The Newark MP says he and volunteers purchased the Union flags from Amazon
06:00, 06 Nov 2025Updated 07:34, 06 Nov 2025
Robert Jenrick has slammed "mean-spirited" people who tore down Union flags that he and volunteers had put up by a busy Nottinghamshire road.
The Conservative MP for Newark made national headlines for helping to install a series of Union flags in the town during a summer of debate after 'Operation Raise the Colours' was launched in August.
The campaign called for the prominent display of Union and St George's flags and in late August, Mr Jenrick and local volunteers were seen putting up several flags along Beacon Hill Road, in Newark.
The MP now says the flags were taken down shortly after being put up, saying: "Some mean-spirited people took them down in the middle of the night about two weeks later, which was disappointing."
It is not clear who took the flags down, with councils across the UK having adopted varied positions on whether flags are allowed on public highways.
Nottingham City Council said it would only take flags down if they caused a safety issue or contained offensive language, whilst Derby City Council began taking flags down from public highways in September.
Asked if Mr Jenrick had permission to put up his Union flags, he told Nottinghamshire Live: "I didn't ask for permission, I ask for forgiveness."
In a social media video marking his flags going up back in August, Mr Jenrick said: "I can't stand the self-loathing councils who have been taking down Union and St George's flags.
"They're often the same councils that happily leave up Palestinian flags.
"It's the embodiment of two-tier Britain that our unifying national culture and identity is persistently denigrated whilst others are celebrated.
"The tolerance of the British public has really snapped and so has mine, so on Wednesday I was in Newark with volunteers from my constituency putting up Union flags.
"I call on patriotic Brits the length and breadth of the country to do exactly the same - to show pride in our country, to fly our flag."
Mr Jenrick was taking part in a wide-ranging interview with Nottinghamshire Live just weeks after the Reform UK administration at Nottinghamshire County Council confirmed that over 150 Union flags would soon be going up across Nottinghamshire as part of a £75,000 investment.
Newark's MP largely backed Reform's move, but thought they could do it a lot cheaper, saying: "I'm all for putting up flags and showing support for patriotic people in our country, but £75,000 does seem quite a lot of money.
"We bought some flags on Amazon and some ties, borrowed a ladder and stuck them up for 100 quid, so I think you can do it cheaper than that.
"But I don't knock anyone who's putting up flags, I think it's great."
In terms of the concerns over the spending, the county council has pointed out that the £75,000 is not directly being used to put up Union flags, but to replace over 150 brackets that hold banners onto lampposts.
Reform has pointed out that the brackets will also hold banners to promote council services like fostering and to mark other events like Christmas and Armistice Day.
Thousands signed a petition against the move, dubbing the plan "divisive", whilst some of those living by one of the locations affected welcomed it as "patriotic".
Mansfield and Ashfield are the areas getting the highest number of Union flags, whilst Gedling will be getting the least, as just six flags are set to appear across the borough.