Labour council ‘breaking law’ after hoisting pro-trans flag

[IwantToRetire]

A council has been accused of breaking the law after erecting a trans-inclusive Pride flag outside its town hall, The Telegraph can reveal.
Hackney London Borough Council has hoisted the Pride flag each February and July since summer 2020 to mark LGBT+ history month and London Pride.

However, activists and Christian lawyers claim the Labour-run authority, led by Caroline Woodley, the mayor, is breaching the Local Government Act because flying the flag is a “political statement”.

Article in the Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/28/labour-council-breaking-law-hoisting-pro-trans-flag/

Can be read in full at https://archive.is/j03jK

Tbh I don’t care what flags they fly as long as they obey the law.

Aren't councils run by politicians? So you'd sort of expect them to be political?

Have you checked the law about the right of local councils to align with political campaigns?

I remember ages ago there was a discussion about flags, and I recall that there is actually legislation [well, rule-y kinda things] about what flags may be flown from public buildings.
I'll see if I can find it again.

Quote from article:

Maya Forstater, the chief executive of human rights charity Sex Matters, added:

“Dismissing people who complain about flags or waving this away as a ‘culture war’ completely misses the point. These symbols are not harmless messages of ‘inclusivity’.

“The Progress Pride flag represents a highly contentious belief. It is Hackney council’s job to serve the whole community, in line with the Equality Act, not to signal its support for the claim that ‘trans women are women’.

“Flying this flag sends a highly political and ideological message to every resident of Hackney, not to mention those council workers at the front line in the leisure centres, libraries and youth clubs where the law about single-sex spaces and services needs to be upheld.”

Good point.

No mention of the 'Progress' flag, just the rainbow flag:

(b) Flags which do not require consent provided they comply with certain restrictions
A number of categories of flag may be flown without consent, subject to certain restrictions regarding the size of the flag, the size of characters on the flag, and the number and location of the flags.

Categories of flag that can now be flown:

house flag – flag is allowed to display the name, emblem, device or trademark of the company (or person) occupying the building, or can refer to a specific event of limited duration that is taking place in the building from which the flag is flown
any sports club (but cannot include sponsorship logos)
the Rainbow flag (6 horizontal equal stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet).
specified award schemes – Eco-Schools, Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and Investors in People
the NHS flag

Flying flags: a plain English guide - GOV.UK

It is this bit that is relevant - provision for the Rainbow flag is a red herring:

b) Flags which do not require consent provided they comply with certain restrictions

A number of categories of flag may be flown without consent, subject to certain restrictions regarding the size of the flag, the size of characters on the flag, and the number and location of the flags.

Categories of flag that can now be flown:

house flag – flag is allowed to display the name, emblem, device or trademark of the company (or person) occupying the building, or can refer to a specific event of limited duration that is taking place in the building from which the flag is flown

The Council should show that there are events taking place in the building every day to justify flying the flag continuously for a month.

Some questions that spring to mind that could be asked of the Council (copy and paste from an earlier post):

1 who paid for the Flag?

2 please list the Title, Date, Time and Duration and precise Venue of each event?

3 please indicate whether attendance was expected for the entire duration of the event and/or if they were "drop in" events

4 who organised these events in the building, whether external to the Council or internal?

5 who in the Council approved these events, whether an individual officer, elected official or Committee?

6 were these events open to the public or only to attendance by Council employees and/or elected Officers?

7 how and where were these events advertised?

8 what if any criteria were used to determine who was eligible to attend each event and were these criteria advertised in advance?

9 were Council employees in attendance at these events and, if so, was their attendance completely voluntary?

10 did Council employees run these events and, if so, was their involvement completely voluntary?

11 were any events sponsored by external organisations and, if so, which organisations, how much money was contributed and what did those funds purchase or recompense?

12 were any external organisations paid to contribute in any way to these events and, if so, how much money was paid to each organisation for the provision of what services?

13 what was the total cost to the Council of these events, including:

• Council employees time prior due, during or after each event, eg. time spent preparing advertising materials; time attending events; time liaising with external organisations; Committee time discussing events, etc. (this list is not comprehensive)
• any fees waived for venue booking
• external advertising
• Council Social Media operatives advertising events, dealing with inquiries, etc.

14 please provide a list of comparable annual events on Council premises and whether a flag was flown to celebrate these events.

There are probably other questions but these are the first once that spring to mind.

However, Maya's point about displaying a political, ideological message is a good one.

Flying flags: a plain English guide - GOV.UK

Whatever next?! Useful infor on gov.uk and in plain English

There are probably other questions but these are the first once that spring to mind.

The one I would ask is how many local residents, rate payers even know what the flag means, and is it good use of the rates.

I suspect most people would want pot holes filled in, or as it is Hackney which has just had another ruling against it for the squalor of the housing they are responsible for running, but more time and money into that.

There were some interesting exchanges about the Progress Flag (or "Pride Flag" as they are calling it now) with whoever operates Newcastle upon Tyne Council's X account that revealed some unexpected info.

When someone complained about potholes and the money spent on bike lanes the reply was that the Council gets extra money for bike lanes and that is the only way that they can afford to mend potholes - obviously only along the route of new bike lanes.

@IwantToRetire No I haven't. It seems like there should be balance though- yes councils can't break national laws, but if I've voted in an election surely the whole direction of the council is political? Increasing the money spent on potholes, as opposed to the Arts, or looked after children is a political choice?
I think it should be up to local people and their representatives which flags are flown personally, but I'ta not an issue I'll die in a ditch over if there's legislation that prevents that.

POWNewcastleEastWallsend · Today 21:21

They don't seem to be fixing them from Park Avenue South towards Cullercoats!

Ooo! North Tyneside, the little rebels!

I think this is an aspect of local government that many of us dont really know about.

But there are all sorts of one off pots of funding, mainly to do totally useless things or ironically pander to those who aren't living in financially straightened times.

For instance 3 east London boroughs have each won money to provide more opportunities for late night al fresco dining.

2 of these boroughs have the worst record for the terrible standard of their social housing.

And obviously getting money for frivilous extras does not in any way help subsidise essential areas that dont get enough money.

It just further sends a message to those at the bottom of the economic ladder aren't cared about.

If someone had the time and energy I am sure it would make a very interesting study of the most useless grants given, and what positive impact if any it had on local people.

Sounds like the sort of thing Charlotte Gill might be unearthing:

www.charlottecgill.co.uk/

Hurry up Mumsnetters! Not many opportunities to post before this thread hits 1000. Then OP can get some rest from people who:

• pretend to not understand OPs metaphorical language
• who think the OP is about flying flags
• who don’t or won’t see that badly drawn graffiti shows that jingoistic thickos live there
• … and makes the place look
• absolutely scummy
• insult OPs sanity and mental state and make not-so-witty comments about her stomach bugs and needing therapy.

Edited

I think you are on the wrong flag thread.

No I’m not.

Yes I am! lol?! What a waste of effort 😀

Are you a bot?

And isn't there anything else to do but complain about a pride flag? Slow news day?

I've an idea.

No flags. At all. Job done.

That would mean forfeiting the gender critical green and purple flags etc too

Deal no pride and/or trans flags anywhere every again and ill happily retire my Suffragette flag

Sometimes I wonder whether everyone who posts on FWR is connected to the real world.

A Mumsnetter from one of the many threads on other MN forums about the explosion of the "England" flag in streets, etc.,accidently posted on this thread.

And after a couple of queries admitted yes!

As to this thread it was about what remit Councils have to fly flags and if they do it for one group shouldn't they do it for all?