As the World Cup gets underway, councils in Oxfordshire and Bristol are trying to ban residents from flying the England flag.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has blasted the crackdown, asking Talk’s Jeremy Kyle: “How in the name of the Lord has this happened?” Speaking about the prospect of people being prosecuted for flying their own country’s flag, Farage said the row “matters enormously” and warned that councils risk being “completely and utterly defied”, as people simply ignore the bans.
Oxfordshire County Council is seeking a High Court injunction to stop people attaching both the St George’s Cross and the Union Jack from lampposts and other public infrastructure. If successful, the council could pursue those who ignore the order for contempt of court and they could face either two years in prison or an “unlimited fine”.
The official explanation is road safety, but local Liberal Democrat politicians have repeatedly suggested that England flags can make people feel unsafe or unwelcome. Former council leader Liz Leffman previously described displaying the St George’s Cross as an “act of intimidation”, which left residents feeling “distressed, unwelcome and unsafe in their own communities”.
As current leader Tim Bearder put it: “We are proud of Oxfordshire’s diverse communities and of our Council of Sanctuary status’. [Flag flying] is not about national pride or unity. It is unlawful behaviour, which has caused fear and division within our communities.”
This is, to put it plainly, hysterical. “What they’re ashamed of is the English flag”, Farage said. He said the country has endured “half a century” of being told that “somehow our national flag is a symbol of oppression and all that is bad”.
Bristol City Council has also joined in the anti-flag panic. Torrington Avenue, a street known for decking itself out in flags and bunting during major football tournaments, has been told it can no longer engage in such displays of patriotism. Council leader, the Green Party’s Tony Dyer, says it is removing flags from “sensitive locations”. This was, according to a statement from the council, to “ensure that Bristol remains welcoming, respectful and safe for everyone during the tournament”.
Naturally, these authorities seem far less nervous when the flags and symbols being displayed belong to more fashionable causes. Bristol has previously hoisted the Palestinian flag above City Hall, and Oxfordshire regularly plasters Progress Pride imagery across public infrastructure.
The prompt for this latest joyless crackdown is, of course, the football. But councils have been itching to stamp out flagging ever since Operation Raise the Colours kicked off last August. Across the country, ordinary people took it upon themselves to decorate lampposts, roundabouts, bridges and high streets with Union Jacks and St George’s flags.
Farage said he “absolutely” loved the campaign. “When I arrive somewhere and see the flags going into the town, my heart leaps”, he said. “I think it’s wonderful.”
This is exactly what the establishment cannot abide. People pushed back against the idea that patriotism was a dirty word. The flag bans betray a sneering attitude towards normal people who love their country.
Farage put it bluntly: “If people have moved to this country and they don’t like our flag, I’ve got a really simple idea. Go back to where you came from.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has blasted the crackdown, asking Talk’s Jeremy Kyle: “How in the name of the Lord has this happened?” Speaking about the prospect of people being prosecuted for flying their own country’s flag, Farage said the row “matters enormously” and warned that councils risk being “completely and utterly defied”, as people simply ignore the bans.
Oxfordshire County Council is seeking a High Court injunction to stop people attaching both the St George’s Cross and the Union Jack from lampposts and other public infrastructure. If successful, the council could pursue those who ignore the order for contempt of court and they could face either two years in prison or an “unlimited fine”.
The official explanation is road safety, but local Liberal Democrat politicians have repeatedly suggested that England flags can make people feel unsafe or unwelcome. Former council leader Liz Leffman previously described displaying the St George’s Cross as an “act of intimidation”, which left residents feeling “distressed, unwelcome and unsafe in their own communities”.
As current leader Tim Bearder put it: “We are proud of Oxfordshire’s diverse communities and of our Council of Sanctuary status’. [Flag flying] is not about national pride or unity. It is unlawful behaviour, which has caused fear and division within our communities.”
This is, to put it plainly, hysterical. “What they’re ashamed of is the English flag”, Farage said. He said the country has endured “half a century” of being told that “somehow our national flag is a symbol of oppression and all that is bad”.
Bristol City Council has also joined in the anti-flag panic. Torrington Avenue, a street known for decking itself out in flags and bunting during major football tournaments, has been told it can no longer engage in such displays of patriotism. Council leader, the Green Party’s Tony Dyer, says it is removing flags from “sensitive locations”. This was, according to a statement from the council, to “ensure that Bristol remains welcoming, respectful and safe for everyone during the tournament”.
Naturally, these authorities seem far less nervous when the flags and symbols being displayed belong to more fashionable causes. Bristol has previously hoisted the Palestinian flag above City Hall, and Oxfordshire regularly plasters Progress Pride imagery across public infrastructure.
The prompt for this latest joyless crackdown is, of course, the football. But councils have been itching to stamp out flagging ever since Operation Raise the Colours kicked off last August. Across the country, ordinary people took it upon themselves to decorate lampposts, roundabouts, bridges and high streets with Union Jacks and St George’s flags.
Farage said he “absolutely” loved the campaign. “When I arrive somewhere and see the flags going into the town, my heart leaps”, he said. “I think it’s wonderful.”
This is exactly what the establishment cannot abide. People pushed back against the idea that patriotism was a dirty word. The flag bans betray a sneering attitude towards normal people who love their country.
Farage put it bluntly: “If people have moved to this country and they don’t like our flag, I’ve got a really simple idea. Go back to where you came from.”
