A pro-Palestinian councillor has refused to accept an award nomination after claiming its sponsor funds genocide in Gaza.

Ismail Uddin accused HSBC of “supporting the brutality and genocide against the Palestinian people” in a long post he self-published on the awards’ own website.

The National Diversity Awards, to be hosted by broadcaster Clare Balding in September, aims to “honour the incredible achievements of individuals, community organisations, role models, entrepreneurs and celebrities” who “strive to promote diversity and inclusion in all its forms”, according to its website.

HSBC is the headline sponsor and Coral Taylor, the bank’s head of inclusion and diversity, is on its panel of judges, alongside TV personality and activist Katie Piper.