DRAPING the St George’s Cross over bungalows and streetlamps, and even painting it on roundabouts, defiant residents of Britain’s most patriotic town say “enough is enough”.
Fed up with being labelled “racist” by “snowflakes” for showing pride in their country, locals are pulling out all the stops to fight back against a barmy council healthy and safety ban that warns hoisting flags could “put lives at risk”.
Mathew Barnett, 33, tells The Sun flags of any nationality should be accepted[/caption]
Roundabouts have been painted with the St George’s flag around the city[/caption]
Darren Elms, 55, says ‘enough is enough’[/caption]
The astonishing scenes erupted in South Birmingham after the local authority launched a crackdown on the flag movement that began in nearby suburb Weoley Castle, before sweeping towns across Britain.
Birmingham City Council confirmed flags would be removed, saying the “unauthorised items” are “dangerous” and could potentially kill motorists and pedestrians.
The council said that the extra weight could “potentially lead to collapse” in the future, but its decision has sparked a furious backlash from residents.
Now, a whole stretch of Highters Heath Lane has flags hanging from every lamppost – and plenty of residents say they want more.
Sue Denton, 67, a mother-of-two, told The Sun: “I think there should be more flags. This is what Birmingham people are about – if you tell us what to do, we’ll do the opposite.
“For me, it is about the immigrants really coming over on the boats and the fact that some of them are not very nice people.”
Darren Elms already had a St George Cross attached to the corner of his bungalow.
“Now the whole street is at it,” he said.
“I think it is brilliant. We are the most patriotic people down here and we’ve kept quiet for too long.”
The 55-year-old, who has worked in factories, farms and as a publican, went on: “I have never understood why when the Welsh fly their flag they are Welsh, when the Scots do it they are Scots but when the English do it, we’re racist.
“As far as I am concerned anyone born here is English. You can be of any faith or no faith, any colour it does not matter. The flag is here for everyone.
“To call it racist, is just encouraging racism, it’s the most stupid thing to do.
“The fact is we are just not looking after the people of this country. If we want any help, we are made to feel like beggars.
“I had a stroke a few years ago and couldn’t get any benefits but people are pouring into this country and getting handouts. Enough is enough.”
Raising the colours
It comes as locals across the whole country are taking part in a movement called Operation Raise the Colours.
Union Jacks and St George’s flags have been hoisted on streetlamps and buildings across the UK, amid growing tensions surrounding illegal immigrants and asylum hotels.
Christine Lee, 68, a retired benefits officer, said: “We are a tolerant lot. When Ukraine got invaded we had their flag up everywhere and people do the same for Palestine. Now people are saying, ‘What about us?’
Christine Lee, 68, claims the community is inspired to display even more flags now[/caption]
Adrian Tracy, 57, says the country is ‘full of snowflakes’[/caption]
“The reaction has been terrible. For the council to tell us they had to come down due to the stress on lampposts… I mean really, how stupid do they think we are?
“They were basically saying it was racist and we are not having that. It has just inspired us to do it more.
“It’s not racist. Anyone born here is English and whatever their race or religion they are suffering like everyone else.
“I am particularly angry for pensioners. The Government was quick to cut our winter fuel payment but had plenty of spare for Ukraine. We need to start looking after our own people.”
Small boat migrants could be housed in WAREHOUSES
By Jack Elsom, Political Editor
CHANNEL migrants could be put in warehouses under a Labour scramble to accelerate the end of costly hotels and contain mounting voter fury.
Plans to roll out digital ID to curb small boat arrivals working illegally are also under discussion at an urgent ministerial meeting.
Sir Keir Starmer is aiming to defuse growing anger over Britain’s borders crisis that has seen Reform surge to a commending poll lead.
He today told Cabinet colleagues of the need to go “further and faster” in allaying public “frustration” over the issue.
His Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also said she was looking at moving asylum seekers into “military and industrial sites” in a bid to end hotels and private housing.
While refusing to specify what these sites would be, she did not rule out warehouses being secured for migrant accommodation.
She told LBC: “Well, we’re looking with other government departments and looking with the local councils at what some more appropriate sites might be, and certainly more appropriate than asylum hotels.
“We have managed to cut the bill for these costly asylum hotels by nearly a billion pounds this year.”
Sir Keir has said he wants to stop relying on the current 210 migrant hotels – costing £5.77million a day – before the next election.
Small boat crossings are at a record high, with nearly 30,000 arrivals since the start of the year.
Ms Cooper came under further fire after being unable to guarantee illegal migrants would start being sent back to France this month.
Since signing the returns deal with Emmanuel Macron in July, more than 3,000 people have crossed the Channel without a single return.
Meanwhile, down the road from Highters Heath, a roundabout at the entrance to Wythall had 15 flags up.
Matthew Barnett, 33, a charity worker, said: “There have always been flags up in this part of Birmingham. It is one of the most patriotic places around.
“Now they are everywhere and I do not see anything negative about it.
“I don’t mind any flag. This is a multi-cultural area and if everyone wants to fly their flag that is fine with me.
“But there should not be an issue with the England flag in England, that’s just nonsense.
“I think it is partly inspired by social media and the fact that there are so many Palestine flags around, so why shouldn’t there be some England ones?”
‘We have the right to display our flag’
Adrian Treacy, 57, a builder, added: “I see nothing wrong with displaying your national flag, but these days everything causes offence and this country is full of snowflakes.
“For the last 30 years we have been bowing down and trying not to offend and people are sick of it.
“I am all for a multicultural country, I wouldn’t do attacking hotels but I do think we have the right to display our flag.
“But it is not just here. I was in Ireland recently and they were saying that their government is nervous about displays of their flag. It is some sort of madness.”
Retired civil servant Marie, 73, said: “There are a lot of patriots around here and I am one of them.
“A few flags went up and the council decided to take them down and that was like a red rag to a British bulldog. Of course they are put up more and I don’t blame them.
Union Jacks have been displayed outside properties across Birmingham[/caption]
The council previously ordered them to be removed for ‘health and safety reasons’[/caption]
Residents in Highters Heath in south Birmingham say they are some of the country’s most patriotic[/caption]
“We, the people, are not getting listened to at all and they forget that it is people like us who go to the polling stations.
“To be honest the Labour council has done nothing for the people of Birmingham and I include all nationalities in that.
“Nationally it is the same mess. We have the two main parties and we used to know what each stood for. Now they are exactly the same – only interested in screwing us over.”
There should not be an issue with the England flag in England, that’s just nonsense
Matthew Barnett
As tensions across Britain reach fever pitch, Sir Keir Starmer last week declared himself a “supporter of flags” — and revealed he still proudly displayed a St George’s Cross in his flat.
He dismissed claims that showing off England’s ensign should be seen as racist, telling BBC Five Live: “I am the leader of the Labour Party who put the Union Jack on membership cards.
“I always sit in front of the Union Jack. I’ve been doing it for years, and it attracted a lot of comment when I started doing it.”
He said he bought his England flag for last year’s Euros football.
The flag debate reignited after councils in the West Midlands and Tower Hamlets tried to remove the St George’s Cross from lamp posts and motorway bridges over claims they intimidated minorities.
The PM added: “They’re patriotic and a great symbol of our nation. I don’t think they should be devalued and belittled.”
‘People are fed up’
However, others were reluctant to embrace the flag craze, and claimed blaming migrants was a “cop out”.
Lindsay Sheard, 58, a hairdresser, said: “I am not really comfortable with it. I heard it was down to one man and it’s all connected to the hotel protests.
“I know we can’t afford it and it needs sorting but people have to go somewhere. It is not a consensus in this area.”
And mother-of-five Hayley said: “I think we have a right to put up the flag in our country for sure but I have picked up bits about it being about people coming to this country and harming women.
“Now as a woman who has been harmed by men born and bred in this country I think that is a cop out.”
And Anthony Silverstone, manager of the Betel House of God charity shop for those suffering addiction, said: “It all started about three weeks ago. To be honest, I did not know what it was all about.
“I thought maybe it was to do with the England women winning the football.
“We are a patriotic lot when it comes to sport and our soldiers and it’s not a bad thing to see an England flag.
“This is a very culturally mixed area and no one has even mentioned it. We just take it all in our stride.”
On Monday, Starmer faced fresh criticism as it emerged 3,567 dinghy migrants had arrived since he signed a one-in, one-out deal with France — but none had been kicked out.
The news overshadowed the Government’s latest attempt to get a grip on the illegal migration crisis.
The Sun has approached Birmingham City Council for comment.
Anthony Siltstone, 56, and Steve Walker, 48, say there’s nothing wrong with an England flag[/caption]