Overview

• A grassroots drive known as Operation Raise the Colours has seen hundreds of St George’s and Union flags fixed to lampposts across England.
• Local authorities in Birmingham, Tower Hamlets and York are taking down the displays, citing highways regulations, safety risks and streetlight maintenance.
• In a Daily Mail op-ed, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch argues flag‑flying is neither racist nor extreme, accuses councils of double standards, and pledges to work with Tory authorities on displays.
• Dorset Council’s Liberal Democrat leader Nick Ireland says some residents felt intimidated by the sudden proliferation of flags and warns the St George’s cross has been co‑opted by far‑right groups.
• West Mercia Police is investigating St George’s crosses painted in Bromsgrove as suspected criminal damage, and councils caution that painting potholes or roundabouts is vandalism that will not accelerate repairs.