Protestors gather after Reform UK stops London borough Pride flag tradition
Opposition parties, unions, and community groups organised a Pride Month event outside Havering’s Town Hall in a display of defiance
By Aaron Sugg
London’s only Reform UK council has cancelled Havering’s annual Pride celebration, ending a decade-long tradition.
Council leader Keith Anthony Prince, who was elected following the May 2026 local elections, told the Metro that the borough will only fly flags that “recognise our heroes like the armed forces”.
Reform UK’s policy means the Pride flag was not flown at Havering Town Hall this year to mark the start of Pride Month (1 June), after Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf stated only “national” flags should be displayed in and on council buildings.
Protestors gathered outside Havering’s Town Hall waving their own Pride flags following the Reform UK ban
Despite this, opposition parties, unions and community groups organised a Pride Month event outside Havering’s Town Hall in a display of defiance.
Groups involved included Havering Labour, Havering Aligned Residents Association, trade unions (TUC, Unison, Unite), Kaleidoscope, and local residents, who gathered to show support for LGBTQ+ rights.
As per the Havering Daily, Carrie from local LGBTQ+ support group Kaleidoscope said: “LGBTQ+ visibility isn’t just about the photo opportunity and a pastry after packing away the flags.”
“The lack of a Pride flag at the Town Hall is devastating” – Carrie from local LGBTQ+ support group Kaleidoscope condemned the anti-Pride flag policy
“At Kaleidoscope we strive to create inclusive and creative LGBTQ+ spaces throughout the year through workshops and an independent film festival. The lack of a Pride flag at the Town Hall is devastating, but it will not erase the LGBTQ+ community in Havering,” she continued.
Speakers throughout the event stressed Pride is about people, community and lived experience, rejecting the anti-Pride flag policy, and instead using their own Pride paraphernalia.
This is a concerning pattern of attempts to censor LGBTQ+ content by Reform UK. Just this week, under councillor Chris Hossack, the party urged 74 libraries in Essex to to scale back the promotion of LGBTQ+ content and Pride events.
Essex Pride condemned the move, writing to facebook: “Pride isn’t about saying the LGBTQ+ community are better than anyone, it’s about us saying that we are proud of who we are despite people often telling us that we should be ashamed.”