Council leader responds to allegations over axing of annual fireworks event
Corby residents have been campaigning to save the long-running event.
A council leader has responded to allegations that Corby’s annual fireworks event was cancelled over a political rift, stating that financial pressures and limited operational resources meant that it could not safely deliver the event this year.
Following the news in May that the town’s longstanding bonfire night faced being axed by North Northants Council (NNC), a petition and Facebook group were launched and the authority has since been under continued pressure to support the event.
The council’s executive member for communities, Cllr Gregory Wilcox, confirmed at a full council meeting last month that it was not in a position for the event to go ahead in 2026 due to its cost and staffing issues, but that NNC hoped it would be a “fallow” year while other organisations or interested local entrepreneurs came forward to take on responsibility.
The authority said the cost of the event had increased massively in recent years, rising from around £18,000 in 2022 to more than £45,000 last year, largely due to additional safety requirements for events. These include enhanced perimeter fencing, staff counter-terrorism training, and enhanced security and environmental protection requirements, among others.
Cllr Wilcox told the chamber that the council were “fully committed” to looking at ways to keep the event running, but that it “cannot waste any money ourselves” on the night.
However, allegations have since been made on social media that the decision was not solely down to funding and was also affected by political infighting within the Reform UK group and a breakdown in communication with some of its Corby representatives.
This followed a member of the public posting the details of a one-on-one conversation about the event with NNC leader Martin Griffiths on social media, where he allegedly “described a rift between what has been referred to as ‘the Corby gang’ and other Reform councillors”, which resulted in decisions on the fireworks being further delayed.
The administration has admitted that there will “sometimes be different political views” on its decisions, but said that it remains focused on securing the future of the Corby event “rather than engaging in commentary about political disagreements”.
The so-called split in the party has previously been reported by local media, coming to a head when Cllr Eddie McDonald (Gretton and Weldon) was ousted as deputy leader and launched a leadership challenge against the North Northants Reform council leader in April this year.
In a statement to the LDRS, Cllr Griffiths said that the practical challenge of delivering the Corby Bonfire and Fireworks event had “always been about more than funding alone”, pointing to the operational resource required to deliver the event safely.
He explained: “The council simply does not have the capacity to safely deliver both the Corby Fireworks event and Northamptonshire Day, which this year takes place in Kettering just a few days later. Those operational challenges were discussed during the meeting and have been recognised throughout the decision-making process.”
He added that there is every expectation that Northamptonshire Day will come to Corby in the future, ensuring communities across the region have the opportunity to host the event. Its inaugural event in 2025 was held in Northampton.
On the bonfire night, he continued: “This administration has never wanted to see the event disappear. Over recent months, the leader and deputy leader have worked with local organisations and potential sponsors to explore whether the event could continue under alternative arrangements. Those discussions have been positive and there is genuine optimism that a sustainable, community-led event can return in the future.
“However, no organisation was in a position to deliver the event safely in 2026 because many of the same practical planning, staffing and organisational challenges remain.
“Every ward councillor is rightly passionate about the community they represent. As an executive, however, we also have a responsibility to make decisions in the interests of the whole of North Northamptonshire. Sometimes that means balancing local priorities with our wider responsibility to deliver services fairly, safely and sustainably across the whole area.
“Like any administration, there will sometimes be different political views about individual decisions. Our responsibility, however, is to make decisions that are lawful, financially responsible and deliverable in practice. That is exactly what we have done here.
“Our focus remains on working with partners to secure the long-term future of this much-loved community event, rather than engaging in commentary about political disagreements or social media campaigns.
“I understand why residents are disappointed. I’m disappointed too. But I’d rather be honest about the challenges we face than make promises we simply can’t deliver.”
He added that his priority remains delivering NNC’s Corporate Plan for the whole of North Northamptonshire and serving all 340,000 residents, which means making “making responsible decisions, protecting essential services and building that One Council that works for every community”.