Latest news with #flagflying
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Reform council brings in 'British values' flag rules in Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Council's new Reform leadership has scrapped the authority's flag flying policy in its first cabinet move, approved at a meeting on Thursday, means a previously agreed schedule of flags to be displayed outside County Hall in Glenfield has been list included flags to mark events celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month and Windrush 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 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." 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 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 said a fourth flagpole in County Hall's quadrangle could be used to mark events such as Armed Forces Day, Commonwealth Day and Armistice on flying all other flags are be delegated to council chief executive John Sinnott after discussion with the leader. 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 represented more than 400 council staff and asked the administration to consider the impact of changes on employee 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.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Rotherham considering flag restrictions on council buildings
The choice of which flags can be flown on public buildings, and which cannot, is under review, with a new motion set to go before a town Conservative councillors say flag-flying should be restricted to a "small set of official emblems" in Baum-Dixon, backed by Zachary Collingham, will put the motion to Labour-run Rotherham Council this week, arguing that the current approach to flag-flying had become "too controversial and divisive".The council has flown various flags on its buildings to mark international events in recent years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said, showing solidarity with causes or recognising specific communities. The council heard that, while many of the gestures were well-intentioned, the choice to fly certain flags had often led to disagreement, and even complaints, among residents - with the fallout taking a significant amount of officer motion claims "what was once a symbolic gesture has become a source of conflict".It added that inconsistent decisions on flags had "left the council open to criticism and political pressure".If passed, the new rules would allow just four flags to be flown on Rotherham Council buildings and sites:the Union flag (Union Jack)the England flag (St George's Cross)the Yorkshire RoseRotherham's official Coat of Arms All other flags, such as those for international awareness days, special causes, and campaigns, would no longer be permitted under the new protocol, the motion councillors who put forward the motion said the proposals were "not a rejection of any cause or group", adding the move was intended to avoid controversy, bring consistency, and help the council refocus its energy and resources on delivering frontline proposed changes are to be debated at the next full council meeting on 21 May, the LDRS the motion is approved, a revised policy would be drawn up ahead of final approval by the council to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
