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  "path": "/news/reform-council-narrowly-passes-bill-union-flag-flown-town-hall-all-year",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-23T17:13:36.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "The Union flag is set to fly from Halifax Town Hall all year round",
    "Lefties openly hate the flag of St George but patriots will have the last laugh – Kelvin Mackenzie",
    "FIFA face calls from Parliament to reverse England flag ban for ridiculous reason",
    "'England's most patriotic street' warns Green council to prepare for battle if it tears down flags",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nA Reform council have narrowly voted in favour of allowing the Union flag to be flown all year round above public buildings, including the town hall.\n\nCalderdale Council's governance and business committee voted in favour of the flags by four votes to three on Monday evening, and will now go to the full council before a final decision.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe Union flag is set to fly from Halifax Town Hall all year round, in a \"mark of respect to all the peoples of our great nation\".\n\nReform UK's Mayor of Calderdale, Councillor Andrew Tagg, approved the move after securing a seat during the local elections in May, with Reform seizing overall control of the council.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe measure would see the Union flag, the Cross of St George, the Council flag, Yorkshire flag, and the Armed Forces flag fly on civic buildings, with \"ad hoc\" applications to be made to the council leader to fly other flags.\n\nThere are already designated days when the Union flag must be flown on Government buildings by command of the King, with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport also encouraging the flying of the Union flag all year round.\n\nThe Government department also \"encourages\" councils and other local organisations to \"follow suit where they wish to fly flags\".\n\nThe 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.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe approved protocol states: \"To ensure consistency in approach to requests made to do so then it is proposed that, as part of this protocol, those requests are initially received by the Head of Legal & Democratic Services who must undertake appropriate consultation ahead of referring the request to the Mayor for a decision.\n\n\"The consultation, where appropriate, should include Group Leaders, the Chief Executive and relevant Chief Officers and an Equality Impact Assessment to assess how the flying of a particular flag might affect people with different characteristics protected by law, such as age, disability, race and sexual orientation.\"\n\nReform UK Calderdale posted on its Facebook that the group was \"proud to see\" the Union Flag getting recognition.\n\nThe post read: \"We will put an end to past administration's flying of foreign flags and symbols of division. We are proud of our great nation and its history.\"\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:\n\n\n\n\n  * Lefties openly hate the flag of St George but patriots will have the last laugh – Kelvin Mackenzie\n  * FIFA face calls from Parliament to reverse England flag ban for ridiculous reason\n  * 'England's most patriotic street' warns Green council to prepare for battle if it tears down flags\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nLabour councillor Scott Patient, representing the Luddendenfoot ward, voted against the move and said that \"the flying of the Union flag on its own is not enough in terms of being inclusive within Calderdale.\"\n\nHe said: \"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.\"\n\nGreen councillor Dan Wood, for Northowram and Shelf ward, also voted against the proposal.\n\nHe said: \"I don't know why we would waste council time on making our current policy less inclusive and more regressive. The proof will be in the pudding.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe claimed he held reservations about the move, believing residents would attempt to fly other flags beyond the selection documented in the policy.\n\nReform councillor Stephen Padgett OBE responded to concerns raised about the effect of continuously flying the Union flag, citing his 37-year military career, and how he wore the flag daily as part of his uniform.\n\nHe said: \"I cannot think you need to have too much concern that it will diminish the significance for people.\"\n\nKate Dearden, Labour MP for Halifax, previously said the council was \"making a mistake\" by not flying the LGBTQ+ flag, given the site is associated with Britain's \"first modern lesbian\".\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Reform council narrowly passes bill to allow Union flag to be flown on town hall all year"
}