Jack Gilbert and Rebecca Shaw, co-chairs of Rainbow Hamlets commented on news that EEGP organiser Raymond Berry was a founder member of the EDL as follows:

“The correspondence from Raymond Berry that has today come to light is shocking. We are calling on the organisers to withdraw and make way for Pride London to run this event jointly with Rainbow Hamlets, the umbrella for the diverse local LGBT community. This will enable East End Gay Pride to become truly representative of LGBT life in the East End, and in particular enable LGBT Muslim groups to participate.

Mr Berry is by his own admission a founder of the EDL, and is associated with campaigns such as Stop the Islamification of Europe. We have already seen postings on Facebook by his co-organiser David Byatt that the EDL support this event and the open recruitment of the far right to the event. Based on the new evidence we cannot accept the ‘explanation’ that Mr Byatt was simply naive and ill informed when he made these postings, nor can we ignore the possibility that this is an attempt to dupe the LGBT community on a grand scale.

We believe that they have cynically spread misinformation about local life and manipulated concerns about the ‘gay-free zone stickers’ to suit an extremist agenda that promotes hostility and prejudice between communities. We cannot endorse a Pride event, or any other community initiative, led by a person with these credentials.

If the organisers will not make way, Pride London, all politicians and other organisations should withdraw support from this event.”