GB News presenters Tom Harwood and Dawn Neesom staged a theatrical mockery of Birmingham City Council's decision to take down British flags from street lamps, with the pair draping themselves in the St George's flag live on air.
In the show, the presenters ridiculed the local authority's assertion that the flags posed risks to pedestrians and drivers, despite being positioned 25 feet above ground level.
Speaking on GB News, Dawn said: "The reason we’re making ourselves look even more like idiots than usual is because Birmingham City Council is removing Union flags and English flags from city streets, despite the flags being put up by residents in a patriotic outpouring.
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Dawn and Tom draped themselves in the St George's flag
|GB NEWS
Tom said: “The council says the flags pose a safety risk to pedestrians and motorists and could put lives at risk despite being 25ft off the ground.
"Amazingly, their statement said: ‘Lamp posts are engineered for their specific purpose, and adding extra weight or stress from flags could cause them to weaken over time and potentially collapse.’
Dawn joked: “I’m sorry are you feeling the strain from that flag?”
Tom responded: “Do you know what? This is polyester it’s not putting my back out.”
"I think I can stand up just fine, and I don’t think this is any extra weight. You’re not allowed to put them on lamp posts either. If anything, a lamp post is slightly stronger than me.”
More seriously, the GB News host added: "Let’s be honest this is a political council telling locals who want to be proud of their country, who want to wave their flags and be silly but also patriotic, that they’re not allowed to do so. This is political, is it not?"
Tom fumed that this is a "political point"
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Dawn said: “I mean, I wonder she asked innocently whether they’d have any problem with Palestinian flags, which are obviously a lot lighter and won’t damage lamp posts quite as much.”
Tom later added: “Well, this is Good Afternoon Britain on GB News a patriotic programme, of course. Birmingham Council won’t be coming anywhere near us."
The council maintained its position applied to all unauthorised attachments on street furniture, though the timing coincided with the authority illuminating Birmingham's library in Pakistani national colours to commemorate the country's independence anniversary.
The flags appeared across Birmingham's southwestern districts after a community group called the "Weoley Warriors" launched their campaign at the beginning of August.
These residents used ladders to climb partway up street lamps and secured the flags with cable ties.
Tom joked it was 'not putting a strain on his back'
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The initiative received £2,500 through public contributions and aimed to demonstrate pride in British heritage and accomplishments.
Areas now displaying the red, white and blue emblems include Northfield, Weoley Castle, Bartley Green, Selly Oak and Frankley Great Park.
Birmingham City Council insisted that lamp posts were designed for their intended function only, claiming additional weight from flags could compromise structural integrity.
The authority stated its policy prohibited any posters, signs or flags on street lighting infrastructure, regardless of their nature.