In October 2025 the Exeter Library hosted the “Out There Queer Fest” Young Person’s Day, a programme marketed as a family-friendly celebration for LGBTQIA+ youngsters. Among the activities were anatomical models of genitalia and a condom-fitting device, items that some council members argued were unsuitable for the children present. Michael Fife Cook, the Reform UK leader on Devon County Council, publicly voiced those concerns, prompting the council’s standards committee to levy sanctions against him for allegedly breaching conduct rules.
Cook’s response was swift: he enlisted the Free Speech Union and the law firm Sharpe Pritchard to mount a judicial review. The legal brief, dated early October, accuses the standards committee of an “irrational” decision that infringes Cook’s rights under the European Convention on Human Rights and fails to supply adequate reasoning. Should the case proceed, Devon County Council could face legal fees running into six figures.
Standards committee findings and the council’s defence
The standards panel, composed of eight elected officials and four public members, concluded that Cook had breached the council’s code of conduct by “failing to treat others with courtesy and respect” and by “bringing the council into disrepute”. However, the committee cleared him of accusations related to bullying, impartiality, and statutory duty breaches. In a separate internal correspondence, Director of Public Health Steve Brown affirmed that Libraries Unlimited – the operator of Devon’s libraries – had followed all safeguarding and risk-assessment procedures before the event took place.
Cook countered Brown’s email, asserting that council officers could not be trusted to protect children and labeling the council’s stance as complicit in the “sexualisation of children”. He demanded an apology from both the council and the standards committee, arguing that penalising a councillor for raising safeguarding issues threatens the very purpose of elected representation.
Festival organisers adjust the programme after backlash
In the months following the controversy, the Out There Fringe Fest announced a revised layout for this year’s Young Person’s Day, scheduled for Sunday, 11 October. The event will be moved to a dedicated downstairs area of the library and will focus on crafts for teenagers aged 13-19. Organisers emphasised that the controversial sex-education props from 2025 will be absent, and that all safeguarding assessments have been refreshed in collaboration with Libraries Unlimited.
According to a post-event review, the 2025 edition attracted about 850 visitors, slightly exceeding the library’s usual weekend footfall. The report noted an “increase in external communications framed as safeguarding concerns” that it described as “misleading narratives commonly used to target LGBTQIA+ events”. Despite the heightened scrutiny, the review praised the coordinated effort of venue staff, police, volunteers, and partners for maintaining a safe environment.
The festival, which runs a month-long programme supported by £27,900 of National Lottery funding via Arts Council England, remains a focal point for Devon’s LGBTQIA+ community. Organisers stress that the adjustments are meant to respect safeguarding imperatives while preserving a space for young people to explore identity and creativity.
Lord Young of Acton, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, condemned the sanctions against Cook, stating that penalising a councillor for raising legitimate concerns “beggars belief”. He argued that the officials who authorised the original event, described as a “bold celebration for LGBTQIA+ young people and friends”, should instead bear responsibility for any reputational damage to the council.
Devon County Council has refrained from commenting on the pending legal action, citing the inappropriate nature of public statements at this stage. If the judicial review proceeds, the outcome could set a precedent for how local authorities balance safeguarding, free speech, and the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ programming in publicly funded venues.
