Reform Council Accused of 'Trump-Like' Behaviour Over Pride Flag Ban
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Reform-led Durham County Council has been accused of dodging democratic accountability after removing LGBT+ and Ukraine flags from council buildings without any formal decision-making process or paper trail.
In May, shortly after being elected, the Reform UK council - like others run by the party - took down the Pride flag and a Ukrainian flag from its HQ. However, no formal decision has been recorded to enact the move, a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) has revealed - despite the council having an official protocol on flags.
Former lawyer Syd Bolton had requested, "copies of the formal recorded decision of the council to determine which flags may or may not be flown on Durham County Council buildings, including any and all minutes and transcripts of the relevant meetings of councillors and or executive officers at which such a decision was taken by the newly elected Reform-led council".
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The Council responded, saying: "This information is not held…The flag protocol was changed at the request of the Leader of the Council in line with the protocols of the new administration. This did not require a formal decision of the authority."
Bolton, who no longer practices law in the UK, said: "In Durham it's flags, in Kent it's 'DOGE' [Department for Government Efficiency], in Staffordshire, it's book banning [removing LGBT+ books from library displays] and other issues elsewhere like stopping 'woke' equality schemes etc.
"It is predictable posturing in many ways but as we know, it is used effectively by (Nigel) Farage to promote his MAGA-copying agenda into the UK mainstream.
"Needless to say almost nobody has questioned the vires [legal authority] of these actions, instead just walking into the trap of engaging with the latest issue Farage chooses."
Bolton said Durham County Council's response to his question is "even more problematic than I foresaw", explaining: "Not only does the council administration say that it is within the powers of Reform's council leader to change published policy [on flags] by decree, they claim there is no record of any decision making process and no record of the amended policy."
This is remarkable as it means public policy is in effect whatever Reform says it is and even council executive staff don't have written records of the policies they are meant to enact
Syd Bolton, former lawyer
Bolton added the "lack of any transparent records of how and on what basis policy is changed and how the public is unable to see what such policies contain, save for the assertion by Reform of what they say it is", is the most concerning part.
Reform controls 12 councils in England, according to Open Council Data.
Following the May elections, it was Reform HQ who sent letters to Reform-run authorities saying they were sending in so-called DOGE teams of activist auditors to identify potential cuts. Reform-run council staff have faced difficulties since in deciding what data to hand over to these politically-led teams.
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Durham's response to Bolton included its last Flags Protocol, which mirrors national legislation in recognising the Pride flag.
The document states that is not due for review until 2026, however, it also notes that it was recently changed by executive powers.
The fact no records of the decision, or any amends to the...
Packed with exclusive investigations, analysis, and features
SUBSCRIBE TODAY
Reform-led Durham County Council has been accused of dodging democratic accountability after removing LGBT+ and Ukraine flags from council buildings without any formal decision-making process or paper trail.
In May, shortly after being elected, the Reform UK council - like others run by the party - took down the Pride flag and a Ukrainian flag from its HQ. However, no formal decision has been recorded to enact the move, a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) has revealed - despite the council having an official protocol on flags.
Former lawyer Syd Bolton had requested, "copies of the formal recorded decision of the council to determine which flags may or may not be flown on Durham County Council buildings, including any and all minutes and transcripts of the relevant meetings of councillors and or executive officers at which such a decision was taken by the newly elected Reform-led council".
Reform's Elon Musk-Style 'DOLGE' Team Accused of Making 'False and Misleading' Claims About Flagship Council
A Reform report into spending at Kent County Council was based largely on dubious claims made by the party's own former chairman
Max Colbert
The Council responded, saying: "This information is not held…The flag protocol was changed at the request of the Leader of the Council in line with the protocols of the new administration. This did not require a formal decision of the authority."
Bolton, who no longer practices law in the UK, said: "In Durham it's flags, in Kent it's 'DOGE' [Department for Government Efficiency], in Staffordshire, it's book banning [removing LGBT+ books from library displays] and other issues elsewhere like stopping 'woke' equality schemes etc.
"It is predictable posturing in many ways but as we know, it is used effectively by (Nigel) Farage to promote his MAGA-copying agenda into the UK mainstream.
"Needless to say almost nobody has questioned the vires [legal authority] of these actions, instead just walking into the trap of engaging with the latest issue Farage chooses."
Bolton said Durham County Council's response to his question is "even more problematic than I foresaw", explaining: "Not only does the council administration say that it is within the powers of Reform's council leader to change published policy [on flags] by decree, they claim there is no record of any decision making process and no record of the amended policy."
This is remarkable as it means public policy is in effect whatever Reform says it is and even council executive staff don't have written records of the policies they are meant to enact
Syd Bolton, former lawyer
Bolton added the "lack of any transparent records of how and on what basis policy is changed and how the public is unable to see what such policies contain, save for the assertion by Reform of what they say it is", is the most concerning part.
Reform controls 12 councils in England, according to Open Council Data.
Following the May elections, it was Reform HQ who sent letters to Reform-run authorities saying they were sending in so-called DOGE teams of activist auditors to identify potential cuts. Reform-run council staff have faced difficulties since in deciding what data to hand over to these politically-led teams.
EXCLUSIVE
Reform Council Bans All Mentions of Climate Change While Quietly Taking Green Funds From Government
Reform-run West Northamptonshire is removing all references to 'climate change' and 'net zero' from official documents, yet continuing to take government green grants
Josiah Mortimer
Durham's response to Bolton included its last Flags Protocol, which mirrors national legislation in recognising the Pride flag.
The document states that is not due for review until 2026, however, it also notes that it was recently changed by executive powers.
The fact no records of the decision, or any amends to the...
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