Government buildings across Westminster will display Ukrainian flags on Sunday to mark 34 years since Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, even as multiple English councils actively remove British patriotic symbols from public spaces in a move critics have branded “two-tier bias”.
The blue and yellow banner will fly above Number 10, the Cabinet Office, Treasury, and several other ministerial headquarters in what officials describe as “a visible symbol of our unwavering support” for Ukraine. The gesture comes amid escalating tensions over flag displays across Britain, with local authorities in Tower Hamlets, Birmingham and Brighton ordering the removal of St George’s Cross and Union flags from lamp posts and street furniture.
“We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, including those who have made a second home here in the UK, in the face of continued Russian aggression,” a Government spokesman said.
The timing of the Ukrainian flag display follows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s high-profile visit to Washington DC this week, where he joined European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for unprecedented talks with US President Donald Trump about ending the war.
Councils Target British Flags
Labour-controlled Birmingham City Council has ordered the removal of hundreds of patriotic flags from city streets, claiming they pose safety risks despite being positioned up to 25 feet off the ground. The council, which declared effective bankruptcy in 2023 and faces ongoing bin strikes, stated that “unauthorised items” attached to lamp posts could potentially kill motorists and pedestrians.
“People who attach unauthorised items to lampposts could be putting their lives and those of motorists and pedestrians at risk,” a Birmingham Council spokesman said.
The flags had appeared as part of “Operation Raise the Colours”, a grassroots patriotic campaign that has seen Union Jacks and St George’s flags erected across towns and cities including Swindon, Bradford, Newcastle and Norwich.
Tower Hamlets Council, governed by the pro-Palestinian Aspire party, announced it would remove St George’s flags from council property “as soon as possible. The east London borough cited its policy on which flags can be displayed on council buildings, stating that flags attached without permission would be removed as part of “routine maintenance.
Brighton and Hove Council began removing flags along the seafront under the 1980 Highway Act. However, Councillor Bridget Fishleigh revealed that contractors faced verbal abuse during removal attempts, forcing work to stop until police protection could be arranged.
The contractors have faced verbal abuse while attempting to remove flags in certain locations,” Fishleigh told the Argus newspaper. “As a result, they have had to cease work in those areas.”
‘Two-Tier Bias’ Accusations
The removal of British flags has sparked fierce criticism, with Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick condemning what he called “blatant two-tier bias against the British people. Critics have pointed out that Palestinian flags flew across Tower Hamlets for months following the Israel-Hamas conflict without intervention.
“Tower Hamlets council have allowed Palestinian flags to be publicly displayed on lampposts but not the flag of our country,” Jenrick told The Telegraph. “This absurd national self-loathing must end.”
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith described the situation as “an unnecessary mess”, questioning why Palestinian flags were left up while British flags were targeted for removal.
The Palestinian flags in Tower Hamlets were only removed in March 2024 after complaints from Jewish residents, supported by legal challenges from UK Lawyers for Israel who argued they were “oppressive and intimidating. Mayor Lutfur Rahman announced the “difficult decision” to remove them following advice from the council’s chief executive.
Government’s Flag Position
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch wrote in the Daily Mail that it was “shameful” of councils to remove St George’s Cross flags, claiming local rules were being enforced “selectively.
“Councils will say they are enforcing local rules, but the point is they apply those rules selectively,” Badenoch stated. “Suppressing the English flag does not stop division. It fuels it.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson insisted he “absolutely” supports citizens displaying English flags. Patriotism will always be an important thing to him,” the spokesman said, noting that Downing Street displays English flags during international football matches.
Government guidance published in 2021 actively encourages the flying of the Union Flag on all UK government buildings throughout the year. The guidance explicitly states that flags are “a very British way of expressing joy and pride” and that the government is “keen for local authorities and other local organisations to follow suit”.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman called the national flag “a great source of pride and patriotism” which “should be flown from as many places as possible as often as possible.
Ukraine Solidarity Display
Among the Whitehall buildings where Ukrainian flags will be flown on Sunday are the Cabinet Office at 70 Whitehall, the Treasury building at 100 Parliament Street, the Scotland Office and Wales Office, and the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence main buildings.
On Ukrainian Independence Day, Government buildings are flying the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine as a visible symbol of our unwavering support,” the Government spokesperson added.
The display follows Sir Keir Starmer’s participation in Monday’s extraordinary White House meeting, where he joined French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Washington Summit Breakthrough
The Prime Minister hailed a “breakthrough” after the unprecedented gathering secured a US commitment to military involvement in security guarantees for Ukraine. US envoy Steve Witkoff revealed that Putin had agreed to allow the US and European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO’s Article 5 collective defence clause.
Our support for Ukraine’s independence will be clear for all to see, which is why the Prime Minister travelled to Washington DC this week to work with allies to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” the Government spokesman said.
Following the talks, Trump said he was arranging a meeting between Zelensky and Putin, with plans for trilateral discussions including himself. The European leaders stressed the need for security guarantees in any peace deal with Russia.
Reform UK Responds
In response to the flag removals, Reform UK has launched a “patriotic flag pact” with all 12 Reform-controlled councils vowing not to remove St George’s Cross and Union Jacks from lampposts.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Union flags and the Cross of St George should and will fly across the country. Reform UK will never shy away from celebrating our nation.
A Reform UK spokesman described the removal of British flags as “shameful”, particularly given Birmingham’s decision to light up the city library in the colours of Pakistan and India to mark their independence days while removing British symbols.
As Ukrainian flags prepare to fly above Britain’s seats of power this Sunday, the contrast with councils removing national symbols has reignited debates about identity, patriotism and perceived double standards in modern Britain.
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Image Credit (Shortened):
Ukraine and EU (Tallinn, 16 Jul 2024) – by Tony Webster, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
