Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch has criticised councils for taking down St George’s Cross flags, describing it as “shameful” and accusing local authorities of selective enforcement. Flags have reportedly been removed in Tower Hamlets, east London, and Birmingham following the online campaign “Operation Raise the Colours”. Badenoch argued that flying English flags should be celebrated as a symbol of unity and national pride rather than perceived as a political statement.
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Writing in the Daily Mail, Badenoch said: “After years of politicisation by those who seek to diminish England’s culture and Christian heritage, it is encouraging to see English flags flown proudly as symbols of unity, nationhood and optimism. So, it is shameful that some councils have scrambled to remove them at the first opportunity… while leaving banners of other nations and political causes untouched.” She also highlighted the presence of Palestinian flags in some areas as evidence of selective enforcement.
The MP added that suppressing the English flag does not prevent division, but rather fuels it. She called on councils to embrace shared national identity and warned that fear of patriotic displays has turned a simple act of flying the flag into one perceived as rebellious. Downing Street indicated that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak supports the flying of English flags, noting that flags are regularly displayed outside government buildings during sporting events such as the Lionesses’ Euro campaign.
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Tower Hamlets Council stated that it has a policy determining which flags are flown from council buildings and on which occasions. The council added that any flags attached to council-owned infrastructure without permission may be removed for maintenance purposes. Similarly, Birmingham City Council said that while residents are free to display flags at home, attaching items to street furniture is subject to routine removal for health and safety reasons.
