Reform’s row over Pride flag labelled ‘pathetic’

Ellie Chowns, the Green Party member for North Herefordshire, has labelled a row that has broken out in Warwickshire over Pride flags as ‘pathetic’. The row began when Reform UK’s interim leader, George Finch, submitted a written request for a Pride Progress flag be taken down from outside Warwickshire County Council's Shire Hall. Monica Fogarty, chief executive of Warwickshire County Council, however, refused to remove the flag before the end of Pride Month. Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, then called for Fogarty to look for another job.

The authority reportedly needed to gain "advertising consent" to fly the Pride Progress flag, as only the standard 6-striped rainbow flag was ‘pre-approved’ and had no need for specific planning consent to be flown. The chief executive of Warwickshire County Council countered in an email in which she said the authority did not have a “formal policy” for flying flags, and that Finch should call for a council vote if he wants to introduce one.

Cllr Will Roberts, Green MP for Warwickshire County Council said: “I completely understand that Reform has their own flag policy but they can't just come in and impose it on the council. They need to go through a democratic process and take it through cabinet, just like any other policy.

Warwickshire Pride also spoke in support of the Chief Executive. Their spokesperson, Daniel Browne, who is also a Labour councillor in Warwick said that Reform’s flag flying policy is rooted in homophobia, transphobia, and bigotry.

The flag has since been removed from Shire Hall following the end of Pride Month. Not, however, before the party's head of government efficiency, Zia Yusuf, accused Fogarty of a "coup d'etat".

Green MP, Chowns told BBC Politics Midlands that Reform's focus on flags was "pretty pathetic", adding that the majority of constituents “care about potholes, about bin collections, people care about social care and looking after vulnerable adults and children in the community".

She said: “This ridiculous focus on flags, it's just posturing and it's performative politics on the part of Reform.

“What anybody elected to a council should be doing is focusing on the real business of what councils have to do; serving the public.”

Conservative MP for Kenilworth and Southam Sir Jeremy Wright also spoke on the matter, asking: “Are we really going to discuss what flag flies outside Shire Hall in Warwick as a priority for the people of Warwickshire? I don't think that's what my constituents care most about.

“70% of the budget of Warwickshire County Council is taken up by adult social care and special educational needs. There are huge challenges that this new council administration needs to address.

“I want to hear from them what they're going to do about those things. I don't want to hear them picking a fight with officials about what flag flies outside the building.

“I really do worry that this is a demonstration of what many of us are concerned about, which is that Reform is all about slogans and not much about delivering things that people really care about.”