National Highways says St George’s flags will be taken down

Over the past few weeks, flags have been put up along highways[1], and fixed to lampposts in town centres and residential streets. Whilst some see the move as a display of patriotism, others have said the activities are fuelled by far-right and anti-immigraton movements. A series of flags were put up across East Lancashire's motorways, including the M65, M6 and Centurion Way in Burnley[2].

However, National Highways, which manages the motorway network across the country, has said the flags will be taken down to protect road users. A spokesperson said: "Safety is our priority and we do all we can to protect those who use our roads. "Items such as flags attached to a bridge could pose a danger to motorists on the road below and so need to be removed for safety reasons."

Advertising or placement of anything which can cause distraction to drivers is prohibited on the motorway network. Groups such as Operation Raise the Colours appeared two weeks ago and encouraged people to display the flags on their Facebook page, which now has more than 5,000 members and maintains it is purely for patriotic purposes. Many in East Lancashire have been impressed by the flags and have said that roads across the county have been looking great.

The issue gained some controversy when flags hung in Birmingham were removed due to safety reasons and because the lampposts they were attached to were being replaced, while in a London borough, flags fixed to street furniture without permission were removed. The movement has also seen people defacing zebra crossings and mini-roundabouts with spray paint.

One said: "I drove around Burnley yesterday and I was very impressed with the many Union flags flying, well done Burnley."

Whilst some councils across the UK have said that the flags will be taken down for safety purposes, others, including neighbouring Bolton, have said they will remain. A spokesperson for Keir Starmer's office said: "I think the PM has always talked about his pride of being British, the patriotism he feels. "I think he's talked about that previously [...] not least recently in relation to the Lionesses' successful campaign in the Euros.

"Patriotism will always be an important thing to him.

"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."

References

1. ^ highways (www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk)
2. ^ Burnley (www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk)
3. ^ Council's Reform UK leader makes flags pledge (www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk)
4. ^ Reform set to hold vote on removing 'woke' flags from Lancs council buildings (www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk)