Norfolk council staff wear Pride badges and add rainbow screens after Reform UK removes flags
Reform UK councillor Scott Hussey (Image: Reform UK)
Norfolk County Council staff have begun wearing Progress Pride badges and displaying rainbow backgrounds on computer screens after Reform UK stopped flying the LGBTQ+ and Ukraine flags at County Hall in Norwich.
The show of solidarity has been visible inside the building, with staff also using rainbow screen backgrounds during online meetings following the change to which flags can be flown above the council’s headquarters.
Reform UK took over at Norfolk County Council last month and said it was “entirely appropriate” for only British national and local flags to be flown above the County Hall building. Reform councillor Scott Hussey said feedback from officials had been “largely positive” and that staff “welcomed the new energy and professionalism” of the new administration.
“The decisions we make are designed to do what residents elected us to do: deliver change and achieve results,” Hussey added.
“Rather than engaging in virtue signalling or political grandstanding – none of which improves the lives of residents – we’re focused on common sense, pragmatism and getting the job done.”
Unison representative Kris Holt said there was “a strong sense of disappointment” among employees. “The change to the local authority’s policy on flags – which has led to the removal of the Progress Pride flag – feels like a calculated snub to both staff and Norfolk residents in the LGBTQ+ community,” Holt said.
What Norfolk’s flags policy allows
Under the council’s flags policy, the Norfolk County Council flag, the Union flag, the St George flag and the Norfolk flag are permitted to be flown above County Hall on Martineau Lane. Royal flags and those of the Merchant Navy, the Armed Forces and the emergency services can still be flown on certain days.
The Progress Pride flag was previously flown from County Hall to coincide with Norwich Pride in July.
Hussey defended the decision, saying: “While the Pride flag is often presented as a symbol of inclusivity and diversity, many people view it as a political advocacy flag.”
“As such, it’s seen by some as divisive rather than unifying and the flag does not necessarily represent all the groups it claims to encompass.”
Union criticism and wider Reform rows
The row follows other disputes over Pride visibility in councils run by the party, including the uproar after London’s only Reform council cancelled a Pride flag ceremony and when a Reform-run council banned Essex libraries from promoting LGBTQ+ events.
Holt added: “We would encourage the new members at [County Hall] to focus on learning their briefs and to really engage with the vitally important role of being a county councillor.”
