Bedfordshire flag to fly at Department for Communities and Local Government
The flag representing the historic county of Bedfordshire has been hoisted above the department's offices.
To celebrate the important place counties play in the nation’s cultural heritage Secretary of State Eric Pickles has asked that English county standards be flown alongside the Union Flag outside the Department’s Eland House headquarters in Victoria.
The Bedfordshire flag flying alongside the Union Flag outside Eland House.
Mr Pickles raised the first flag - for his adopted home county of Essex - in a ceremony also attended earlier this month by celebrity astrologer and long-time English county campaigner Russell Grant.
Flags are being flown for a week at a time in alphabetical order or - in cases such as Cornwall and Yorkshire - to coincide with particular county days.
Eric Pickles said:
The Union Flag rightly has pride of place outside the department but I’m delighted it will now be flown alongside our traditional and ceremonial county flags.
English counties continue to form an important part of our cultural and local identity in this country and many people remain deeply attached to their home county - both the traditional ‘cricket’ counties and in some cases their more modern administrative successors. This sense of pride and shared identity is 1 of the things that binds communities together and it’s right that the government department responsible for communities and local government should be actively recognising the important role they play.
Sir Samuel Whitbread KCVO, Lord Lieutenant for Bedfordshire, said:
I am delighted to hear that Bedfordshire’s County flag is to fly above the offices of the Department for Communities and Local Government alongside the Union Flag. Bedfordshire is very proud of its long history and the demise of the County Council in 2009 is regretted by many in the county.
Further information
The department is obliged to fly the European Union flag during Europe Week (week beginning 9 May) under Article 7(2) of EC Regulation 1828/2006.
Photographs of the county flags will be added to the DCLG Flickr channel