Council Confirms New Flag Policy

Flags marking events like Pride month and Windrush Day will no longer be flown at Leicestershire County Council’s Headquarters.

Reform UK has confirmed it will go ahead with a new flag flying policy following a review prompted by concerns from opposition parties and staff members.

The three poles at the front of the building will fly the Union Flag, the County flag and the St George’s flag, or the Lord Lieutenant’s flag – in line with the previous protocol.

The Union Flag will be flown from the flagpole in the inner quadrangle, which will also be used for flags to mark Armed Forces Day, Commonwealth Day and Armistice Day, plus flags recognising exceptional national or international events.

Cllr Helen Butler, Cabinet member for resources, spoke during yesterday’s Cabinet meeting:

County Hall

Last month, over 100 social workers at the council signed a letter to the new Reform UK cabinet stating they felt flying community flags was a ‘vitally important’ symbol from the authority that it was ‘supportive of marginalised groups’.

The letter continued: “Removing these flags promotes exclusion and marginalisation – it implies people represented by those flags are not welcome.”

The flags recognising exceptional national or international events will be agreed by the Chief Executive in consultation with the council leader.

The initial decision taken by cabinet last month was ‘called in’ and discussed at a special meeting of the Scrutiny Commission last Tuesday (24 June).