Reform UK is set to push through a new flag policy for Warwickshire County Council next week that gives one councillor "sole discretion" over what is flown.

The controlling party at Shire Hall has brought forward the decision to be taken by cabinet – the panel of nine Reform councillors in charge of major service areas – on Thursday, September 4, as opposed to full council where councillors from all parties would get to vote. 

The matter made national headlines at the end of June when then-interim and now permanent leader Cllr George Finch asked chief executive Monica Fogarty to take down the Progress Pride flag that had been put up for Pride month, a request that the authority's most senior officer refused to comply with.

Part of Reform's national campaign to win control of councils in May's local elections was a vow that only the national flags of the UK and England, county and armed forces flags should be flown from local government offices.

National Reform figures such as Zia Yusuf and leader Nigel Farage MP publicly criticised Ms Fogarty for her stance in which she invited Cllr Finch to bring forward a formal policy if he wished to.

In papers published ahead of the cabinet meeting, the policy stops short of banning any flag but if implemented, Shire Hall will fly the UK, England and county flags on its three poles as a matter of course.

Provision has been made for royal flags and armed forces flags to be raised when appropriate but requests to fly any other flag will have to be signed off by the chair of the council – a position currently held by Reform UK's Cllr Ed Harris.

The policy does not set out how requests should be made, who has the ability to make them or whether decisions and the reasons for them are to be made public.

If passed, the policy would remain in place on an ongoing basis, handing such control to whoever is in the chair at the time irrespective of whether they are of the same political persuasion as the leadership of the council.

It is customary for the vice-chair of the authority to move into the chair the following year with Conservative Cllr Dale Keeling next in line for 2026-27.

Reform runs the council through a minority administration. The party has more seats – 22 out of 57 – on the council than any other but is short of an overall majority. 

It means that if it had taken this to a vote of all councillors, it would have been reliant on support – or at the very least a lack of dissent – from political rivals. By taking it through cabinet, the vote is limited to a cluster of Reform councillors.

Opposition group leaders will have the chance to ask questions or voice concerns or disapproval at the cabinet meeting, and any unhappy councillors can also trigger a call-in, either asking the cabinet to reconsider or the relevant overview and scrutiny panel to look into the policy. 

If six or more councillors object, they can request that the issue is taken to a vote of all councillors. Council is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, September 23.