Reform has previously pledged to only fly Union, national, county or armed forces flags outside council buildings it controls.
Harris said: “The replacement of the Ukraine flag does not diminish the support and generosity that Essex residents have shown the people of Ukraine since 2022, and I know this will continue.”
A spokesman said there would be discussions with the county’s Ukrainian community before finding the flag a new home.
However, Scott said its removal was “deeply disappointing” and sent “the wrong message”, branding it a “performative gesture”.
“For Essex to turn its back on a visible symbol of solidarity risks importing the language and instincts of pro-Kremlin politics into our county at the very moment our allies across Europe continue to stand firm in support of Ukraine,” he added.
