Labour MP Demands Union Flags Are Taken Down as ‘People Feel Uneasy’
A row over Union flags and St George’s flags displayed on lampposts in Leicestershire has developed into a wider political argument about patriotism, public space and whether national symbols can unite communities or make some residents feel excluded.
Labour MP Jeevun Sandher, who represents Loughborough, has urged Leicestershire County Council to remove flags attached to street furniture, arguing that some displays have become damaged and that constituents have told him they feel uncomfortable about their presence.
The issue has attracted particular attention because Leicestershire County Council is controlled by Reform UK. The dispute has therefore become part of a wider political argument involving Reform, Labour and the growing prominence of national flags in communities across England.
Sandher has stressed that he is not opposed to the flags themselves. Instead, he has argued that the way they are being displayed is the problem.
‘People feel uneasy’
Sandher published a video in which he discussed flags appearing on lampposts and painted on roundabouts.
He said some flags were becoming “tatty”, with cable ties coming loose and the possibility that they could detach and fall into the road. He also said that messages from constituents had made him aware that some people felt uneasy about the displays.
His argument went beyond safety.
Sandher said he understood that many people regarded the flags as expressions of national pride. He said he was proud of Britain and proud of the country’s flag, but added that he also understood why some residents could interpret large numbers of flags as suggesting that certain people belonged while others did not.
That distinction became central to the political controversy.
For supporters of the flag displays, the Union flag and St George’s Cross represent national identity, history and pride.
For critics, the context and method of displaying them can create a different impression, particularly in areas where debates over immigration and national identity have become politically sensitive.
The council’s position
Leicestershire County Council has previously drawn a distinction between flying flags and attaching them to public infrastructure.
In September 2025, the council said that attaching anything to a street light without permission was an offence. However, it also said highways teams would intervene when flags attached to lampposts or other street furniture created a serious safety risk.
The authority separately warned people not to paint or graffiti mini-roundabouts and pedestrian crossings, which it described as illegal.
The council’s then leader, Dan Harrison, said he welcomed people showing patriotism and described national flags as symbols that could bring communities together.
That position placed the council at odds with Sandher over the practical question of what should happen to the flags.
Sandher argued that the council should take action where flags had been attached improperly or had deteriorated.
The council’s approach was more conditional: flags were not automatically removed simply because they had been attached to lampposts, but safety concerns could lead to intervention.
Operation Raise the Colours
The controversy is part of a much larger movement that spread across parts of England during 2025.
Known online as “Operation Raise the Colours”, the campaign encouraged people to display Union flags and St George’s flags in public spaces.
Supporters said the movement was motivated by patriotism and national pride.
The rapid appearance of flags on streets, bridges, roundabouts and lampposts nevertheless generated debate about whether public displays were simply expressions of national identity or whether, in some circumstances, they carried a political message.
BBC reporting on the controversy noted that tensions over immigration were part of the wider context and that the St George’s Cross had sometimes been used by far-right groups. That does not mean that people displaying the flag share those political views; supporters of the displays have repeatedly described them as expressions of patriotism.
That distinction is important because a national symbol can have different meanings for different people.
A resident may see a Union flag as a symbol of Britain.
Another resident may see the same display as a political statement.
The argument in Leicestershire has largely centred on that difference in perception.
Sandher’s personal connection to the flag
Sandher’s comments were particularly notable because he has previously spoken positively about Britain’s national symbols.
According to local reporting, he has said that he loves the flags and recognises their importance as representations of the United Kingdom’s nations.
His wife has also worn the flag on her uniform during her service in the British Army, according to Sandher.
His argument is therefore not that national flags should disappear from public life.
Instead, he has advocated displaying them in ways that he believes are appropriate and inclusive.
He has suggested that flags should be flown proudly from proper flagpoles rather than being attached to every lamppost.
That position allows him to distinguish between patriotism and the physical manner in which flags are being displayed.
A question of belonging
At the heart of the dispute is a much broader question: what should national symbols communicate?
Sandher has argued that Britain should be a country where people feel that they belong regardless of their background.
He has said that displays which make some residents feel excluded undermine the idea of national unity.
His critics take a different view.
Some residents interviewed about the issue said they liked seeing the flags because they regarded them as part of British identity.
One resident quoted by Charnwood News said the flags were a welcome sight and represented an aspect of British identity that he believed had been lost in recent years.
This highlights an important feature of the controversy.
There is no single response to the flags.
Some people see them as reassuring.
Others see them as unnecessary or uncomfortable.
Still others support the symbolism but object to flags being attached to public infrastructure without permission.
Safety is a separate issue
The condition of the flags has provided a more straightforward argument for removal.
A damaged flag hanging loosely from a lamppost can create a potential safety problem regardless of its political or cultural meaning.
The county council has therefore emphasised the practical issue of safety.
Its September statement said flags were welcome when displayed safely but warned against attaching items to street furniture without permission. The council also highlighted the cost and danger associated with painting public roads.
This creates an area of potential agreement between the different sides.
Even supporters of the displays can accept that damaged or dangerous flags should be dealt with.
The disagreement is more pronounced over whether the flags should remain when they are intact and safely positioned.
Reform’s involvement
The Reform connection has added another dimension.
Reform UK won control of Leicestershire County Council in the 2025 local elections, making the authority part of the party’s growing local-government presence.
The council’s leadership has expressed support for patriotic displays while also acknowledging that safety regulations have to be followed.
This has allowed Labour politicians such as Sandher to challenge the council over the way it has handled the issue.
The dispute therefore reflects a wider political divide.
Reform has increasingly emphasised national identity and patriotism in its political messaging.
Labour has also sought to present itself as patriotic while placing greater emphasis on ensuring that national symbols are not used in ways that make parts of the population feel excluded.
The disagreement is therefore not simply about whether Britain should be proud of its national symbols.
Both sides can claim that they support national pride.
The disagreement concerns how that pride should be expressed.
A debate spreading beyond Leicestershire
The controversy is not limited to one county.
National flags have appeared in many parts of England, with displays prompting discussions among councils, residents and politicians.
Some local authorities have warned residents about attaching flags to public infrastructure.
Others have welcomed displays provided that safety and legal requirements are respected.
The debate has also appeared on social media, where arguments over the meaning of the flags have sometimes become highly polarised.
That has made local disagreements more visible nationally.
An ordinary question about whether a flag should remain on a lamppost can quickly become part of a much broader argument about immigration, identity and political affiliation.
Patriotism and political identity
The controversy also reflects a changing political environment in Britain.
National identity has become increasingly prominent in political debate.
Questions about immigration, borders, Brexit and Britain’s relationship with other countries have contributed to renewed attention to symbols such as the Union flag and St George’s Cross.
For some people, displaying those symbols is entirely separate from party politics.
For others, the increased concentration of flags in particular communities can appear connected to political movements.
The challenge for politicians is to recognise both perspectives without automatically assigning political motives to everyone who displays a flag.
A person can display a Union flag because they are proud of Britain.
Another person can feel uncomfortable because they associate a particular display with a political message.
Both reactions can exist simultaneously.
The dispute over public space
There is also a practical democratic question concerning public property.
Lampposts, traffic signs and other street furniture are maintained for public purposes.
Councils therefore have responsibilities relating to safety, access and maintenance.
The question is not necessarily whether flags are patriotic or unpatriotic, but whether people should be allowed to attach objects to public infrastructure without permission.
Leicestershire County Council’s own guidance makes that distinction clear. The authority said attaching items to street lights without permission was an offence while indicating that its highways teams would concentrate on situations involving serious safety risks.
That provides a legal and administrative framework separate from the political argument.
What Sandher is actually calling for
Despite the headline surrounding the controversy, Sandher’s position is more specific than a demand to remove national flags from Britain.
He has argued that flags should be displayed properly rather than being tied to lampposts throughout communities.
He has also said that he wants national symbols to unite rather than divide.
In his view, the method and context of displaying the flags matter.
That is different from arguing that Britain should abandon the Union flag or St George’s Cross.
Indeed, Sandher has repeatedly stated that he is proud of the country’s symbols.
The political disagreement therefore centres on interpretation and public display rather than the existence of the flags themselves.
A continuing argument
The Leicestershire dispute is unlikely to disappear quickly because it touches on several issues that have become increasingly important in British politics: patriotism, immigration, national identity, public space and community relations.
For Reform supporters and many residents, the flags represent pride in Britain and should not automatically be interpreted as hostile to anyone else.
For Sandher and residents who share his concerns, the same displays can sometimes create an unwelcome atmosphere, particularly when flags are attached to every lamppost or become damaged and neglected.
The council’s position adds another dimension by focusing on safety and the legal rules governing street furniture.
Ultimately, the argument illustrates how a simple piece of fabric can become politically significant.
A Union flag can be a symbol of national pride, historical identity or community celebration. In another context, the same display may be interpreted as carrying a political message.
The challenge for local authorities is therefore practical as well as political: allowing legitimate expressions of national identity while ensuring that public infrastructure is used safely and lawfully.
For Sandher, the central message is that national symbols should bring people together.
For supporters of the displays, removing them can appear to send the opposite message.
And for the council, the immediate question remains whether flags attached to public infrastructure are safe, lawful and appropriately maintained.
That is why the argument in Leicestershire has become much bigger than a row over lampposts. It has become a debate about what Britain’s national symbols mean, who feels represented by them, and how patriotism should be expressed in modern Britain.
