Leading politician: “ban March for England from Brighton seafront”

A leading politician is calling for a nationalist march to be banned from Brighton seafront fearing it will damage trade.

The annual March for England protest is set to take place in the city centre on April 27.

This is despite last year seeing a £500,000 police operation failing to prevent demonstrators and anti-fascist groups clashing.

With both sides now issuing rallying calls ahead of this year’s event, Geoffrey Theobald, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Conservative group, has called for the march to be cancelled – or if not, re-routed.

Cllr Theobald said: “We are very much against this and I have emailed those in charge to say as much.

“I don’t think it is appropriate in our city centre and on the seafront. This is our shop window and this event no doubt puts people off coming to our city and spending money.

“It is also a disastrous day for those businesses along the front.”

Cllr Theobald added he had lobbied the local authority to ban the march from the seafront last year but said this plea “seems to have been ignored”.