A £75,000 scheme by a Reform-led Nottinghamshire council to hang union flags across the county has failed to attract any sponsors, meaning the council will cover the full cost, it has emerged.
The failure to secure sponsorship for the union flag scheme highlights potential financial mismanagement by the Reform-led council and raises questions about the party's ability to deliver on promises of cost-saving initiatives.
A plan by Nottinghamshire's council, now led by the Reform UK party, to install union flags across the county at a cost of £75,000 has failed to secure any sponsorship from local businesses.
The council, which won a majority in last year's elections, had initially stated that the scheme would not incur any cost to taxpayers, as local businesses would sponsor the fitting, upkeep, and maintenance of the flags. Reform MP Lee Anderson, who is closely associated with the council's leadership, publicly promoted this narrative in a social media video, suggesting the initiative could even generate a profit.
However, seven months after the plan was agreed, a council spokesperson confirmed that no sponsors had come forward, leaving the authority to cover the entire £75,000 expense. The scheme's justification was to "enhance civic pride" and embody national unity.
This initiative is one of several controversies to emerge since Reform took control of the council. Previously, the council faced criticism for banning local journalists from contacting them, a decision that was only rescinded after legal threats. Reform's policy on flags typically involves displaying only the union flag, St George's flag, and local emblems, leading to the removal of Ukrainian flags, a decision that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed regret over.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper criticized the council's financial handling, drawing parallels to what she described as a "Trumpian playbook" of barring journalists. The original plan also included using the flag brackets to display banners for local services and to recruit foster carers.
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