Conservative Party leader responds to Durham Pride funding question
Reform UK-led Durham County Council pulled funding earlier this month
We've been putting the question of funding for Durham Pride to the leader of the Conservative party on a visit to Teesside yesterday.
Earlier this month, the Reform UK led Durham County Council confirmed they would be withdrawing funding for Durham Pride - a move which has been condemned by several groups, including the TUC, and Durham Miner's association.
Yesterday at Teesside Airport, we asked Kemi Badenoch if it was a decision the Tories would have made if they were in power, in which she dodged the question:
Kemi said: "To be honest, a lot of these decision are about where Reform are spending money are actually a distraction from what's happening with our economy. Since Labour got in, they have seen unemployment increase every single month. Reform aren't in Government, Labour are, and we need to be very, very focussed on what's happening at Government level.
"We're the opposition. We're pointing that out. Energy bills have gone up by a huge amount and they promised to bring energy bills down by £300, they've gone up by £200 and that's going to have a much bigger impact on the people in Durham."