06-05-2025
‘Free speech under Reform didn't last long': Why the party's ban on ‘woke' flags risks backfiring
Flush from their barnstorming performance in last week's council elections, Reform UK have announced that their latest flagship policy will be… flags.
On Monday, Zia Yusuf, the party's chairman, announced that in the local authorities under Reform control, only the St George's Cross, the Union Flag and county flags could be flown on public buildings.
After a backlash, the party confirmed that county flags would be allowed, too, at official buildings in the the 10 regions it won control of on Thursday: Durham, Kent, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Doncaster, North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire.
'No other flags will be permitted to be flown on its flag-poles, balconies, reception desks or council-chamber wall,' Yusuf wrote in a post on X.
Yet the response from Telegraph readers suggests that in mixing seemingly authoritarian strictures with healthy patriotism, Reform may be making a mistake. Taking pride in your national flag is one thing – surveys have repeatedly shown that voters have a strong positive impression of the Union Flag and, to a lesser extent, the St George's cross – but banning others is another.
The policy would see the Ukrainian flag, which has flown in many official buildings in solidarity since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022, taken down, along with flags celebrating Pride, the Armed Forces and other interest groups. Opposition MPs from across the political spectrum were swift to criticise the plans.
Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover & Deal, wrote that it was 'shameful' and 'sickening' and accused Reform of being 'Putin's Puppets'. The Liberal Democrats accused Reform of 'meaningless virtue-signalling', which must have stung: they know what they are talking about. Mark Francois, the shadow armed forces minister, said that 'flags were important symbols and should be respected as such' and that the policy 'hadn't been thought through.'
'Common sense coming to a Town near you'
Ben Page, the chief executive of polling company Ipsos, says that despite the outcry, which has seen some accuse Reform of indulging in the kind of cancel culture it regularly accuses the Left of spearheading, the party's new policy may be sound politics.
'Reform's policy probably doesn't do them any harm,' he says. 'Most people in Britain see flying the Union Jack as a healthy sign of patriotism. The minority who disagree will never vote for Reform anyway.'
The reader response to The Telegraph's report on Reform's plans suggests Page might have a point. At the time of writing, it has attracted more than 5,000 online comments. They suggest there is plenty of support for flying the Union Flag and St George's Cross.
'Common sense coming to a Town near you,' wrote Walt Longmire. 'If the national flag of the country you live in offends you, perhaps you are living in the wrong country,' commented Don Murray. 'THANK GOODNESS,' wrote Lynda King. 'I pay taxes and council tax and object to public property being used by militant minorities for political ends.'
'I'm not convinced this has anything to do with banning 'Woke' flags per se, it's more a statement that Reform represent British values and won't let minority groups and causes infiltrate public bodies,' argued James Gregory. 'Supporting woke ideals is fine for individuals. Nothing wrong with freedom of expression, opinion and speech. Expecting public bodies and institutions to fly flags is just not on.' Eilvin Reece commented: 'I fully support Ukraine. But there is no need to fly its flag from our national buildings.'
'Why do councils think voters and ratepayers want them to spend their money on fatuous stunts e.g. flying the Ukraine flag?' wondered Gareth Davies. 'Fix the roads, collect the bins and plant some trees. Otherwise shut up.'
Others, such as Gary Jeffrey, took a more moderate view. 'Not sure an outright ban is needed,' he wrote, 'but a decree that any flag flown must be accompanied by a more prominent British national flag would be welcome and promote the message that we are an inclusive nation.'
Labour voters more likely to unfavourably view the St George's Cross
If polling is to be believed, the past decade or so has been a curious time for flag sentiment. The image of the Union Flag was boosted by the London Olympics, when Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah, clad in Stella McCartney flag kits and gold medals, made getting behind the flag less Promsy and more contemporary. While the Welsh dragon and Scottish saltire were embraced, the St George's Cross was increasingly associated with football hooliganism and the far-Right.
According to Ipsos polling, in 2013, 53 per cent of Britons saw flying the St George's Cross 'on a normal day of the year' – i.e. not during a major football tournament – as a 'healthy expression of English national pride'. By 2022 that figure had risen to 56 per cent. But the number seeing it as a 'worrying expression of English nationalism' had also risen from 11 per cent to 17 per cent in the same period.
A similar survey by YouGov last April suggested that more than a quarter (27 per cent) of British adults had an unfavourable opinion of flying the St George's Cross, compared to 22 per cent for the Union flag. Among those who voted for Labour in 2019, 44 per cent had an unfavourable view of the St George's Cross, meanwhile.
Perhaps mindful of this, Sir Keir Starmer has made an effort to portray Labour as a patriotic party. In April, he became the first Prime Minister to host a St George's Day reception at Downing Street.
His party is still haunted by memories of Emily Thornberry's brush with the flag-lovers. In November 2014, Thornberry resigned from Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet after posting a picture of a white van outside a house in Rochester decorated with St George's Cross flags. The image was widely interpreted as snobbery from the MP for Islington South and Finsbury.
Last year, a number of Labour MPs complained anonymously about the widespread use of the Union flag on their campaign leaflets. They claimed it might alienate voters from ethnic minorities.
'What a silly start'
Reform's flag ban is part of a raft of recent policy announcements from the party focused on cutting back government waste, modelled on the work Elon Musk has done in Donald Trump's department of government efficiency (DOGE). Farage has suggested that council workers in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) roles should start looking for other jobs and said he will set up miniature versions of DOGE for councils.
For some readers, having a wide range of flags on official buildings could be divisive in itself, rather than boost inclusivity.
'The varied selection … promotes the differences between people, it creates divisions and leads to sectarian tensions,' wrote David Joy. 'The Union Flag and St George's are flags that bring British people together in Britain and as such should be flown on public buildings.'
There was some support for banning specialist flags even from within those communities. 'As a gay man, the only flag flown over councils should be the Union Jack,' wrote Josh Rose. 'We need to stop with divisive pandering and appeasement of communities and instead say that all communities must unite behind a single flag. Unity over division.'
Of the Armed Forces flag, Ronald Ayliffe, wrote: 'If sacrificing the AF flag leads to a clean up of the current [confusion around flags], then I am sure most serving soldiers, sailors and airmen would accept that. I am embarrassed to admit that I served for six years and I have no idea what the armed forces flag looks like.'
But not everyone was persuaded that flags ought to be Reform's most urgent priority. And some readers suggested Farage, Yusuf and the rest of the party may be making a mistake in banning alternatives.
'Glad that Deform has got its priorities right,' said Albert Taflock sarcastically. 'I suspect we can expect more of this nonsense, instead of actually trying to run a council and improve the lives of their constituents.' Another commentator was equally withering, writing that 'everyone I know has been saying we need the flags sorted out as quickly as possible.'
Tim Green said: 'Free speech under Reform didn't last long! What a silly start. Public buildings should fly the Union flag, but there is room for more than one flag pole and banning public support for Ukraine will only serve as a reminder of Farage's warmth to [Vladimir] Putin. The self-conscious imitation of Trump underlines the observation that Reform is just the UK wing of Maga. That's not working out so well for the US economy, constitution or civil society.'
'What will Reform ban next?' wrote Robin Jackons. 'Opposition parties perhaps?'
'A bit Putin-esque'
The flag proposal comes as a new report has found that artists have become 'terrified' of voicing political opinions for fear of censure by the Left. The report, by Freedom in the Arts, found that 81 per cent of people working in the industry felt the sharing of controversial opinions on topics risked ostracism – compared with only 35 per cent five years ago. Particularly febrile subjects include Israel and trans rights. In banning individual councils from showing solidarity even with the Armed Forces or Ukraine, some argue that Reform, similarly, are falling into the Left's trap of being intolerant about points of view they disagree with.
'I think this is totally over the top,' wrote Hadley Smith. 'You should be able to fly whatever flag you please. It's clamping down on people's freedoms. It's like saying you can only wear x uniform or only support x party. Getting a bit Putin-esque here.'
Jack Hughes argued that 'flags are very emotive things' and councils should be 'allowed to fly flags of their choice,' with 'the exception of flags of our enemies and flags that for some reason show sexual preference.' He added that he worried 'banning the Ukrainian flag will just feed into Labour's false narrative of Farage being soft on Putin.'
This may be the main lesson from the charged response to Reform's flag proposals. Farage, Yusuf and other Reform figures pride themselves on returning Britain to 'common sense' government. But common sense is rarely prescriptive, and always subjective. When it comes to flag policy, the answers are blowing in the wind.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
