A decision to remove the Ukrainian flag ‘will be a blow’ to the community, but support will continue, Suffolk County Council’s leader has pledged.
Cllr Michael Hadwen, the county’s new Reform UK leader, has decided to replace it with the St George’s flag outside the authority’s headquarters at Endeavour House. It will now fly alongside the Union flag and the county council flag – a decision that supporters present as moving away from gesture politics but critics argue instead redefines which public gestures remain acceptable.
The leader said the England flag was an important symbol and it was right for the authority’s flagpoles to ‘once again focus on flags representing our nation and our country’. “We are proud to fly the flag of England and celebrate our national identity, heritage, and the communities we serve,” Cllr Hadwen said.
The move follows a similar decision by neighbouring Essex County Council’s new Reform UK administration last week to replace the Ukrainian flag outside County Hall with a second Union flag. Both councils have said support for Ukrainians living locally will continue despite the changes.
The decisions also reflect a wider Reform UK approach to civic symbols, with the party arguing council buildings should focus on national, county and military identity rather than international causes.
Critics argue the policy still makes active choices about which forms of identity and solidarity are considered appropriate for civic spaces. Reform describes the approach as moving away from gesture politics. But it does not remove symbolic politics from council buildings so much as redefines it – keeping some forms of public expression while excluding others.
Opponents point out that Reform’s wider flags policy still permits the display of national, county and armed forces flags while excluding flags introduced to express solidarity with an allied country defending itself against invasion.
Suffolk County Council had flown the Ukrainian flag since Russia’s invasion in 2022 to show solidarity with the country and with people displaced by the conflict.
‘Emotionally, it will mean something’
Alan Cutting, who leads Ukraine response on behalf of Together for Ipswich, warns the decision would leave some asking themselves whether the welcome they were receiving was genuine.
“In one sense, I understand that sadly, because of the longevity of the war, any local authority would have to review what it’s going to be doing,” he says. Emotionally, it will mean something to the Ukrainian community – it will be a blow to them, and it will add to the uncertainty The Ukrainian community feels the ruthlessness or the limits they have in terms of really integrating into society, always wondering what’s next.”
The council administers the Government’s Homes for Ukraine programme, supporting local households hosting people displaced by the war.
Similar concerns have also been raised in neighbouring Essex. Speaking to the BBC, Ukrainian refugee Vlada Zabielina, who now lives in Southend-on-Sea after fleeing Mariupol, said the flag’s removal made some people wonder whether support was weakening.
“Is it that the support is no longer as strong as it was before?” she told the broadcaster. “Because people in Ukraine are still suffering.”
Support will continue, says leader
Cllr Hadwen said support for Ukrainians living in Suffolk would continue despite the decision. “Our decision to fly the St George’s Cross is not a statement against the people of Ukraine, nor does it diminish the solidarity and support Ukrainians in Suffolk have received from this council and local residents in recent years. We will continue to support those affected by conflict and hardship around the world while remaining true to our commitment to always put our communities first.”
But opposition councillors criticised both the substance of the decision and the way it had been made.
Cllr Richard Rout, whose Conservative Group originally introduced the Ukrainian flag, said it was “hugely disappointing and divisive” and argued an additional flagpole could have been installed to fly the St George’s Cross instead.
Cllr Andrew Stringer, whose Green Group forms the council’s main opposition, said it was “deeply concerning” that the leader took the decision without bringing it to a vote, adding that Suffolk residents had welcomed Ukrainians “literally into their homes”.
Labour Group leader Cllr Martin Cook added: “Honestly, I think voters expect the new Reform administration to be dealing with the pressing issues of Ipswich’s traffic problems, potholes and SEND failures rather than engaging in gesture politics.”
With neighbouring Essex taking a similar approach and both counties now under new Reform administrations, the debate appears to reach beyond a single flag. The question is becoming not simply which symbols councils display, but what those choices are intended to say.
This article is based on a piece by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, with assistance from AI tools and edited by East Anglia Bylines.
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