Oxfordshire council wins High Court injunction against nationalist flag campaign

Oxfordshire County Council has won a landmark legal victory in the High Court, obtaining an injunction against activists who had been installing England flags on lampposts without permission. Council leader Tim Bearder said the ruling would serve as a blueprint for other local authorities.

The group 'Raise the Colours' started a campaign last summer to 'cover Britain in flags', beginning in Birmingham and spreading across the West Midlands and beyond. The council initially took a light-touch approach, hoping the movement would fade, but as the campaign continued, safety concerns mounted. Flags were erected in hazardous locations, such as busy roundabouts, using only ladders.

Council contractors tasked with removing the flags faced hostility and obstruction, including being harassed and intimidated. Some workers refused to do the job or carried out removals at night wearing balaclavas and using unmarked vans to avoid confrontation.

In March, the council sent a formal legal notice to the group, calling the flag installations 'an act of intimidation and division'. The local authority spent around £50,000 on removals and faces £24 million in budget cuts this year. Bearder stressed they did not want to spend money on legal action but had no other option.

At the hearing, four individuals associated with Raise the Colours – Ryan Bridge, Trudy Wells, Ben Cullen and another person – agreed to stop hoisting flags on public infrastructure and not to encourage others or impede council staff from taking them down.

The ruling sparked a fierce backlash. Reform UK MP Richard Tice accused the Liberal Democrats of hating England and patriotism, while former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp criticised 'stupid councillors'. Bearder said he received hundreds of abusive emails and messages, but insisted the council is not banning flags on private property or on council buildings. He also dismissed claims of a 'culture war', stating the aim is to maintain a neutral, safe public space for residents.

Other councils, including Birmingham City Council, are now considering similar legal action. Raise the Colours' Ryan Bridge called the injunction 'horrendous', claiming it was a blanket ban on all flags and that he was being shut down.