Reform UK vows to discontinue Pride flag on North Yorkshire Council buildings

The leader of the Reform UK group on North Yorkshire Council, Councillor Tom Seston, has declared the party's intention to halt the display of Pride flags on council buildings should they come to power in next year's local elections.

Seston's comments arise amidst controversy over the flying of the Pride flag at County Hall in Northallerton and online reactions to the council’s support for Pride Month.

The issue was ignited after Labour councillor Kirsty Poskitt, an independent councillor for Tadcaster, expressed concern about hostile comments on the council's Facebook page regarding its Pride flag display.

Council Debate on Flag Policy

Councillor Poskitt commended the council's ongoing support for LGBTQ+ communities, especially given some local authorities' decisions to remove visible Pride symbols.

However, she labelled the Facebook comments as “utterly abhorrent and deeply concerning”, highlighting ongoing discrimination and mental health challenges faced by young LGBTQ+ individuals.

Poskitt urged Reform councillors to publicly denounce intolerance, noting the presence of comments mentioning "Reform or Restore", with no mentions of other parties.

Her appeal aimed at forming a united stance against hatred and violent rhetoric.

Reform UK's Position

In response, Cllr Seston, representing Eastfield division, contested the claims of violent rhetoric in the comments.

He reported minimal mentions of Reform UK and none of Restore Britain, while Labour was mentioned twice.

Despite not overseeing social media for the council, Seston outlined Reform UK's proposed flag policy should they assume administration following the May 2027 elections.

“We will avoid this situation by only flying the Union flag, county flag, English flag, Armed Forces flags, relevant civic and heritage flags, and on the occasion of a visiting foreign dignitary, that relevant flag,” Seston wrote.

The policy aims to avoid “identity flags”, sending a message of equal support for all residents and visitors year-round.

Symbolic Gestures vs. Service Improvement

Cllr Seston expressed sympathy towards the LGBT community but prioritised improving services over symbolic flag gestures.

He questioned whether flying Pride flags or altering corporate logos during Pride Month amounted to “virtue signalling”, asserting continuous support for LGBTQ+ individuals beyond June.

“When the flags come down and the logos change, do we not still support the LGBT community?" he queried.

"Do we support the LGBT community more this month and less last month or do we support them the same as we support the whole North Yorkshire community all year round?”

Council's Flag Policy

The council maintained that it proudly flew the Pride flag throughout June in celebration and support of LGBTQ+ communities and announced the raising of the Armed Forces Day flag on Monday, 22nd June to honour service personnel and veterans.

Comments on the council's social media post include queries about a flag for "straight" individuals, alongside questions over the Union flag’s visibility.

Despite such discourse, the Union flag is permanently flown at County Hall.

The council moderates its social media channels according to established moderation policies.

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