Derby City Council said it was time to bring the campaign of flag flying “to an end”
By Christian Abbott
A Midlands council has ignited outrage over their decision to remove St George’s flags from the streets.
From September 29, Derby City Council said it will start to remove the national flags from bridges, walls and lamp-posts.
The Labour-led council said it was time to bring the campaign of flag flying “to an end”
Councillor Sarah Chambers said it was a “statutory responsibility” to keep public spaces safe and well maintained.
In a statement, she said it was time to bring the “campaign of flag flying to an end” but she “fully” supported those who want fly flags on their own property.
She explained: “We’ve applied flexibility in our discretion in recent weeks, but going forward anyone wishing to display posters, banners, flags or similar on public land or street furniture must obtain the standard permissions.
“As part of our statutory responsibility to keep public spaces safe and well-maintained, we will be required to remove items that have not obtained the standard permissions.”
The announcement has been met with significant backlash, including by Councillor Tim Prosser, Reform Derby group leader on the city council.
He said flying the flag was not a “show of aggression or racial hate but simply as a token of national pride and frustration about our Government”.
It comes after reports that UK households flying the St George’s Cross flag could be “debanked”, it has been claimed.
A leading political strategist has warned people flying the flag amid the ongoing row across England could land themselves in hot water.
Speaking to GB News, strategist Chet Love said raising the flag could “absolutely” put one at risk of being debanked.
“It’s a terrible experience because all your assets are tied up in, typically, one institution. It’s like if someone stole your wallet. It would ruin your day,” Mr Love said.
He went on: “Every day, I look at your country and shock and awe at the reality that you guys do not have freedom of speech [and] that you face persecution by your Government, or police officers coming in to arrest you in your house because you made a tweet.”
Returning to flags, Mr Love told GB News: “We’ve seen this happen in the US today… You have liberals in the States who are saying the American flag is a fascist symbol, that it’s a symbol of racism, that it’s a symbol of oppression.
“Now you’re seeing the same narrative being pushed by these same far-left agitators across the pond in the UK.
“You can’t have a country that needs to be fighting against China, Russia and all these other powers that want to see the UK fall – you can’t do it while you’re having your own internal civil war.
“That’s really what these people are trying to push the UK to do… [They] want a civil war in this country so you guys are distracted and they can just take over. That’s what they ultimately want to do.
“People need to stand up and say what’s right is right. The Union Jack flag represents something significant and a cultural value for the UK, and the idea that the national flag is somehow offensive is ridiculous.
“But you have to have to fight against that. And you cannot allow that to happen in your country. Because once that happens… once you lose it, you lose your country.”
Source: Midlands council ignites outrage with removal of St George’s flags – Birmingham Live