British councils remove unauthorised national flags amid debate

A local flare-up over national flags in Britain has intensified in recent days as councils move to take down St George’s and Union Jack displays that residents had hung from lampposts and other street fixtures. In east London, Tower Hamlets Council has pledged to remove England flags installed as part of an online push called Operation Raise the Colours, arguing that unauthorised attachments to council property must be cleared for safety and maintenance reasons. The move comes after a period in which the same borough allowed Palestinian flags to be displayed publicly, a policy that drew legal challenges and complaints from members of the Jewish community. Birmingham has also ordered the removal of patriotic flags on safety grounds, a decision that triggered a backlash and renewed debates about equality, national identity and local governance.

Operation Raise the Colours began online and has now seen supporters place English and Union flags on lampposts in multiple towns and cities, including Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich and Swindon. In Tower Hamlets, where the council is led by the Aspire Party, the administration had previously defended Palestinian flags on public...