THE HARLOW councillor in charge of law and order has issued a statement on the positioning of hundreds of Union and St George’s fags across the town.

The flags are part of a far right campaign called Operation Raise The Colours which culminates in a demonstration in London on September 13th.

Whilst council leader, Dan Swords had been vociferous in his defence of the flags, Harlow Labour have wondered why two Conservative councillors, with key community-facing roles have not stepped forward.

Perhaps it was because we had not asked them. So we asked them.

Councillor Joel Charles said:

“As a member of the Conservative and Unionist Party, I have always worked to celebrate the United Kingdom and the values that make up our national identity in England. It is right to find public ways to celebrate the Union as a whole and our country.

“I personally do not believe that displaying St George’s and Union Flags can be considered intimidating. It is incumbent on the majority of residents in our town to take ownership of the flags from extremists, including the far-right.

“Anyone committing criminal damage or vandalism should always be challenged and dealt with robustly, but I do not class the public act of displaying St George’s and Union Flags in one of those categories.

“The police will always act to maintain public safety. It is wrong to attempt to stir up hate. There is no place in Harlow for people who are intolerant of others.”

Councillor Danielle Brown

“I want to share my sentiments regarding the recent discussions surrounding hate crime and community safety. I firmly state that I do not condone any form of hate crime, nor do I support acts of intimidation. It is disheartening to see this dialogue become a platform for point-scoring, particularly as seen with Cllr Griggs—he should know better.

Since I was elected, I have passionately worked on community collaboration, integration, and strengthening the unity within our diverse community. I hold admiration for Integration Support and the vital work they do to promote healthy integration, safely and effectively. This approach mirrors the positive experience of my grandfather, who as a refugee, fled Poland after it became a communist satellite state of the Soviet Union and integrated successfully into British society.

I have a good working relationship with the CEO of Integration Support, and I thank her for raising awareness of the issues service users have faced and encouraging this behaviour to be reported. It is sad to hear of these events in Harlow and it’s important to promote kindness and report any forms of abuse and intimidation. I trust the CEO knows she can approach me, should she feel the need to contact me. I have also reached out.

The national flags displayed throughout our streets are meant to represent unity and shared values. They to me symbolise the positive contributions of people from all backgrounds who enrich our community.

We must work together to ensure that extremists do not twist the meaning of these symbols or lower the tone of such positive sentiments and stir up hate.

“I would encourage fostering a community where we can discuss these matters constructively and collaboratively, rather than engaging in divisive tactics.