A Labour MP has called for England flags in his constituency to be taken down because they “make people feel uneasy”. Jeevun Sandher put pressure on Leicestershire County Council to take down the Union Jack and St George’s flags erected around the region as part of Operation Raise the Colours in a video shared to X. “Look, I love our flag,” he said. “I see flags flying proudly from flagpoles, from public buildings, I see it when the English football team plays … But here I am, with flags flying from every single lamppost.
“They’re getting a bit tatty, the cable ties are coming loose. They could blow off in the wind. Then I see flags painted on roundabouts, and that is just a bit weird. And you know, because you’ve seen it online, and I see it in my inbox. This does make people feel uneasy. They ask: ‘What message are these flags supposed to be sending?'” The MP for Loughborough and Shepshed went on to say that he understood concerns that the flag-raising campaign was exclusionary, which he described as “not the British way”.
Operation Raise the Colours became a nationwide campaign over the summer, with England flags raised across the country amid a raging public debate about nationhood and migration.
Flags have been taken down by a number of councils, including Tower Hamlets in London and Birmingham, with officials citing safety and legal concerns.
In September, Leicestershire County Council stated that it would only remove flags if they posed a danger to the public, but urged residents to refrain from painting on roads.
In a statement last month, a spokesperson said: “While it’s actually an offence to attach anything to a streetlight without permission, highways teams will only step in if flags attached to lampposts, or other street furniture, pose a serious safety risk.
“But people are being asked not to paint or graffiti mini-roundabouts and crossings, which is illegal.”
In a letter addressed to the council last week, Mr Sandher said: “Displays of national pride have their rightful place, but lampposts are not it. Flags put up in the dead of night, tied to every lamppost, do not feel like a celebration of community spirit.
“For many, they feel like a statement about who belongs and who does not. The fact our fellow Brits feel unease should make us all pause and reflect.”
In a previous statement, council leader Dan Harrison said: “It’s great to see people being patriotic. Whilst the flags are a welcome sight, the flying must be done safely. I’m proud of our communities, our heritage and our country, and I’m keen to explore how we can celebrate this across Leicestershire.”