Independent councillor John Edwards expressed outrage after his proposal to permanently display the Union Jack at Memorial Park was rejected by Sandhurst Town Council.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Edwards declared the decision "absolutely shocking" and accused fellow councillors of labelling the national flag as "divisive" and "hateful".
The councillor claimed the rejection stemmed from decades of left-wing influence that has made patriotism synonymous with racism. "We have been conditioned by the left in the last 20 years to not talk about patriotism or pride because it's seen as a dirty word and racist," Mr Edwards stated.
He argued that councillors should "reclaim our flag" from those who wrongly characterise it as a symbol of hatred, insisting it instead "represents peace and democracy".
John Edwards lashed out at his council's decision not to hang a flag
|GB NEWS / GOOGLE MAPS / PA
The motion, which proposed installing an additional flagpole at the 69-acre Memorial Park to ensure the Union Jack remained permanently visible, failed to gain sufficient support during Thursday's strategy and policy committee meeting.
Conservative councillor Dale Birch voiced concerns about the timing and necessity of the proposal. "Do we need another flag pole? And why has it happened right now?" he questioned during the debate.
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He expressed discomfort that certain groups were attempting to appropriate the national flag as what he termed an "obscene motto with a divisive nature".
The councillor emphasised his belief that the flag should not be used for "quasi or even direct political messages" related to Government actions.
GB News guest erupts at 'left-wingers' for turning their backs on Union flag: 'It’s everybody’s flag!' - WATCH
His position was that the existing flagpole should display the Union Jack at suitable occasions rather than permanently.
Mr Edwards revealed that numerous Union Jack flags had recently appeared throughout Sandhurst, prompting swift council action. "There have been hundreds of flags go up in Sandhurst.
The council came out at 5am to tear them down, I had never seen the council act so fast in my life," he recounted.
The flags were subsequently reinstalled by residents, leading the council to cite highway safety concerns as justification for their removal.
Mr Edwards joined Martin Daubney
|GB NEWS
Mr Edwards attempted to address this issue through his official proposal.
"I was told by the council it's a highways issue. I said great, let's put up an official flag. These flags can come down but still see their flag flying," he explained.
Despite his compromise solution, the council rejected the proposal, with Mr Edwards maintaining their stated reasons were merely pretextual.
Graham Birch, Conservative councillor for Little Sandhurst, acknowledged finding recent perceptions of the national flag "quite challenging".
Union Jack and St George's flags have been appearing in their hundreds across Britain in a movement referred to as 'raise the colours' | PAHe maintained that the Union Jack ought to symbolise "hope and unity" for all British citizens.
"We are Britain. All of us, everyone who is a British citizen and it should be, you know, uniting us," Mr Birch stated during the debate.
Yet he opposed the proposal if it meant the flag becoming a "divisive symbol" or being exploited for "political gain".
He insisted the flag should never serve such purposes.
Mr Edwards reported that voting split among Conservative councillors, with one supporting the motion, two opposing, and one abstaining. The abstaining councillor reportedly feared his comments might be "misconstrued", which Mr Edwards interpreted as evidence of intimidation regarding patriotic expression.
Sandhurst Town Council told GB News: "The Strategy and Policy Committee of Sandhurst Town Council discussed erecting a second flagpole to display the Union Flag constantly. The Council currently display the Union Flag when the occasion demands, such as on Remembrance Day. As there is already a flagpole in situ it was decided, as per the democratic process, that a second flagpole was not needed."