Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has announced a ban on the Progressive Pride flag in Tory-run councils, arguing that such flags represent political messaging rather than civic pride. The move is part of a broader push to promote English and Union flags as symbols of national unity.
In a statement, Badenoch criticised Labour-run councils for what she described as selective enforcement of flag policies. She claimed that while English flags are often removed, flags of other nations and political causes, such as Palestinian flags, are left untouched. She cited examples including a schoolgirl sent home for wearing a Union flag dress and Birmingham City Council projecting colours for Pakistan and India while threatening to remove English flags.
Badenoch argued that the denigration of British symbols in the name of diversity is divisive and must stop. She said the widespread flying of St George and Union flags should be welcomed as expressions of history, freedoms and shared identity. The ban applies to all Tory-run councils and is effective immediately.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions, with supporters praising it as a defence of national pride and critics accusing Badenoch of politicising flags. The ban does not affect the original six-stripe Pride flag, only the Progressive version which includes additional stripes for transgender and minority communities.
