Labour minister and Finchley & Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman has called on Barnet Council to remove Union Jack and St George's flags attached to public lamp posts without permission, arguing that they should come down now the 2026 FIFA World Cup has ended.
Writing in the Barnet Post, Sackman said she was proud to display the Union Flag during occasions of national celebration, including England's World Cup campaign and King Charles' recent visit to Golders Green.
However, she argued that the flags fixed to public lamp posts in Temple Fortune and Golders Green were different because they had been placed on public property without permission.
She wrote:
"Now that the final whistle has blown on the 2026 World Cup, I'm calling full time on the flags."
Sackman continued:
"Those who live and spend time in Temple Fortune and Golders Green will know that St George's and Union Jacks were hoisted on public lamp posts, without permission, long before the World Cup. It is now time for them to come down."
Concerns Raised by Residents
The Labour MP said she had received messages from constituents describing the displays as "unsettling", "intimidating" and "othering".
She argued that while people are free to display whatever flags they choose on their own homes or businesses, public spaces should remain welcoming to everyone.
"People are entitled to fly whatever flags they wish on their own property, but our public places must belong to all."
Links to Wider National Debate
In her article, Sackman said similar flag-raising campaigns elsewhere in the country had been associated with the Operation Raise the Colours campaign.
However, she also acknowledged that the organisation had not claimed responsibility for the flags erected in Barnet.
Instead, she said the concern centred on flags being attached to public infrastructure without permission and the reaction encountered when council contractors attempted to remove some of them.
Political Reaction
The issue has already generated wider political debate beyond Barnet.
Supporters of Sackman's position argue that unauthorised items should not be attached to public infrastructure and that public spaces should remain inclusive for all residents.
Critics, meanwhile, have argued that the Union Flag and St George's Cross are legitimate expressions of national pride and should not be portrayed as intimidating simply because they are displayed in public.
Whether Barnet Council will remove the remaining flags has yet to be confirmed.
Sarah Sackman's article in the Barnet Post.
Sarah Sackman's FaceBook page.