Leicestershire County Council’s new Reform leadership has scrapped the authority’s flag flying policy in its first cabinet meeting.
The move, approved at a meeting on Thursday, means a previously agreed schedule of flags to be displayed outside County Hall in Glenfield has been discontinued.
The list included flags to mark events celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month and Windrush Day.
New 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 move.
Harrison described the eight-minute cabinet meeting, which had only the flag flying policy on the agenda, as “historic”.
Reform council brings in ‘British values’ flag rules, BBC
Day: 12 June 2025
Who’s funding Reform – and why?
Nigel Farage says his party is a break from the political establishment. That claim doesn’t match up with its donors
Reform has received almost £5m from wealthy donors since 2023, including those with links to fossil fuels, the financial services industry and tax havens, openDemocracy can reveal.
[…]
But what does the £4.8m of donations tell us about Reform’s aims, especially if it were to win office at the next general election? openDemocracy analysed the past 18 months of donations data to shed light on who is donating to the party – and where their interests lie.
Our findings reveal that, despite claiming to represent a break with the current political establishment, Reform is largely funded by ex-Tory donors, who account for around a quarter of the £4.8m it has received in large donations (only those who give £11,180 or more in a year need to be declared to the Electoral Commission) since 2023.
We also found that Reform has an unusually high number of overseas backers with links to tax havens, which the party has publicly stated is part of its fundraising strategy.
Who’s funding Reform – and why?, opendemocracy.net
We gave the Reform UK logo a controversial isPants.com makeover that’s sure to annoy someone.
In so far as is possible under law, these images are placed into the public domain.
Ex-Labour councillor who defected to Reform distances himself from ‘racist’ Anas Sarwar advert
Jamie McGuire – who joined Nigel Farage’s party last week – told the Holyrood Sources podcast he would have focussed the advert on the economy instead.
Ex-Labour councillor who defected to Reform distances himself from ‘racist’ Anas Sarwar advert, dailyrecord.co.uk