The Lead Untangles: Operation Raise The Colours

A straightforward display of national pride, a hostile message to migrants or something more nuanced?

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Sep 05, 2025

A roundabout in Lancashire. Credit: Mark Ashmore

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At a glance facts

Across England, a tide of St George’s and union jack flags have been going up in cities, towns, and villages, hoisted on lampposts, stuck to windows, and painted on mini roundabouts.

Politicians have responded to the campaign in a uniform manner, seemingly trying to one-up each other in terms of their approval of flags in a debate that hasn’t gone away. This week, Yvette Cooper spoke of her Union Jack tablecloth. Next week, you expect a cabinet member to boast about their St George’s duvet covers.

While national flags are typically displayed on national holidays, royal weddings, military anniversaries, or sporting events in England, this wave of what might at first glance just look like patriotism, is feared to be a message of anti-immigration xenophobia, and has sparked controversy throughout the country due to root and timing of the movement.

The raising of the tens of thousands of flags can be traced back to Weoley Warriors, a self-confessed “group of proud English men with a common goal to show Birmingham and the rest of the country of how proud we are of our history, freedoms and achievements.” The Birmingham-based group, connected primarily through a private Facebook group of 1,600 members, launched an online crowdfunder that has raised over £21,000 for flags, poles, and cable ties.

An online campaign - #OperationRaisetheColours – has since taken off, supported by far-right figures including Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, and Andrew Currien, known as Andy Saxon. Britain First, a far-right group, has also voiced support and reportedly donated flags for the movement.

No longer confined to Birmingham, flags have appeared en masse all over the country.

Flags have been removed by councils as a part of “routine maintenance” to keep road markings and driver visibility clear, with several councils noting vandalism in their towns and cities. Legally, flags may fly freely on private property, but it is the decision of local councils to enforce removals if flags are on lampposts and public highways.

The taking down of flags has prompted fury in some communities.

While there are those who have argued the flags are an innocent gesture of pride in country, many worry the use of the flags is racist and sends a message of hostility towards migrants.

Context

Timing is everything when it comes to the controversy surrounding Operation Raise the Colours.

Nigel Farage, who has made overtly racist and xenophobic remarks for years, and his Reform party are leading in opinion polling. His party has recently said they would deport 600,000 migrants over five years if they win the next election, although his plans have been dubbed ‘pie in the sky’.

In May, towns recently under Reform UK control were ordered to only fly union jack, St George’s, and county flags, and to remove pride flags supporting LGTBQ+ communities and Ukrainian flags.

Both this summer and last have been politically charged with anti-migrant protests, with an ongoing legal battle over the closure of an asylum hotel in Epping.

On 13 September, a “free speech really” is being held in London, advertised by the far-right’s Tommy Robinson, recently released from prison for contempt of the court, which plans to draw hundreds of thousands of “patriots.”

The anti-fascist group Stand Up to Racism UK have organised a counter-protest in London on the same day.

42% of the British public, according to the More in Common think tank, see the flag campaign as a political statement against migrants, although it is highly unlikely that every person who has raised a flag is aware of the potential underlying messaging.

People in minority groups have said the myriad of flags popping up have made them feel uneasy.

While it isn’t illegal or innately racist to hang the St George or union jack flags, it’s the fact that the movement has been organised by well-known racists and extremists that Hope Not Hate says raises “questions about the motivations behind much of Operation Raise the Colours.”

What about the history and use of the flags is controversial?

In many countries, particularly in America, the national flag is everywhere – part of the country’s décor. This isn’t the case with St George’s or the union jack flags. They’re typically only brought out on special occasions. Perhaps that’s to do with culture, perhaps with their histories.

In the 1970s and 1980s, St George’s flag was prominent during football hooliganism. Recently, football hooligan chat groups have been encouraging supporters to get involved in Operation Raise the Colours, with numerous “firms” having raised flags in their local areas.

St. George’s flag has become associated in recent years with anti-migrant sentiment, and in the last few months, has been used in anti-asylum hotel protests.

A YouGov survey last year found that 57% of the 2,000 people polled had a favourable view of flying the St George’s flag, with 27% finding it unfavourable.

The union jack has been marched through British streets by the fascist National Front party, who championed white supremacy.

What are people saying?

Labour

“I am a supporter of flags. I’m very encouraging of flags. I think they’re patriotic and I think they’re a great symbol of our nation. I don’t think they should be devalued and belittled. I think sometimes when they’re used purely for divisive purposes, actually it devalues the flag. I don’t want to see that. I’m proud of our flag.” Keir Starmer

“I would put them up anywhere. I mean, we put them up anywhere. We have the St George's flag above the Pontefract Castle. We fly in my constituency. So I think it's good for us to feel proud of flags, of the Union Jacks, when we sing the national anthem but we also really be proud of our British values that underpin that and those British values.” Yvette Cooper

“Whatever the intentions of the people who started this off, it's actually not a campaign that should worry anybody else. If you put a MAGA [Make America Great Again] hat on, you are clearly declaring your support for [U.S. President Donald] Trump. If you fly a St. George’s Cross or a union flag, for somebody like me, that’s my flag and whatever the intentions of the person who put the flag up, I’m entitled to see it in the way that I want. I think we should be quite relaxed about this.” Former Labour Minister John Denham

Reform UK

“Union flags and the Cross of St. George should and will fly across the country. Reform UK will never shy away from celebrating our nation.” Nigel Farage

“This isn’t just flying a flag. It’s the start of the fightback.” Darren Grimes, deputy leader of Durham county council and a member of Reform UK.

Conservatives

“I can’t stand the self-loathing councils who have taken down the St George’s cross or Union flag. These are so often the same councils that happily leave up Palestinian flags. When I ran through Tower Hamlets during the London marathon this spring the council had allowed almost every lamppost to be adorned with foreign flags. Councils like this are the embodiment of two-tier Britain – denigrating our unifying national culture while celebrating every other. Well, enough is enough. I call on patriotic Britons across the country to put out our flags and restore pride in our country.

“Raise the colours. White Britain-hating councils take down our flags, we raise them up. We must be one country, under the Union Flag.” Robert Jenrick

Liberal Democrats

"While those responsible may believe they are drawing attention to road defects or expressing a form of nationalism, this kind of activity constitutes vandalism.” Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding at Wiltshire Council.

Others

“We are concerned not only that the flags are causing people to feel afraid, but that they will also embolden those who hold racist views to commit acts of hate.” Bristol charity Stand Against Racism spokesperson

“There are probably one or two locations where it’s organic and it started from below. Then there’s another group — again, it’s quite a small group — which is very politically radicalized, knows what it’s doing and why it’s doing it.” Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future

“There is nothing wrong, or racist, about flying the flag of your country, but the organisers behind Operation Raise the Colours are hardened and extreme far-right activists.” Hope Not Hate.

What happens next?

As the flags continue to be raised, those who started the trend are preparing for the September 13 ‘free speech event’.

“This is our darkest hour,” Tommy Robinson wrote on X. “September 13^th is where we say enough is enough.”

Until then, Operation Raise the Colours carries on, flags appearing (and being removed) around the country, strewn up or painted on by three primary groups: those who perhaps genuinely are just proud to live in England, right leaning citizens with anti-immigration opinions, and far-right groups, eager to spread racist ideology.

Some worry that by Labour ignoring the roots of the movement, treating it simply as pride in our “British values,” that they are refusing to speak out against far-right groups to keep the vote as Reform UK continues gaining traction.