There's a certain irony — almost comic, if it weren't so depressing — in Reform UK's latest crusade: banning all but the Union Jack from council buildings. No Pride flags.

No county standards. Not even a nod to local heritage or solidarity. Just the Union Jack, flapping alone atop the flagpole, like a party with only one guest.

Apparently, the biggest problem facing local councils isn't crumbling roads, overstretched services or housing crises — it's too many flags. Reform isn't focused on inclusion; it's fixated on division.

They claim to hate "virtue signalling", but this is nothing more than hollow, hyper-nationalist stage dressing — the other kind of virtue signalling.

And I say this not as a casual observer but as someone who served as a councillor in Mendip. One of the proudest moments during my time there was helping to ensure the Pride flag was flown above the council building.

That simple gesture — just a flag on a pole — prompted messages from staff who'd never once spoken up about politics, sexuality, or anything remotely "campaign-y".

Some weren't LGBT+, didn't have LGBT+ family, and had no prior interest in the issue. But suddenly, they felt like they worked for a council that noticed people, that could be bold, that cared enough to show it.

That flag wasn't about "wokeness" or box-ticking. It was about visibility, respect, and the kind of inclusivity that doesn't need a 300-page strategy document. You want to talk about real-world impact? That flag did more in one morning than a dozen council press releases ever could.

As someone born on the island of Ireland, I don't need to be told how powerful — and how divisive — flags can be. The tricolour and the Union Jack still have the potential to ignite deep emotion and hard history. In many places, which flag you fly — or don't fly — can shape the entire atmosphere of a neighbourhood.

That's precisely why local discretion and thoughtfulness matter. Flags shouldn't be used as political battering rams — and they definitely shouldn't be reduced to a one-size-fits-all loyalty test.

Here's the real problem: Reform UK seems to think local government is about ruling from on high, when in fact, it's about listening, fixing, and serving.

Councils don't exist to wave flags — they exist to fill potholes, collect the bins, run local housing, deliver social care, and respond to the realities of people's lives. The most important flag at a council office is often the one on a report saying the work got done on time and within budget.

And there's no such thing as a "ruling group" in local government — that has always been one of the more ridiculous fictions of town hall politics. Councils aren't meant to rule anyone.

They're there to represent, collaborate and include. Local councillors aren't mini-monarchs with a mandate to impose identity — they're public servants, elected to work with the community, not dictate to it. It's called public service for a reason.

In healthy democracies, flags are used to unite, not to silence. Look to Germany, France, or the United States — countries where local, regional, and national flags routinely fly side-by-side without anyone falling into an existential panic. Reform UK could learn something from that: patriotism isn't threatened by local pride or solidarity. If anything, it's strengthened by it.

Let's not forget: councils aren't extensions of central government. They're there to reflect and represent the people they serve.

That includes celebrating diversity, acknowledging struggle, and showing support where it matters — whether that's for LGBT+ rights, a local team in a final, or solidarity with Ukraine. A flag doesn't have to be permanent to be meaningful.

Reform claims it wants to restore "common sense" to local government. But common sense doesn't mean monochrome symbolism.

It means trusting communities to express themselves in their own way — not mandating a one-flag-fits-all policy from a central office that wouldn't know the Somerset dragon from a streetlight.

In the end, Reform's stance isn't about patriotism — it's about pettiness. They're not fighting for unity. They're just picking fights. When all you've got is a flagpole and no ideas, it's no surprise you spend your time deciding what can't go up it.

If Reform really believes a single flag can paper over division, then they've missed the point entirely. Local councils should fly the flags that matter to their people.

That's not weakness. That's democracy — and it's something worth standing up for.

Barry O'Leary