Flags on lamp posts causing town to be named 'Fascist Republic of Calderdale'
Union or St George flags flying illegally from lamp posts have led a town to be jokingly referred to as the “Fascist Republic of Calderdale”, a councillor claims.
Calling for flags, which she said included those “festooning” Elland, to be removed, Coun Sue Holdsworth said these were looking “tacky” and being flown as demarcation lines similar to the way in which flags were often flown in Northern Ireland’s sectarian divides.
Elland, which is “festooned” with such flags, was being jokingly referred to the “Fascist Republic of Calderdale”, she said.
Coun Holdsworth (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) said: “I know there is a cost element but I really do think that as a council that clearly supports an integrated and coherent community, these flags should be taken down immediately.”
But she was accused of “performative outrage” by Coun Paul Hawkaluk (Reform UK, Skircoat).
“Such feigned outrage is in my opinion unfounded – they are opaque mutterings about hidden narratives, racist motivations, and none of it is supported by evidence,” he said.
Members at a meeting of the full Calderdale Council were asked to – and did – approve a protocol for flying of official flags from council and other public buildings, but the debate widened.
Coun Holdsworth said flags illegally attached to lamp posts were a “travesty” undermining the official policy.
“They are illegally attached to council street furniture and they should be removed.
“They are not patriotic symbols, they are not supporting England football or cricket players, they are demarcation lines used in exactly the way that demarcation lines were used in Belfast and Northern Ireland – you knew what King Billy on a white horse meant,” she said.
Coun Holdsworth said a report in The Times newspaper recently indicated nationally medical professionals whose skins were dark were very apprehensive about attending patients in areas where flags were flying from lamp posts.
Coun Hawkaluk said he had not expected the issue of official flag flying to be conflated with this one, which saddened him.
He said: “The Union flag is the flag that’s being erected and flown – the clue lies in the name, the Union flag, under which all British people should be united.”