West Northants Full Council meeting - Flags, Young People, and a possible return of Northants County Council?

Youth services, a controversial flags policy and the possibility of closer working between Northamptonshire’s two unitary authorities, dominated Thursday’s (26th June) meeting of West Northamptonshire Council; the first full meeting of the authority since May’s election which saw Reform UK win power.

Andy Durrant | Tuesday 1st July 2025 2:04pm

Youth services, a controversial flags policy and the possibility of closer working between Northamptonshire's two unitary authorities, dominated Thursday’s (26th June) meeting of West Northamptonshire Council; the first full meeting of the authority since May’s election which saw Reform UK win power. 

Despite coming to power promising change, the new administration announced they would be continuing with the corporate plan for the council which was put forward by the previous Conservative administration, a point gleefully seized upon by some Tory Councillors. 

A Labour motion to put together a new youth strategy was carried after a debate which saw impassioned speeches from several members of the council of their experiences of a service which has seen reductions in funding in the last two decades and youth violence growing with a number of teens murdered in the county in recent years. 

During the debate, Council Leader, Mark Arnull (Reform UK) spoke of his experiences of working in youth services and issued invites to opposition leaders, Daniel Lister (Con), Sally Keeble (Lab) and Jonathan Harris (Lib Dem) to join him on a visit to a youth action zone in London. 

The debate followed the assistant head of Northampton International Academy, Geraldine Tandoh and three students addressing the council chamber during the public participation section at the start of the meeting which drew a standing ovation from members. 

Further cross-party consensus was reached after Councillors voted not to accept a recommended 2.5% increase in their basic allowances, which will remain at around £16,000 pa. 

If there was agreement on youth services and allowances, it did not extend to a new policy on the flying of flags from council buildings by the new authority, which will see only the Union Flag, St George’s Cross, the County Flag, and Armed Forces Flags permitted to be flown. Other flags, such as the LGBTQ+ Pride flag and Windrush flag will no longer be allowed. Martin Cole of the Northampton Windrush Generation group told the chamber the community were ‘heartbroken’ by the decision. 

The new policy, although expected, has proven divisive, with opposition Councillors, David Smith (Conservative, Rural South Northamptonshire) describing it “shameful.” Zoe Smith (Labour, Abington and Phippsville) spoke passionately about members of the LGBTQ community who have served in the armed forces, and referenced the suicide of Alan Turing, whose work in breaking the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during the Second World War is widely recognised to have shortened the war by a couple of years. 

Despite the opposition, the motion was passed with 40 votes in favour, 26 against and one abstention. 

The prospect of a combined county authority was raised after council leader, Mark Arnull revealed that he had spoken to his opposite number at North Northamptonshire Council, Martin Griffiths in the event a devolution deal with neighbouring Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes councils cannot be reached. 

The previous Northamptonshire County Council (NCC), along with the counties Borough and District Councils were disbanded in 2021 following financial difficulties at NCC, which saw it effectively declare itself bankrupt after issuing a Section 114 notice, meaning it could not balance the books and banned all non-essential spending.  

The three aforementioned councils to the south of Northampton have said they do not wish to join forces with the two Northants councils to form a new strategic authority, in a move described as “political” by Councillor Ian McCord (Independent, Deanshanger and Paulerspury). 

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