Union flag could be flown on town hall all year

Councillors have narrowly voted in favour of the Union flag being flown on a permanent basis above public buildings across Calderdale.

The decision, by a vote of four to three, was made by members of the council's Governance and Business Committee on Monday evening.

Their recommendation will go to a meeting of the full council, which is run by Reform UK, for more debate before a final decision.

It includes only five named flags that can be flown on civic buildings but allows for "ad hoc" applications to be made to the council leader to fly other flags.

The five flags are the Union flag, the Cross of St George (flown on designated occasions), the Council flag, Yorkshire flag (flown on Yorkshire Day) and the Armed Forces flag (flown at the start of Armed Forces Week).

There are already designated days when the Union flag must be flown on UK government buildings by command of the King.

UK government buildings are also encouraged to fly the Union flag all year around by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The government department also "encourages" local authorities and other local organisations to "follow suit where they wish to fly flags".

Labour councillor Scott Patient represents the Luddendenfoot ward.

He said: "Ostensibly I voted against it because I feel like the flying of the Union flag on its own is not enough in terms of being inclusive within Calderdale.

"I think that Reform councils across the country have been shown to be quite steadfast in their 'let's just fly the England flag or the Union flag'.

"And (they) have shown, where requests have been put in, to be quite inflexible."

He cited Shibden Hall where 19th Century industrialist Anne Lister, also known as Gentleman Jack, wrote her famous diaries including about her love affairs with women.

Kate Dearden, Labour MP for Halifax, recently said the council was "making a mistake" by not flying the LGBTQ+ flag at the location associated with Britain's "first modern lesbian".

Coun Dan Wood (Green, Northowram and Shelf) also voted against the proposal.

He said: "I don't know why we would waste council time on making our current policy less inclusive and more regressive."

He added that the "proof will be in the pudding".

"I think I will be amazed to see if we actually do see any other flag flying other than the documented four or five flags that are in the policy."

Committee chair, councillor Philip Pringle (Reform UK, Greetland) and councillor Stephen Padgett OBE (Reform UK, Salterhebble Southowram and Skircoat Green) did not want to comment after the meeting.

But responding to concerns raised by Patient about the effect of continuously flying the Union flag, Coun Padgett spoke of his 37-year military career and how he wore it daily as part of his uniform.

He said: "I cannot think you need to have too much concern that it will diminish the significance for people."

The flag flying protocol includes 16 "designated days" which mark birthdays of past and present royals as well as Commonwealth Day, Coronation Day, and the Poppy Appeal among others.

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