Tower Hamlets council has become the second London authority to pledge removal of Union and St George’s flags from lampposts, sparking accusations of “two-tier bias” after Palestinian flags flew in the borough for months without intervention.
The Aspire Party-led council in east London confirmed it would remove British flags put up as part of the “Operation Raise the Colours” patriotism campaign “as soon as possible”, claiming they were attached to council infrastructure without permission.
The move comes just days after Birmingham City Council ordered hundreds of Union and St George’s flags to be removed from lampposts across the city, whilst simultaneously lighting up the city’s library in the colours of Pakistan and India to mark their independence days.
‘Absurd National Self-Loathing’
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick condemned Tower Hamlets’ decision, telling The Telegraph: “Tower Hamlets council have allowed Palestinian flags to be publicly displayed on lampposts but not the flag of our country”.
“This absurd national self-loathing must end”, he added. “This is yet more two-tier bias against the British people. We must be one country united under the Union flag”.
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith echoed these sentiments, asking: “Why would we leave [Palestinian flags] up and take down flags that represent one of the countries of the UK?”
Palestinian Flags Flew for Months
The controversy centres on what critics see as double standards. In March 2024, Mayor Lutfur Rahman ordered the removal of Palestinian flags from council buildings and lampposts after Jewish families found the “oppressive and intimidating” symbols made them feel unwelcome in the borough.
However, those Palestinian flags had been displayed across Tower Hamlets for months following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023. Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, announced on Twitter that he had taken the “difficult decision” to remove the flags from public lampposts and council buildings following advice from Tower Hamlets Council Chief Executive Steve Halsey.
The removal only came after UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) argued the hanging of the flags and the “council’s failure to take reasonable steps to secure their removal” constituted criminal offences contrary to section 224(4) of the 1990 Act.
Birmingham’s ‘Dangerous’ Flags Row
Meanwhile in Birmingham, the Labour-run council claimed that Union and St George’s flags attached to lampposts by patriotic residents posed safety risks, despite being positioned up to 25 feet off the ground.
“Placing unauthorised attachments on street furniture, particularly tall structures like lamp posts, can be dangerous,” the council said in a statement.
The flags had been installed by a group called the “Weoley Warriors”, who raised over £4,000 through public donations to fund their patriotic display. Funded by £2,500 in public donations, the campaign is intended to show “Birmingham and the rest of the country of how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements”.
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson blasted the decision: “This is nothing short of a disgrace and shows utter contempt for the British people. He added: “We should be flying our flags with pride. Our nation has a rich history of hospitality, generosity and innovation – something to be celebrated, not condemned”.
Government Guidance Supports Flag Flying
The councils’ actions appear to contradict official government guidance. The government wants to see more flags flown, particularly the Union Flag, the flag of the United Kingdom. It is a symbol of national unity and pride.
According to guidance published in 2021, The government has recently issued guidance encouraging the flying of the Union Flag on all UK government buildings throughout the year, alongside other national and local flags.
The guidance explicitly states that We are 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.
Safety Concerns or Political Bias?
Tower Hamlets council defended its position, with a spokesman stating: “We are aware members of the public have been putting up St George’s flags on various structures.
“While we recognise people wish to express their views, we have a responsibility to monitor and maintain council infrastructure”, the spokesman added.
However, the timing and selective enforcement have raised eyebrows. The patriotic flag campaign has been spreading across England, with British or English flags raised in Swindon, Bradford, Newcastle and Norwich as part of Operation Raise the Colours.
Birmingham City Council’s Conservative leader Robert Alden said: “Our national flags are nothing to be ashamed of. Seeing our flags flying gives us all pride in our shared history and achievements as a great nation”.
A Wider Pattern
The flag removals come against a backdrop of heightened tensions over national identity and perceived double standards in how different communities are treated by authorities.
Campaign groups have reported a 335 per cent surge in anti-Muslim hate incidents across the UK following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October last year, whilst some Jewish residents in Tower Hamlets reported feeling unsafe due to the prevalence of Palestinian flags.
Tower Hamlets, which has the largest Muslim population of any local authority area in the UK at 39.9 per cent, has been under government review over its governance.
As councils grapple with competing demands from diverse communities, the flag controversy has become a flashpoint for broader debates about British identity, integration and whether authorities apply rules consistently across different groups.
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