Overview

• Tower Hamlets confirmed it is taking down flags fixed to council infrastructure without permission and crews were seen removing them on Monday, while Birmingham has also been clearing attachments and says about 200 items have come down this year.
• Both councils frame the removals as routine safety and maintenance work, with Birmingham directing staff to clear lampposts ahead of an energy‑saving LED street‑lighting upgrade.
• No 10 said Keir Starmer supports people putting up English flags and stressed his pride in British identity, while declining to comment on specific council decisions.
• The flag‑hanging drive, branded Operation Raise the Colours and amplified by hard‑right figures including Stephen Yaxley‑Lennon (Tommy Robinson), has spread from southwest Birmingham to London, York, Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich and Swindon.
• Opponents accuse councils of double standards over Palestinian flags previously displayed, with Tower Hamlets noting it ordered those removed in March 2024, and campaign groups report raising thousands of pounds to replace any flags taken down.