Flag boss at protest outside asylum hotel

A BUSINESSMAN behind the ‘Raise the Colours’ campaign that has seen Birmingham communities covered in St George’s Cross flags was previously involved in protests outside an asylum hotel.

- STAFF REPORTER

Elliott Stanley, co-founder of Raise the Colours, and inset, people outside the George/Ramada hotel in Solihull this summer

Elliott Stanley, co-founder of a private company behind the flags initiative, has always denied the campaign he runs with fellow founder Ryan Bridge is politically motivated, describing himself as a patriot and a ‘centrist, and not ‘right wing’.

Footage captured outside a Solihull hotel during a series of protests over the summer shows Stanley gesturing at anti racists who were declaring refugees were welcome, and later declared asylum seekers ‘shouldn't be here’.

He was approached by a woman who wanted to speak to him about his views. The woman, a local carer, aged 61, said she was not surprised by the reaction she got and claims she was left feeling shaken and intimidated.

She said that she had been upset that protestors were regularly targeting the George Hotel in Solihull, also known as the Ramada, throughout August. She was keen to have calm conversations to try to break down any misinformation, she said.

"I thought it was worth trying to have a dialogue as people have all sorts of mixed feelings and views and are sometimes open to a conversation.

"Initially it wasn’t too bad as I was talking to a woman about why she was protesting, as there had been no crimes reported linked to this hotel and I said you can’t tar everyone with the same brush," she said, referring to a small but high profile number of reported crimes involving asylum seeker hotel residents elsewhere.

"Then this man joined in and it was clear he didn’t want a rational conversation."

Mr Stanley, speaking loudly, suggests the woman will label him a “right wing thug.”