Reform council brings in ‘British values’ flag guidelines in Leicestershire

Leicestershire County Council’s new Reform management has scrapped the authority’s flag flying coverage in its first cupboard assembly.

The transfer, authorised at a gathering on Thursday, means a beforehand agreed schedule of flags to be displayed outdoors County Corridor in Glenfield has been discontinued.

The listing included flags to mark occasions celebrating LGBTQ+ Satisfaction Month, Gypsy Roma and Traveller Historical past Month and Windrush Day.

New Reform council chief Dan Harrison mentioned the modifications to flag flying protocols have been “to have a good time British values that unite us all”.

Some workers teams on the council, the place Reform fashioned a minority administration following Could’s native elections, raised issues concerning the transfer.

Harrison described the eight-minute cupboard assembly, which had solely the flag flying coverage on the agenda, as “historic”.

He mentioned: “Folks will rightly ask why are we altering this protocol?

“It is essential to know the significance of recognition of nationwide identification, our heritage and tradition and have a good time British values [which] is what unites us all.

“This new protocol permits us to do all this.”

Underneath new guidelines, Harrison mentioned the Union flag and the county council’s personal flag would fly completely on two of the three flagpoles outdoors County Corridor.

The St George’s flag would fly from the third pole, he mentioned, except it was changed with the county Lord Lieutenant’s flag after they have been within the constructing.

He mentioned a fourth flagpole in County Corridor’s quadrangle may very well be used to mark occasions comparable to Armed Forces Day, Commonwealth Day and Armistice Day.

Choices on flying all different flags are to be delegated to council chief government John Sinnott after dialogue with the chief.

In a joint letter, representatives of LGBTQ+, disabled and BAME workers mentioned they’d not been correctly consulted on the change.

“We really feel that the shortage of time between our understanding of this occasion, and the assembly happening, has hampered our skill to speak and promote the voices of these in our workers networks and past,” they mentioned.

They mentioned they represented greater than 400 council workers and requested the administration to think about the affect of modifications on worker morale.

The letter added: “We’d advocate the cupboard members replicate on the aim of flying flags as a neighborhood authority.

“It’s an instance of the Public Sector Equality Obligation, our authorized requirement to foster good relations between individuals who share protected traits and those that do not.”

Opposition Conservative group chief Deborah Taylor known as the assembly “very unusual” and mentioned “staffing teams help numerous workers right here and needs to be listened to”.

She added: “Employees which can be dedicated to the Leicestershire residents and Leicestershire County Council haven’t had their voice heard and I believe that is horrible.”

Harrison mentioned he would meet workers group representatives to debate the brand new protocol.