A bitter row has erupted in Royal Wootton Bassett after plans emerged to fly the Progress Pride flag close to the town’s war memorial.
The council wants the banner raised during Pride Month on the high street. Critics say placing it near the Cenotaph risks detracting from a site many regard as sacred.
“It’s a war memorial. It’s there to honour those who served,” one local said. “There are plenty of other places a Pride flag could go.”
The Wiltshire town holds a unique place in modern military history. Between 2007 and 2011, more than 350 troops killed in Afghanistan were based at nearby RAF Lyneham. Residents lined the streets in silence, turning the town into a symbol of national mourning.
For some, that legacy makes the location inappropriate. “It is our war memorial and it’s there for the remembrance of our fallen soldiers,” another resident said. “I support the LGBTQ+ community having a flag just not on our memorial flagpole.”
Opponents argue the memorial should remain free from what they see as political messaging. The Christian Legal Centre has suggested the move could breach the Local Government Act 1986, raising legal questions over whether the council is maintaining political neutrality.
Meanwhile, Christian Voice described the proposal as divisive and inappropriate for such a solemn setting.
But others in the town reject claims the flag is political. “Pride isn’t political. It’s about who people are,” one resident said. “Why shouldn’t the flag be there?”
Royal Wootton Bassett locals spoke to GB News about the proposal
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GB NEWS / PA
Another added: “There were gay soldiers in every war and there are gay soldiers now. They died for their country the same as anyone else. We don’t know if the people whose names are on that memorial are gay or straight.”
Wiltshire council planning officials warned in the summer of 2025 that the flag requires planning permission.
Under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007, the flag is considered an advertisement, not a recognised national or celebratory flag.
The town council has also hoisted up Ukraine, Commonwealth, St George’s, Union Jack and the VE Day flags on the same flagpole.
The town is renowned for its memorial ceremonies
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PA
Royal Wootton Bassett town council previously affirmed its “commitment to the LGBTIQ+ people of our town” by announcing its decision to fly a Progress Pride flag.
It added how they wanted to “show solidarity with a community that too often face hate crimes just for being who they are”.
In a social media post last year, it added: “This behaviour has no place in our town.”
Steve Bucknell, the town mayor, told The Telegraph that he could see “both opinions” in this matter. He added: “We are living in a time where people are sensitive. I thank them [Christian Legal Centre] for raising that issue with us.”
However, he added that it was “abhorrent” that Christian organisations and religion were “trying to influence politics”.