A LICHFIELD councillor says he shares concerns residents have about flags designed to intimidate members of the community.
Lampposts across the local area have been adorned with the national symbols in recent weeks.
But a TV report saw some of those putting flags up reveal they had been supplied by far-right figure Tommy Robinson, leading to Lichfield’s MP calling for unity rather than division.
Cllr Paul Ray, leader of the Liberal Democrat group at Lichfield District Council, said local people were also concerned by the impact of the flags.
He said:
“We have been contacted by various residents concerned about the flags that have gone up in recent weeks – and we share these concerns.
“We have no problem with national flags being flown as they are important symbols of national pride, but we are concerned about what this can do to our community cohesion.
“To blame the people who have recently arrived in our country for the current condition of the nation’s finances and public services is wrong. That is due to decisions made by current and previous governments.”
A number of flags have also appeared with slogans across Lichfield and Burntwood too – something Staffordshire County Council has previously suggested would fall foul of its flag protocol due to them being modified.
Cllr Ray said the impact of such efforts to create division was being felt across the wider community.
“Any abuse or racism is totally unacceptable and we are seeing a small minority of far-right extremists seeking to undermine our British values of decency, tolerance and respect for the rule of law.
“The Liberal Democrats have real sympathy for how many members of our ethnic minority communities must be feeling at present.
“We will always stand firm against hate, violence and racism in all its forms.
“There is nothing wrong with flying the flag and being proud to be British as long as it’s not being done to be intimidating or threatening to any communities.”
Those flags which say ‘unite the kingdom’ should be removed, no debate! They are linked with Tommy Robinson and his pals and this is not what Lichfield stands for (surely!!! Or maybe I am wrong!)
The flags are linked to Yaxley-Lennon who has an EU passport and a nice place in Spain.Are those things too good for his followers?
People who voted to lose their rights and freedoms so that a convicted criminal can make money out of them may wish to think again.
So if we fly our flag we are racists that’s all the complainers are saying. Funny how in the US virtually ever house has the stars & stripes out the front but no one bats an eyelid over there ?
Ypur obviously embarrassed about being British ?
These flags have been put up for the sole purpose of harming community cohesion. The slogan “Unite the Kingdom” is a lie as that is not the objective of the far right activists behind it. They aim to sow division and stir up trouble. Having said that, the flags themselves don’t bother me, so, as far as I’m concerned, they’re wasting their money. Money provided to them by some vested interest, no doubt. Who do we know who would want to sow division in a western democracy? The name Putin springs to mind.
These are the flags that countless people over many years and conflicts have fought and died for, in their honour and memory, they should be displayed with pride!
This fake patriotism going unchallenged is giving some people the go-ahead to be openly racist. Friends who have felt comfortable here in Lichfield for many years are now experiencing hostility. I’m ashamed and horrified. Why is our government, national and local, not tackling this?
I totally disagree with the councillor these flags are part of our culture and national pride. Has councillor Ray fought for this country as I did? If he has then he would be proud of our national identity. Not insinuating that people are far right or racist
#Tony given the number of thumbs down you may well be wrong. Come on people we need more thumbs up. SCC have the weight of the law behind them under The Highway Act 1980 S132, so why aren’t they invoking it? Probably because it suits their rhetoric. These flags are not uniting the country. Divide and rule. It’s not patriotism but extreme nationalism driven by the far-right exploiting anxieties to manipulate peoples behaviour or misguided beliefs that immigration, migration, asylum seekers are
the cause of the countries problems. They are not and the narrative is not helped by some irresponsible sections of the media playing on these fears. At least two perpetrators have broken the law and have been identified. Have they being dealt with? I’m guessing not. What are SCC scared of? Somebody needs some backbone. “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing”. If I had the means I’d be removing them myself.
@Mark – there is no insinuating. Tommy Robinson, the supplier of a lot of the flags on lampposts in Lichfield, is far right. There is no arguing that fact. The point being made is that decent, non-far right people are proud of their country but don’t want to be associated with the hatred and bile from far right knuckledraggers like Robinson. These flags are not patriotism – they are the complete opposite and need removing. Our flag has been hijacked and needs to be reclaimed from idiots who use it to sow division.
@J Smith – Couldn’t have said it better myself. Nor could anyone. You are asserting an absolutely crystalline fact. The flying of the flag in this country has indeed been “hijacked”. There should be NOTHING wrong with the displaying of our nations’s flags, anywhere. However, it is being used by far-right, ignorant bigots who aren’t intelligent enough to appreciate diversity and change to not so subtly sow anger and resentment. The vast majority of crimes in the UK are committed by white men born in the UK. FACT. The sooner the angry and insecure accept that, learn from it and take some personal responsibility the better. For transparency: I am a white man born in the UK, I blame nothing wrong with my life or the UK as a whole on anyone but those responsible – and they are not illegal immigrants.
I was in the British Army for 17 years and am Proud to fly our Nations Flag.
Does this make me a far-right ignorant bigot, I think not just a Citizen of our Great Britain.
I am also glad to see the flags of all four Nations flying along side the Union Flag.
Sorry if people don’t like this flag flying, perhaps they should open their small minds and support our Great Country.
I am astonished that anyone would be proud to see the nation’s flag being used as graffiti and scrawled on road markings. The Cross of St George is quite literally being driven on and walked all over. I would call that disrespect. As for the flags on lampposts, they are all being flown at half-mast, a sign of mourning.
Not so long ago we had ‘Cool Britannia’ which felt like a celebration of all the good things we are as a country. I was proud to fly the Union flag when I was living abroad – and proud to see how we welcomed the world to London in 2012.
Why should we allow convicted criminal Tommy Robinson and his far-right politics to dictate who flies our flags and how and why? Whenever he’s threatened with arrest, he runs away! He’s behind many of the flags, but he doesn’t represent this country; he represents violence and extremism. Rioting, burning down libraries, attacking people – is that what the UK is about? Surely we can find better values to all unite behind.
If the flag of your nation harms your social cohesion then you live in a broken country. If there is a political message on the flag then it should be removed but a Saint George’s cross is a flag we should all want to see and if that’s not you then you are the problem as much as any racist or bigot.
Attaching these items to street furniture “IS NOT “flying the flag”, It is disrespecting it by flyposting and has minimal meaning for patriotic residents.
The overwhelming proliferation is cheapening tokenism, which will be more than evident when they become soiled rags in a very short period and so who will then make the effort to remove them complete with the plastic cable ties.? I’m sure it won’t be those who erected them thus condemning the erecters to rightful derision.