A council could be set to condemn Staffordshire County Council over the controversial decision to remove LGBTQ+ materials from libraries. A motion which is set to be presented to Lichfield District Council next week will warn the decision risks fostering prejudice and restricting freedom of expression.
Last month during Pride month the Reform UK-led county council announced it would no longer feature LGBTQ+ displays. Instead the council said that libraries should focus on the core offer of reading, learning and connecting residents to wider council services.
Lichfield Distric Council motion about LGBTQ+ material in libraries, centralbylines.co.uk
Tag: pride
Reform UK votes for cabinet-led review of flags that can be flown at County Hall
A row has broken out over Reform UK’s plans to limit the type of flags flown over Lancashire County Council’s headquarters.
The authority’s ruling group voted to launch a cabinet-led review of the symbols that can be raised at County Hall in Preston.
However, the party has already nailed its preferences to the mast, claiming that the proposed changes are designed to unify all Lancastrians under the banners of Lancashire and the UK – regardless of other aspects of their identity.
But opposition groups noted that the Pride flag, representing the LGBT community, would be the principal casualty of the rethink – and accused Reform of engaging in a culture war.
Reform UK votes for cabinet-led review of flags that can be flown at County Hall, blogpreston.co.uk
Leicestershire social workers object to Reform policy they fear ‘promotes exclusion and marginalisation’
Removing these flags promotes exclusion and marginalisation – it implies people represented by those flags are not welcome
More than 100 Leicestershire social workers have spoken out against a new Reform UK policy they fear “promotes exclusion and marginalisation”. Their comments follow a decision by Reform to change which flags can fly at the Leicestershire County Council headquarters, in Glenfield.
The new policy means that community flags, such as the Pride flag and the disabled people’s flag, will not automatically be raised in the inner quadrangle at County Hall to celebrate events and celebration days. Instead, a decision will be taken by the chief executive “following consultation with the leader of the council”, the party’s Dan Harrison, over whether they can fly or not, leading some to fear they will not be flown going forward.
Some 102 social workers at the council have now written to councillors and the new Reform cabinet to “loudly” and “overwhelmingly” oppose the change in policy. They said they felt that flying community flags was a “vitally important” symbol from the council that it was “supportive of marginalised groups”.
Leicestershire social workers object to Reform policy they fear ‘promotes exclusion and marginalisation’, www.leicestermercury.co.uk
Reform-led Kent County Council will remove Pride and Ukrainian flags
Reform-run Kent County Council will not fly a Pride flag this summer and will remove the Ukrainian flag from the chamber, the new council leader confirmed.
At the beginning of May, Reform swept to a local elections victory in Kent taking 57 of 81 council seats, wiping out a Conservative majority which had stood for almost 30 years.
On Thursday, councillors heard from the new leader of Kent County Council, Linden Kemkaran, at their annual general meeting at County Hall in Maidstone.
Ms Kemkaran, Kent’s Reform leader, told the chamber her new administration had little time for “special interest groups” or the flags that represent them.
Reform-led Kent County Council will remove Pride and Ukrainian flags, kentlive.news
Row breaks out over Reform banning Ukraine flags from flying above town halls
Reform UK will only allow the union jack, St George’s flag and county flags on council buildings
Reform UK will ban councils from flying Ukraine’s flag in support of the war-torn country, allowing only the union, county and St George’s flags on council buildings.
Councils across the country have flown the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
“No other flags will be permitted to be flown on its flagpoles, balconies, reception desks or council chamber walls,” chairman Zia Yusuf said.
As well as banning the Ukraine flag, Reform’s plan would prevent councils from displaying pride flags.
Row breaks out over Reform banning Ukraine flags from flying above town halls, Independent