Council.

Cllr Fitzgerald, who is a member of the local authority’s standing advisory council on religious education (SACRE) said he was “totally against” the teaching and insisted the UK was a “Christian country”.

Local MPs have written to the council urging Cllr Fitzgerald’s removal from SACRE.

Cllr Fitzgerald was speaking during a debate on a Labour Party motion to introduce tighter rules around safeguarding and disclosure and barring (DBS) checks.

He said; “I totally agree with DBS checks for all those who work with children and vulnerable adults, having worked in that sector myself.

“My concern is within the education authority itself. I have two grandchildren, they are going to school, and they could be forced to attend religious education that is not Christian.

“I am totally against it. We are a Christian country and have been for centuries, and we must remain so.

“My concern is these children could be brainwashed into other things. I’m concerned about the education in religion for my grandchildren in this Northumberland county of ours.”

Cllr Fitzgerald said he was concerned about education practices seen in other schools across the country, and claimed this was “heading northwards”.

While Christianity was the most common response to the question on religion in the 2021 census, the study marked the first time less than half of the country (46.2%) said they identified as Christian. This was down from 59.3% in 2011.

No religion was the second most common response, increasing 12 percentage points from 2011, from 25.2% to 37.2%.

According to the council’s website, SACRE – which all local authorities must operate – advises the council on “matters connected with collective worship in maintained schools, or community schools, and on the religious education to be taught in accordance with an agreed syllabus”.

Responding to the comments, Labour’s Caroline Ball, who proposed the motion, said: “With regards to religion, it is not in the motion at all.

“If we’re going to take religion out of schools, I stood in Cavandish Primary School in the 80s and sang religious hymns day in day out. Are we going to take all religions out of schools?

“It’s not in the motion. Can we park that for another day.”

Cllr Ball’s motion was voted through by the council with no votes against and one abstention.

Meanwhile, all four Labour MPs have written a joint letter to the council calling for Cllr Fitzgerald’s removal from SACRE. The letter was sent amid concerns over posts allegedly made on social media by Coun Fitzgerald.

David Smith, MP for North Northumberland said: “It is my job to serve the people of North Northumberland and that means speaking up for every family and child in my constituency to make sure their faith and beliefs are respected and protected.

“We support different opinions in democratic governance, but anyone appointed to an advisory body like SACRE must be held to the highest standards of inclusion.

“Sharing statements like this on social media is taking us away from decent conversations about rebuilding solidarity in our communities and stirring up a kind of knee-jerk hatred that causes real harm.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted Cllr Fitzgerald and Northumberland Reform for further comment, but has received no response.

A spokesman for Reform UK said: “Coun Fitzgerald’s comments are not party policy, however he is entitled to his opinion.”