Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones says she has hoisted aloft the St George’s flag in Doncaster to show her support for England’s Lionesses – and has taken a swipe at Reform UK who wanted to ban it.

The mayor says the England flag has been raised in Sir Nigel Gresley Square ahead of England’s women’s team taking on Spain in Sunday’s Euro 2025 final.

It comes after a recent motion by Reform UK who wanted only the Union flag on council buildings – meaning the St George’s flag, Yorkshire flag and Armed Forces Day flag would have been outlawed.

Sharing the news on social media she wrote: “The St. George's flag has been raised in Sir Nigel Gresley Square to support our Lionesses.

Doncaster mayor Ros Jones has hoisted aloft the St George's flag - just weeks after a Reform UK motion calling for it to be banned, with only the Union flag allowed to be flown.

placeholder image — Doncaster mayor Ros Jones has hoisted aloft the St George's flag - just weeks after a Reform UK motion calling for it to be banned, with only the Union flag allowed to be flown.

"Doncaster Reform UK councillors wanted to ban the flag of St. George flying on council owned land and buildings, BUT I SAID NO!

"I am proud of our COUNTRY, come on England! Bring it home!”

Earlier this month, mayor Jones refused to implement Reform UK’s motion on flags as council policy, after it was berated by her party colleagues in full council.

Mayor Jones and councillors from the Labour group and Conservatives spoke in high numbers against Councillor Jason Charity’s motion to restrict the flags allowed to be flown on council property to the union flag-only.

Mayor Jones said: “I don’t think this motion has been thought through.”

She told the council chamber it “lacks respect” for the armed forces and the patron saint of England – especially as the Women’s Euros are ongoing.

“Should we really turn around to our football fans and say ‘sorry we can’t display the flag of St George on council land and buildings because Doncaster Reform Councillors see it as not politically neutral’?,” she said, “Come on, get real”.

Coun Charity introduced the motion with a lengthy speech insisting the motion would bring unity and inclusivity, as the union flag “represents everyone” in Doncaster.

He told the chamber: “Doncaster faces its biggest financial crisis in a generation. So why are we talking about flags? Because leadership isn’t just about budgets – it’s about identity, unity, and trust.

“We have a SEND budget in crisis with a £37m black hole, an £8.3m overspend in adult social care, an airport stalled, and public services stretched to their limits.

“Some will say we have bigger issues than flags. They’re absolutely right, we do. But let’s be clear about responsibility. The Executive has presided over these financial disasters. Full Council cannot fix those problems; that power rests with the Mayor and her Cabinet. But there is something we can do. We can set civic standards. We can signal a cultural reset. We can show leadership where it matters. And frankly, it’s long overdue.

“This motion is about ending the politics of division that has crept into our civic life. The current flag policy doesn’t unite, it divides. It picks winners and losers from our communities. It’s the current policy that does the banning, making overt choices about which causes deserve recognition and which don’t.

“My motion removes that discrimination. One flag – the Union Flag – representing everyone equally.

“This motion isn’t about banning anything – it’s about ending the selective politics that has turned civic buildings into partisan billboards and restoring unity to our civic life.”

As he spoke, protestors had gathered in the public gallery, situated behind the Reform UK benches.

They stood in silence holding aloft the Pride flag, Armed Forces flags, and the Yorkshire Rose and St George flag.