Reform council brings in 'British values' flag rules

A LGBTQ+ flag was flying outside County Hall during the meeting on Thursday

Leicestershire County Council's new Reform leadership has scrapped the authority's flag flying policy in its first cabinet meeting.

The move, approved at a meeting on Thursday, means a previously agreed schedule of flags to be displayed outside County Hall in Glenfield has been discontinued.

The list included flags to mark events celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month and Windrush Day.

New Reform council leader Dan Harrison said the changes to flag flying protocols were "to celebrate British values that unite us all".

Some staff groups at the council, where Reform formed a minority administration following May's local elections, raised concerns about the move.

Harrison described the eight-minute cabinet meeting, which had only the flag flying policy on the agenda, as "historic".

He said: "People will rightly ask why are we changing this protocol?

"It's important to understand the importance of recognition of national identity, our heritage and culture and celebrate British values [which] is what unites us all.

"This new protocol allows us to do all this."

There are three flagpoles outside County Hall

Under new rules, Harrison said the Union flag and the county council's own flag would fly permanently on two of the three flagpoles outside County Hall.

The St George's flag would fly from the third pole, he said, unless it was replaced with the county Lord Lieutenant's flag when they were in the building.

He said a fourth flagpole in County Hall's quadrangle could be used to mark events such as Armed Forces Day, Commonwealth Day and Armistice Day.

Decisions on flying all other flags are to be delegated to council chief executive John Sinnott after discussion with the leader.

Council leader Dan Harrison said he would meet staff representatives to discuss their concerns

In a joint letter, representatives of LGBTQ+, disabled and BAME staff said they had not been properly consulted on the change.

"We feel that the lack of time between our understanding of this event, and the meeting taking place, has hampered our ability to communicate and promote the voices of those in our staff networks and beyond," they said.

They said they represented more than 400 council staff and asked the administration to consider the impact of changes on employee morale.

The letter added: "We would recommend the cabinet members reflect on the purpose of flying flags as a local authority.

"It is an example of the Public Sector Equality Duty, our legal requirement to foster good relations between people who share protected characteristics and those who don't."

Opposition Conservative group leader Deborah Taylor called the meeting "very strange" and said "staffing groups support a number of staff here and should be listened to".

She added: "Staff that are committed to the Leicestershire residents and Leicestershire County Council have not had their voice heard and I think that's terrible."

Harrison said he would meet staff group representatives to discuss the new protocol.