Why are police spending thousands on Stonewall subscriptions?

When police kit out their patrol cars in rainbow flags or when officers don pride polo shirts, two questions spring to mind: Should the police be doing this? And how much does it cost? Now, we have some answers to the second of these questions.

Among the top spenders on supporting and promoting LGBT causes (perhaps unsurprisingly given their high-profile involvement in Pride marches) was the Met Police. London’s police force spent £1,000 on 150 police ‘rainbow’ epaulettes; another £1,000 on ‘police with pride’ printed polo shirts; and over £300 on rainbow wristbands. The Met also spent £700 on stickers for its pride vehicle for 2020.

Perhaps controversially, the Met revealed it has spent around £12,500 on membership of Stonewall since 2017. Police subscriptions to Stonewall were a common – and costly – theme among forces across Britain, as revealed by the freedom of information requests made by Fair Cop. Merseyside police spent £7,500 on Stonewall subscriptions and donations.