Reform UK flag policy strips Warwickshire council boss of power

Simon GilbertBBC Political Reporter, Coventry and Warwickshire

Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch sat next to council chief executive Monica Fogarty. He is wearing a dark striped suit, white shirt and gold tie. She is wearing an animal print blouse and thick chain necklace. — Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch sat next to council chief executive Monica Fogarty as cabinet agreed to move flag decision making powers to Reform councillor Edward Harris

Reform UK-led Warwickshire County Council has stripped its chief executive of the power to decide which flags are flown outside the council’s headquarters.

The move follows a row over the decision to fly a Progress Pride Flag outside of Shire Hall, in Warwick, during Pride Month in June.

Councillor George Finch had asked for the flag to be removed when he was elected as leader of the council, but chief executive Monica Fogarty refused.

The council’s cabinet has now voted to hand the decision-making power to the council chairman, Reform councillor Edward Harris.

The Pride Progress flag is a redesigned rainbow flag, with additional colours to represent a wider range of marginalised communities.

Previously, Fogarty held responsibility for deciding which flags could be flown.

Explaining the new flag policy during the cabinet meeting on 4 September, Finch said: “It takes it out of the hands of the elected leader, it takes it out of the hands of non-elected members, it puts it in the hands of the chairman of the council.”

Warwickshire County Council chairman and Reform councillor Edward Harris will now have sole responsibility for which flags can and cannot be flown outside of the council’s Shire Hall headquarters in Warwick

Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council chairman and Reform councillor Edward Harris pictured in the red leather Chairman's seat in the full council chamber in Shire Hall. He is wearing a gold ornate chain, blue suit and tie. — Warwickshire County Council chairman and Reform councillor Edward Harris will now have sole responsibility for which flags can and cannot be flown outside of the council’s Shire Hall headquarters in Warwick

But leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, councillor Jerry Roodhouse, dismissed suggestions decisions would be non-political.

He said: “I’ve never seen a chairman yet go against their political party in a council meeting, in a chamber, anywhere. So don’t give me that rubbish.”

Jonathan Chilvers, leader of the Green group, asked if the leader would reassure “people that come into this building or seek work in this building” they would not be judged on their sexuality, but rather “their work and their character”.

Finch said: “This is the point of common sense. It’s not about the colour of your skin, your sexuality, who you love, it’s not about any of that. It’s about whether you can do the job.”

Flags flying outside Shire Hall, with the Progress Pride Flag at the centre of the political row pictured on the right-hand side

He insisted the move was about unity and said that was why he thought only the Union Flag, the St George’s Cross or the County Flag of Warwickshire should fly outside Shire Hall.

Finch added: “This county, everyone that’s in it, is identified by three things. The United Kingdom, England and our county.”

But he did not rule out other flags flying in the future, suggesting such decisions would be “at the discretion of the chair”.

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, said it was “rubbish” to suggest flag decisions would not be politically driven

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, stands outside the stone steps entering Shire Hall. He is wearing a blue and white chequered shirt with an open collar. — Councillor Jerry Roodhouse, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, said it was “rubbish” to suggest flag decisions would not be politically driven

The new flag policy does not require the council chairman to publicly explain decisions on which flags he will not allow to be flown.

Green councillor Sam Jones raised wider concerns about flags and said it had “become plausible deniability to say, ‘I’m a patriot’, when actually what you’re trying to do is intimidate people”.

Finch responded by labelling those who used flags to “cause violence” or “in an extremist way” as “wrong”.