The Liberal Democrat-run local authority has been slammed for ‘having the wrong priorities’ after the eye-watering costs of flag removal were revealed.
Union Jack and St George’s flags were raised across the country last summer as part of a campaign (Image: PA)
A Liberal-Democrat run council has spent almost £80,000 on removing England flags from lampposts, it has emerged. Oxfordshire County Council has shelled out £79,790.21 on taking flags down since last summer, Conservative leader Liam Walker said.
It comes after the local authority brought legal action to stop people raising flags near highways last month. The widespread flying of St George’s Cross and Union Jack flags, following an online campaign called Operation Raise The Colours, rapidly became contentious, with several councils removing them from public infrastructure.
The Lib Dem authority in Oxfordshire took legal action against flags on public property last month (Image: Getty)
The figures obtained by Mr Walker relate to the period between September 2025 and May 2026, the Oxford Mail reports.
He said: “I’ve consistently warned about the blank cheque the council appears to have written for this work. At a time when residents are reporting potholes that remain unfixed for months … and highways maintenance is under real pressure, this simply doesn’t feel like the right priority.”
He also pressed the Lib Dem administration on whether it thought £80,000 on flag removal, “with further legal costs still to come” was “value for money” for the electorate.
While some politicians decried the removal of flags following Operation Raise The Colours, others claimed the increased number being flown was a result of xenophobia or racism.
Council leader Tim Bearder said last week: “We proudly fly the Union flag anfd St George’s flag at County Hall and we fully support the right of residents to display flags on their own private property.
“However, there’s an important distinction between lawful expression and activity that puts people at risk or intimidates residents in their own communities.”
A council spokesperson said: “These costs relate to the safe removal of unauthorised items from highway assets such as streetlights.
“The council has a legal duty to ensure the highway network remains safe and free from obstructions or attachments that could pose a risk to public safety or damage infrastructure.”
