'Fringe groups should not be allowed to own flag as a symbol of their politics'

POLITICIANS have called for the St George's Cross and Union Flag to be more widely flown with pride to reclaim it from the political fringes.

- By Chris Riches

PM Sir Keir Starmer, when asked earlier this month if people putting up patriotic banners in the wake of asylum hotel protests are racist, said: "I am a supporter of flags.

In a discussion in the West Midlands about the proliferation of banner-flying across the nation, politicians from Labour, Conservatives and Reform UK all agreed "let's fly them and be proud".

Both flags have appeared on lampposts and the St George cross painted on roundabouts across the region over the summer.

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