Latest news with #JohnSinnott
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Reform council told to reconsider 'grey areas' in flag policy
Reform has been told to reconsider "grey areas" in a decision to scrap Leicestershire County Council's flag flying party discontinued a previously agreed schedule of flags due to be displayed outside County Hall in Glenfield in its first cabinet meeting on 12 June, which included those to mark LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Windrush Day and matter has now been referred back to the cabinet after the council's scrutiny commission said the council should specify which flags will be flown on the fourth pole in the matter will be discussed again by the council's cabinet within 10 working days. Under the rules previously approved by the cabinet, the Union flag and the county council's own flag would fly permanently on two of the three flagpoles outside County Hall, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said. The St George's flag would fly from the third pole, unless it was replaced with the Lord Lieutenant's flag when they were in the building.A fourth flagpole in County Hall's quadrangle could be used to mark events such as Armed Forces Day, Commonwealth Day and Armistice Day, the LDRS added. Decisions on flying all other flags would be delegated to council chief executive John Sinnott after discussion with council leader Dan Harrison, under the policy. In a meeting on Tuesday, chair of the scrutiny commission, Conservative councillor Deborah Taylor, said the agreed protocol gives "much too grey an area" and should specify which flags will be flown on the fourth pole in the quadrangle."It needs to be really, really clear, so there are no grey areas," Taylor added. Taylor said decisions in relation to requests to fly other flags should only be delegated to the leader and chief executive in "in exceptional circumstances". At the meeting, deputy leader of the Reform group, Joseph Boam, said the Union flag is the "most inclusive flag".Boam added: "We are inclusive, which is why we will fly the Union flag, which represents everyone in this county and country regardless of sexuality, gender or race. I feel it's that simple."The decision has come after 102 social workers at the council signed a letter to the new Reform UK cabinet stating they felt flying community flags was a "vitally-important" symbol from the council that it was "supportive of marginalised groups".The letter continued: "Removing these flags promotes exclusion and marginalisation – it implies people represented by those flags are not told the scrutiny commission he "had not had the chance" to meet with social workers to discuss the flag policy following the added: "I will make the effort to reach out after this."
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Leicestershire County Council boss John Sinnott to retire
The chief executive of Leicestershire County Council has said he will retire from the role later this Sinnott has held the top position at the council since 1994 and is believed to be the country's longest-serving local authority chief Sinnott has said he will leave the position at the end of county council said he informed senior politicians of his intention to leave before this month's elections, in which Reform UK became the largest single party at County Hall. A spokesperson for the authority said Mr Sinnott had intended to leave the council at the end of it said he had agreed to stay on in the role for longer, at the request of new council leader Dan Harrison to help the Reform minority administration settle Sinnott's retirement will come ahead of a major shake-up of local government which could see the county council abolished in its current government proposals, a mayor, heading a combined authority, would be elected and given more powers over transport, planning and economic growth county's existing seven district and borough councils could be abolished and replaced with either one or two new authorities.
