Overview

• Reform-led Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council say St George’s crosses painted on crossings and roundabouts will be removed at public expense as illegal and unsafe.
• Tower Hamlets and Birmingham reiterate that items fixed to street furniture are cleared as routine maintenance under safety obligations.
• Kemi Badenoch accuses councils of selective enforcement in a newspaper piece and calls the removals shameful, while Downing Street says the Prime Minister supports people flying English flags.
• Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland says far-right groups have co‑opted the campaign and that some residents feel intimidated by mass displays.
• Flag retailers report surging sales of St George’s and Union flags as Operation Raise the Colours continues to spread.