WILTSHIRE Police & Crime Commissioner has stood behind his Surrey counterpart in attacking the LGBTQ+ charity, Stonewall.

Lisa Townsend, the PCC for Surrey said that Stonewall had become “a well-funded lobby group for a dangerous ideology that threatens the safety of our women and girls”.

Three other Conservative PCCs have publicly gone on record to agree with Ms Townsend’s opinions on the organisation – including the newly-elected PCC for Wiltshire, Philip Wilkinson.

For the last four years, Wiltshire Police was a subscriber to Stonewall’s diversity scheme which aims to ensure that all LGBTQ+ staff are “accepted without exception” in the workplace.

However, now the police has confirmed that they are no longer members of the Stonewall scheme, instead they have signed up to the 'Inclusive Companies Scheme.'

In a statement on Conservative Home, Mr Wilkinson said: “I believe that we should treat every other human being with respect and courtesy irrespective of their sex, gender or sexual orientation.

“As a proud citizen of the UK, let alone as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire, I will therefore not support any organisation that promotes a narrow ideology that is exclusive, divisive and potentially dangerous.

“I therefore agree entirely with the sentiments expressed by Lisa Townsend, the new Police & Crime Commissioner for Surrey.

“Like her, I do not believe that the vast majority of women in this country wish to allow biological men into their private enclosed spaces such as women’s prisons and female toilets.

“That is a matter of public security and not inclusiveness. I will not support any organisation that promotes such a narrow and exclusive agenda and if necessary, that includes Stonewall.”

He went on to write: “If we demand, without opt-out, to know the sex, gender and sexual preferences of those we are trying to recruit, many of those potential recruits, particularly those of religious faith, will take themselves elsewhere and we will lose many good people.

“If we claim to be inclusive and wish to recruit the very best individuals, we cannot adopt practices that positively encourage intolerance, exclusive and are therefore divisive.”

Explaining Wiltshire Police's decision to leave Stonewall, a force spokesman said: "Wiltshire Police is committed to increasing diversity within the force so that we can best reflect the communities we serve.

"We are determined to cultivate an inclusive environment which champions the rights of every single officer, staff member and volunteer.

"Following research undertaken by our equality, diversity and inclusion team earlier this year, we took the decision not to renew our membership with Stonewall and, like some other police forces, we are members of the Inclusive Companies scheme and are working towards our aspiration of becoming part of the Inclusive Companies Top 50 Employers Index."

A Stonewall spokesman said: "At Stonewall, we’re working towards a world in which all lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people are able to thrive as themselves.

"Trans people have always been able to use facilities which match their gender, and it is inappropriate to assume that trans people’s presence in these spaces may pose a risk to others simply because they are trans.

"We’re proud of our work towards trans equality, as well as our work to make a better world for all LGBTQ+ people."

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