Reform UK's rising star Laila Cunningham has addressed questions regarding whether party leader Nigel Farage might implement measures similar to Donald Trump's recent executive order targeting flag burning.
Speaking on GB News, Ms Cunningham indicated she would need to consider such a policy carefully.
When pressed about potential flag burning restrictions, she acknowledged understanding President Trump's position on the matter.
The Westminster City councillor emphasised concerns about diminishing national pride across Britain, particularly highlighting recent incidents where local councils have removed patriotic displays from public spaces.
Laila Cunningham said she will have to think about such a measure
|GB NEWS / POOL
Ms Cunningham expressed strong criticism of councils that have removed flag displays, declaring such authorities should not hold office due to their lack of patriotic sentiment.
"Those councils who do not want the flags up should not be our councils because they are not patriotic," she stated during the GB News interview.
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The Reform UK representative rejected suggestions that displaying St George's Cross flags constitutes aggressive behaviour.
She argued that the real aggression stems from British citizens' interests being consistently overlooked by authorities, describing this neglect as the true source of tension in communities across the nation.
Flags have sprung up in towns and cities across the country | GETTYMs Cunningham framed flag displays as a direct message to government about priorities and protection.
"Raising the flags is telling the Government, 'we matter, we matter more than the foreign criminals, it's about time you protect us, not them,'" she declared during her interview with GB News's Alex Armstrong.
Her comments positioned patriotic symbols as vehicles for communicating public sentiment about immigration policy and law enforcement priorities.
The Reform UK figure suggested that visible displays of national identity serve as reminders to political leaders about their primary obligations to British citizens rather than other groups.
Donald Trump signs flag burning executive order - WATCH
President Trump's executive order, signed on Monday, directs the Department of Justice to prosecute individuals who desecrate the American flag, with the President declaring that flag burners should face one year in prison.
The measure challenges a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that classified flag burning as protected free speech during protests.
Meanwhile, councils across England have faced significant backlash over flag removal policies. Brighton and Hove City Council recently announced that St George's flags along the seafront must be taken down under the 1980 Highway Act, though this order was subsequently paused after contractors faced verbal abuse from residents.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch condemned such actions as "shameful" selective enforcement.