Protesters affixed LGBT+ Pride flags to an unused flagpole at Havering Town Hall on 25 June, prompting condemnation from the Reform UK leader of the council. The action appeared to be a direct response to the council's earlier decision not to display Pride flags throughout Pride month.
Councillor Keith Prince, leader of London's only Reform council, said in a video posted to X that “trespassers” had “abused our flagpoles”. After removing the flags, he added that the poles were “once again abuse-free”. Standing before a Union Flag backdrop, Prince declared that only the Union flag would fly atop the town hall once the flagpoles were fixed.
The Reform administration, which won control of the council in May, announced the Pride flag ban days before a now-cancelled Pride ceremony. The leadership stated that the Union flag sufficiently represented everyone. The move drew criticism from Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who called it “Trumpian nonsense”, and from LGBT charity Kaleidoscope, which called it “devastating” but said it would not erase the LGBTQ community in Havering.
Havering Council’s official opposition group, the Havering Residents Association, described the decision as “disappointing”. Former deputy mayor Councillor Barry Mugglestone noted that lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel are now welcome to serve openly in the UK armed forces. Reform UK has a policy of flying only flags representing the United Kingdom or the Armed Forces. London’s annual Pride parade is scheduled for 4 July.
