Full Breakdown
Farage Promises Legal Aid to Flag Campaign Founder Amid Council Injunction Battles
9/6/2026, 11:14:05 AM
Core Event: Farage’s pledge at Reform UK conference
At the Reform UK national conference in Birmingham on September 4, 2026, party leader Nigel Farage told founder Ryan Bridge of the Raise the Colours movement that Reform would provide legal assistance to challenge council injunctions that bar the group from attaching Union and St George’s flags to public street furniture. Farage framed the issue as a matter of patriotism and claimed the local authority “actually hate the country.”
Background & Context
Raise the Colours describes itself as a grassroots effort to display English flags as a sign of national pride. Since its launch a little over a year ago, the campaign has placed hundreds of flags across England and has faced legal push-back from local authorities. Birmingham City Council has sought a high-court injunction to stop unauthorised flag attachments, while Oxfordshire County Council secured an injunction earlier in the year.
Bridge is also on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of racially and religiously aggravated harassment and has entered a not-guilty plea to a common-assault charge in Brighton.
Data & Statistics
- Birmingham council spent nearly £16,000 removing flags between January 2025 and April 2026; court filings project a final bill of up to £2.6 million.
- The council plans to remove roughly 20,000 unauthorised flags city-wide.
- Earlier removal of 872 unauthorised attachments cost £25,000.
- Birmingham’s debt exceeds £3.5 billion, and the council intends to raise council tax by the maximum 4.99 % next year.
- Bridge faces injunctions in Birmingham and Oxfordshire, bail for alleged harassment, and a pending assault trial in East Sussex.
Official Statements & Responses
- Jane Baston, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Equalities, Communities and Social Justice, said the council is taking a “lawful, proportionate and evidence-led approach” to unauthorised attachments, emphasizing public safety, staff welfare, community cohesion and responsible use of public funds.
Criticism & Opposition
Anti-fascist campaign group Hope Not Hate criticised Bridge’s presence at the Reform conference, describing it as “genuinely shocking” and warning that the movement is linked to extremist elements. During Farage’s speech, two protesters displayed a banner reading “Reform works for billionaires,” prompting boos and their removal by security.
Verbatim Quotes
- “What your campaign has done is wake up vast parts of this country,” — Nigel Farage
- “If we can help you legally, we will,” — Nigel Farage
- “Being accused of a criminal act of raising a flag of your country in your country, I think is lesser than the actual criminal act that is going on on a daily basis from the far-left ultra NGOs.” — Ryan Bridge
What’s Next
The first hearing on Birmingham council’s injunction application is set for a Tuesday (date not disclosed). Reform UK’s legal team will review Bridge’s proposal, and the outcome of the pending court actions will determine whether the flag-raising campaign can resume legally.
