‘Woke’ council slammed after ban on St George’s and Union Flags | UK | News
A council has been slammed as “woke” after it was handed a victory by the High Court, banning residents from hanging Union and St. George’s Flags on lamp posts. Liberal Democrat-run Oxfordshire County Council asked judges to grant it power to stop individuals “who have no consent or authorisation under enactment from attaching flags to highway structures such as lampposts and lighting columns and painting the highway similarly”. People can still put up flags on their own private property.
Ryan Bridge, 44, a managing director of multiple companies who lives in Worcestershire, set up “Operation Raise the Colours” last summer and since then Brits have been attaching flags to lamposts and painting them in towns across the country. Mr Bridge told The Express: “This is the country we’re living in. This is the woke, middle-class, liberal, left agenda and, in places like Oxford, Cambridge, and Brighton, which are heavily occupied by people from the university education sector, we feel that our children are being indoctrinated by the left wing. This is where it’s happening.”
He added: “These people are getting rules and regulations for their own little world.” Mr Bridge is not being deterred by the development, saying he was out on a “flag mission” yesterday.
But he is not encouraging people to put them up in Oxfordshire after the ruling.
When asked if he believed Andy Burnham was patriotic and whether he could see the new Prime Minister hoisting a flag himself, Mr Bridge said: “I do, but I think he would do it for purposes of trying to get people onboard, just like he says ‘I’m one of the people, I’ll speak to the people’ and all this malarkey.
“I think it’s all one big cover. I am disgusted that he has got a Number 10 of the north. I think that’s disgusting.
“Things like this are where our British traditions [are] – Downing Street, The Mall, Buckingham Palace, our British traditions we are losing because of people like Burnham.”
He added that the Prime Minister will be a “carry on” from Sir Keir Starmer.
A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “This is not, and never has been, about the flag. We proudly fly the Union Flag and St George’s flag at County Hall and we fully support the right of residents to display their own flags on their own property.
“Putting flags on lamp posts without permission is unlawful. We have a clear responsibility to keep people safe and ensure our public spaces are welcoming for everyone. That’s why we took this action.”
The authority’s leader, Councillor Tim Bearder, said after the judgement: “We’re pleased with this result. The injunction helps protect our residents and our workforce and supports our responsibility to keep the highway safe.
“This is not, and never has been, about the flag. We proudly fly the Union Flag and St George’s flag at County Hall and we fully support the right of residents to display their own flags – including to show their support for the England football team.
“However, the behaviour we’ve seen from Raise the Colours is nothing to do with national pride or with support for the England team during the World Cup. It’s unlawful behaviour, which has put people at risk and caused fear within our communities for almost a year.
“We have a clear responsibility to keep people safe and ensure our public spaces are welcoming for everyone. That’s why we’ve taken this action and why today’s decision by the court provides clarity and protects our colleagues and communities.”
