Reform denies 'weaponising' flags

The Progress Pride flag is one that can no longer fly over council buildings under Reform

Reform councillors have denied they "weaponised" a debate about flags when limiting which ones could fly on council buildings.

Lancashire County Council's ruling administration announced in July that a number of flags, including the Progress Pride flag, would no longer be hoisted on municipal property.

Green Party group leader Gina Dowding said the wider national debate had shown that "some people are weaponising the use of... certainly the English flag".

But Reform's deputy council leader Simon Evans rejected the claim, telling a council cabinet meeting: "All I know and… my colleagues know is we feel immense pride in our flag and the flying of it is symbolic of that."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that Dowding said she was surprised by "how much attention, effort and energy this new administration has given to flags when none of us were really aware from door knocking that this was a priority for the people of Lancashire".

Evans said Dowding's surprise explained "why we have won this council and why [we will go on to win] the general election".

"I have never seen a flag weaponised in my life – I don't even understand how that works.

The union jack, the flag of St George, the Lancashire flag, the Lancashire County Council flag, the Armed Forces flag, the Commonwealth flag and the Merchant Navy flag are the only ones that can now be raised over County Hall in Preston under Reform's policy, which was ratified at the meeting.

Flag rotation

Under the previous flag-flying policy, the Pride Flag was flown on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on 17 May.

Also axed were The White Ribbon Flag – promoting domestic violence awareness – and the flags of the NHS and emergency services and the Ukrainian flag.

Although none of them was in rotation following changes made in 2024 during the previous Conservative administration, they had been retained for possible future use.

The review came about after Reform councillors backed a motion in July – brought by cabinet member for rural affairs, environment and communities Joshua Roberts - which stated the authority "should be proud to fly the flags of our nation and of Lancashire" and "[that] individual political causes should not take precedence over our shared identity".