Latest news with #RainbowFlag
The National
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
East Ayrshire councillors reject ‘very British' daily flag raising
Conservative councillor Neill Watts had proposed flying the three flags every day at the London Road HQ in Kilmarnock, describing it as 'a very British way of expressing joy and pride' and 'a symbol of unity.' His motion suggested that these flags be flown daily except when a different flag is more appropriate for special occasions. However, the proposal was met with strong opposition, particularly from Labour group leader councillor Barry Douglas, who questioned both the practicality and its similarity to moves at Reform UK run councils in England. READ MORE: Neil Oliver quietly dropped from Glasgow tour buses after years of backlash He challenged the resource implications, asking whether flags would be installed at all council buildings, how much that would cost, and who would be tasked with raising and lowering the flags. 'There's a cost involved in all of that,' Douglas said. 'Raising and lowering flags takes staff. Are council officers to stop their duties to do this every day?' He also took issue with Watts' description of the Conservatives as 'Scotland's strongest unionist party,' suggesting the recent general election results told a different story. 'Are we really talking about community cohesion,' he asked, 'or making a political point around the flag?' Labour councillor Peter Mabon also opposed the move, stating that while flags were appropriate on special days, raising them daily would eat into officer time. He said: 'We're talking about 200-plus hours every year in all weathers to raise and lower flags. Our officers have enough to do.' Barry Douglas (Image: LDR) SNP council leader Douglas Reid also opposed the motion, expressing support for the current approach. 'We've got a policy that's lasted before my time as leader. Raising flags for special occasions, like Ukraine or Rainbow Flag (for Pride), makes it meaningful. Changing that sends the wrong message.' Conservative councillor John McFadzean argued the proposal was modest in scale. 'For all the time it would take to hook on one flag and wind it up, there's not a huge implication. Civic pride helps lift morale.' Douglas responded by drawing parallels with Reform UK-run councils in England, where flag-related motions have gained traction. He acknowledged Watts' claim that he had been approached by Reform but had declined. 'Maybe he wants to tell the chamber something today. It is a big issue for Reform, but why is it such a big issue for him?' Chief governance officer David Mitchell then intervened to clarify that there is no East Ayrshire Council flag. 'There has never been a council flag and we certainly don't have one at the moment.' Watts denied any political motive, explaining his motion was based on personal observation. 'I would be more than happy just to have a flag – it doesn't matter whether it's the Saltire, it doesn't matter whether it's the flag of the United Kingdom, 'I just think that we should have at least a flag at this building as a mark of respect to our communities.' He also reiterated his Conservative affiliation and rejected any association with Reform. 'I certainly am a Conservative and I am nowhere near Reform in that respect.' In the end, councillors voted overwhelmingly to maintain the current flag policy, with 24 voting in favour of an amendment to retain existing arrangements and just four supporting the motion.
Japan Today
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Britain appoints first female head of MI6 spy agency
FILE PHOTO: The MI6 Vauxhall Cross building raises the Rainbow Flag to mark its support for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in London, Britain, May 17, 2016. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo By Suzanne Plunkett Britain on Sunday named Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer, as the first female head of the Secret Intelligence Service, the foreign spy service known as MI6. Metreweli, 47, who is currently MI6's head of technology, known as "Q", joined the Secret Intelligence Service in 1999, and has spent most of her career in operational roles in the Middle East and Europe, the government said in a statement. Richard Moore, the current chief of MI6, will step down in the autumn after a five-year tenure. "I am proud and honored to be asked to lead my service," said Metreweli, who takes on one of the most powerful jobs in Western intelligence and will be known by the code name "C". MI6, founded in 1909, joins the other main British spy agencies, the domestic spy service MI5, and the intelligence communications agency GCHQ, in having appointed a female head. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is currently in Canada for the G7 summit, said Metreweli's appointment comes when Britain is "facing threats on an unprecedented scale". "I know Blaise will continue to provide the excellent leadership needed to defend our country," he said. Metreweli's biggest challenges are likely to be dealing with Russia, China and Iran. Britain's spy agencies have accused Russia of waging a campaign of sabotage across Europe to scare other countries off from backing Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion. Moore in 2021 said China was the single greatest priority for his spy agency, while MI5 said last year that Iran had been behind 20 plots to kill, kidnap or target dissidents or political opponents in Britain since 2022. MI6, depicted by novelists as the employer of some of the most memorable fictional spies, from John le Carré's George Smiley to Ian Fleming's James Bond, operates overseas and is tasked with defending Britain and its interests. Metreweli previously held a director-level role in MI5, and studied anthropology at the University of Cambridge, the government said. MI5 has had two female bosses, starting with Stella Rimington in 1992. Eliza Manningham-Buller ran MI5 between 2002 and 2007. In 2023, Britain named its first female director of GCHQ. Metreweli's appointment comes three decades after the actress Judi Dench first played a female boss of MI6 in the James Bond film "GoldenEye". © (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025.
Washington Post
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
The federal battle on antisemitism: Fighting prejudice with prejudice
In the aftermath of the fiery attack on a group of people in Boulder, Colorado, who had gathered for a march calling for the release of hostages in Gaza, the brick plaza where they once stood was cordoned off with police tape. Men and women had essentially been fire bombed on a Sunday afternoon, so workmen washed the residue of mayhem from the ground in front of the county courthouse. In the distance, hanging over the courthouse's double doors was the rainbow flag, a symbol of tolerance and inclusivity — more hope than fact.
