Flags row at Bartley Reservoir: Birmingham community campaign sparks national debate

Dozens of flags now taken down by Birmingham City Council. Supporters say its about pride while the council say it’s about safety.

Transcript

00:00I'm at Bartley Reservoir in Bartley Green, Birmingham and just behind me you can see a row of

00:05lampposts lying with the St George's Cross. This is one of the places where very local movement

00:11has turned into a national debate. Birmingham City Council has been taking down dozens of Union

00:17Jacks and England flags in recent days. Their explanation is simple, attachments to lampposts

00:23are unsafe, particularly as thousands of street columns have been upgraded to LED lights. The

00:29council insists that these removals are about maintenance and safety and not politics. But

00:35in this part of South Birmingham, a group calling themselves the Wheelie Warriors has taken a

00:40different view. They've raised more than £11,000 through crowdfunding to buy flags and fittings,

00:47saying their aim was to brighten up local streets and lift community spirits. Their efforts though

00:53were cut short when many of these banners were removed. The frustration gave birth to

00:59Operation Raise the Colours. What started in neighbourhoods here in Birmingham has spread

01:04across the country with volunteers inspired by what they saw online. The rows moved firmly

01:09into politics. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said people should feel proud to fly national

01:15symbols, while Conservative and Reform UK politicians accused councils of double standards, pointing

01:22out that other flags were untouched. For Birmingham City Council, the position is unchanged. Any unauthorised

01:30attachment is considered a safety risk and they say will be removed. What began as a fundraiser

01:36by one community group has become a wider conversation about pride, identity and who decides what flies

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