Two Labour councillors in Stockport have sparked controversy by demanding the removal of England and Union Jack flags from lamp posts, claiming the patriotic displays amount to “racism dressed up as patriotism”.
Councillor Jon Byrne, who represents the Manor ward, raised the issue at a council meeting in Stockport Town Hall on 9th October, calling for immediate action against flags that have appeared across the borough as part of the nationwide ‘Operation Raise the Colours’ campaign.
“We need to make a stand and we need to show that any form of racism is unacceptable, even when dressed up as patriotism,” Coun Byrne told the meeting. “I will re-ask as I have done countless times over the past few months, take the flags down without delay.”
His call was backed by fellow Labour councillor Claire Vibert, who represents the Heatons South ward. She urged the council to demonstrate it would not tolerate what she characterised as intimidation of community members.
“Sometimes it’s hard but we have to just do the right thing, so I just wanted to lend my voice to the request from councillor Byrne that the flags are taken down and that we show our communities that we don’t tolerate acts that are intended to intimidate others members of our community,” Coun Vibert said.
The comments come after England flags and Union Jacks appeared across Greater Manchester and numerous parts of the country as part of Operation Raise the Colours, a grassroots movement that began in August 2025 encouraging the display of national flags on public infrastructure.
Coun Byrne claimed residents had contacted him “to express their upsetting concern” about the flags placed around Stockport. However, the council has taken a different stance to the one demanded by the two Labour members.
In September, Stockport Council issued a statement outlining its position on flags in public spaces, confirming they would remain in place unless they pose a safety risk or have slogans written on them. The flags could also be removed if they become damaged or worn out in future.
Responding to the councillors’ concerns at the October meeting, a council representative explained the authority had been carefully considering how to respond to the situation without inflaming community tensions.
“I do understand your concerns about the flags, and I can honestly say it hasn’t been an easy situation to navigate,” the councillor said. “But like councils across the country, we have been reflecting on the best way to respond to protest activity and to flags on our street furniture without further inflaming community tensions.”
The council official revealed that ongoing discussions had taken place between cabinet members, senior officers, Greater Manchester Police and community partners about the appropriate response.
“For now, flags may remain in place, but we continue to monitor this and where flags pose a safety risk or have slogans written on them, we will actively remove them,” they stated. “It’s also likely that they will need to be removed in due course once they become damaged and worn, and graffiti will be dealt with as we always have as a council.”
Crucially, the council noted that experiences in other areas where flags were removed had proved counterproductive. “One of the factors that we considered in our response, was that in some areas where councils have taken a decision to remove flags, more appeared almost immediately, which risked increasing tensions, and the safety risk to our staff,” the representative explained.
The council also expressed concern about the message removal might send. “There’s also a concern that removing them could send a signal that the flag itself is divisive, when in fact it represents us all,” they added.
The Operation Raise the Colours campaign has divided opinion across Britain. Supporters describe it as a patriotic celebration of national identity, whilst critics, including anti-racism groups Hope Not Hate and Stand Up to Racism, have warned that far-right activists have promoted and hijacked the movement.
According to research group Hope Not Hate, the campaign was co-founded by Andrew Currien, known as Andy Saxon, who allegedly has links to the English Defence League and Britain First. Lewis Nielsen from the organisation stated the campaign “was never about flags, it’s about giving confidence to racists and fascists to target refugees and migrants”.
However, organisers and many supporters insist the initiative is apolitical and simply aims to promote pride in local communities. Several political parties, including elements of the Conservative Party, Reform UK and Labour, have defended the flying of flags amid the campaign.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson previously stated that patriotism would “always be an important thing” to the PM, adding: “Absolutely, patriotism, putting up English flags. We put up English flags all around Downing Street every time the English football team – women’s and men’s – are out trying to win games for us.
In Stockport, the campaign received an unexpectedly positive reception from the Islamic Centre near Higher Hillgate. Ghulam Abbas, caretaker at the mosque who came to the UK from Pakistan over 50 years ago, declared they would proudly fly the St George’s Cross in a display of unity and togetherness.
Councils across the country have adopted varying approaches to the flag displays. Tower Hamlets and Birmingham City Council opted to remove flags, citing safety concerns and lack of permission, whilst others including Harlow Council and Shropshire’s Liberal Democrat-run authority have allowed them to remain with certain caveats.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has stated that decisions rest with individual councils but urged them to make “sensible” choices. “Flags are a vital part of celebrating our heritage and tradition. It is for councils to deal with specific issues in their areas, but we are clear they should make sensible decisions, taking into account the safety of their residents,” a spokesperson said.
The debate has exposed deep divisions about national identity, patriotism and community cohesion in modern Britain. For some, the flags represent a harmless expression of pride in country and heritage. For others, they symbolise exclusion and intimidation, particularly when associated with individuals and groups that hold far-right views.
The controversy surrounding Operation Raise the Colours has intensified as by-elections and local elections approach, with the issue becoming increasingly politicised. Conservative MP Robert Jenrick wrote on social media: “While Britain-hating councils take down our own flags, we raise them up. We must be one country, under the Union Flag.”
Reform UK has also embraced the campaign, with party chairman Stephen Atkinson stating: “Reform UK councils are clear, where done sensibly, we fully support the flying of Union and St George flags on lampposts.”
For Stockport, the council’s pragmatic approach of allowing flags to remain whilst monitoring for safety issues appears to represent a middle path between complete removal and enthusiastic endorsement. However, the demands from Coun Byrne and Coun Vibert suggest not all Labour members are satisfied with this position.
As the flags continue to fly above Stockport’s streets, the debate over whether they represent inclusive patriotism or divisive nationalism shows no sign of resolution, reflecting broader questions about British identity in an increasingly polarised political landscape.
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Image Credit:
England flag (St George) in Henham, Essex — photo by Acabashi, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
