The wide emergence of England and Union Flags flying from lamposts, bridges and people’s homes has been regarded as a welcome outburst of patriotism by some. Others have different views.

This week, the issue came before Maidstone Borough Council via a motion brought by Cllr Paul Harper, the leader of the Fant and Oakwood Independent Group.

Cllr Harper said: “Ever since the Brexit debate in 2016, there has been a growing level of intolerance in our society. This has been highlighted over this summer, when we have seen an already fragile civic society weakened by the migration debate.

“I am proud to be English and British, but our country and borough is made up of many cultures and ethnic groups, and this diversity should be celebrated.

“In Maidstone, we have had the annual Mela since 2003, and since then our town has become increasingly multicultural.

“Looking at a few census figures, back in 2011, under 2% of our population across the borough was foreign-born; in 2021, it was just under 6%, and over 10% of our population considered themselves to be from an ethnic community.

“The nature of our population is becoming much more multicultural and I think that is to be welcomed.

“Without previous immigration, we wouldn’t have a health service. Anybody who goes to Maidstone hospital could see that for themselves.

“We wouldn’t have a care sector; anybody who knows people needing care would again know that without immigration, that would not have happened.

“We would be seeing the negative impact on a large scale of our aging population.

“Migration has been a fact of history since the dawn of time; it is not new.

“More recently, our council, through our arts and culture policy, has been working to celebrate our diverse community.

“However, people are contacting me and raising concerns about the developing trend of intransigence.

“My in-laws are from Northern Ireland, where I travel a lot, and I see the use of flags there not to unify, but to divide communities. To denote territory and frequently in an aggressive and intimidatory way.

“Unfortunately, we are now witnessing in England the Union Flag and the Cross of St George being used in the same manner. Not to express national pride, but to denote territory and also to inflame the asylum seekers debate.

“Trust, respect and compassion are among the bedrocks of being British and need to be supported.

“I want this council tonight to say ‘stop’.”

“We all live on a small island and in a small borough, and we need to respect and celebrate each other.

“We can do a few simple things. We can present the facts around immigration, so that people can understand all the issues. We can address and recognise the concerns of minority cultures in our borough in an increasingly hostile environment.

“And we can promote cultural awareness and celebrate diversity.

“We can even use the council’s communication channels to present the facts around migration.”

Cllr Harper then urged the council to support a motion to:

Do all it can to present the facts around migration, current and recent.

Address the concerns of minority cultures in a hostile environment.

Promote cultural awareness and celebrate diversity.

His motion was supported by Australian-born Cllr Kimmy Milham (Green), who spoke from personal experience.

She said: “This isn’t just about policy, it’s personal.”

“Like many in our borough, I wasn’t born here. My father’s grandparents left Scotland in 1855, searching for a better life.

“My mother famously left Birmingham in the ‘70s as a £10 Pom.

“Like them, I find myself in a different country from that in which I was born, searching for a better life.

“Sadly, I increasingly find myself in conversations where people list all the problems that they think are caused by migrants - not realising that they are talking to one.

“When I tell them, I was not born here, they say: ‘Oh, not you!’”

She said: “Symbols like flags are powerful and when they are used in ways that mimic territorial displays, or are co-opted to promote misinformation and hate, they can and do make people feel unsafe and unwelcome.

“As a council, we have the power and the responsibility to make the use of our public spaces in a way that promotes safety and inclusion for all our residents.

“There are flags hanging on the lamposts in my ward of Fant, and we are having to deal with increased fear, division and tension.”

After a motion has been presented to the council by the proposer and seconder, there is usually an open debate, before the Mayor, Cllr Martin Round, would refer it for further discussion either to a policy advisory committee (PAC) or directly to the cabinet. That was indeed what happened with an earlier debate that same evening on giving rights to nature.

However, the council’s deputy leader, Clive English (Lib Dem) intervened, saying: “The proper place to have this discussion is at the Housing and Community Cohesion PAC and not in full council where people on both sides of the argument tend to play to the gallery.”

His advice was accepted by the Mayor, which meant there was no debate on the motion.

The meeting was the first full council attended by Maidstone council’s new Reform UK councillors, who were elected at the recent by-elections in Lenham.

Cllr Steve Povey (Reform UK) had raised his hand to speak, but was denied the chance to do so.

Afterwards, he said: “There are several issues here. Firstly, migration is a national issue, and not really one that falls to the borough council to discuss.

“Secondly, I think the flying of flags is less about immigration than a general protest against the policies of the incumbent government, and people should have the right to protest.

“There is nothing racist about it.”

The council has had to reallocate committee seats following the election of the three Reform UK councillors.

They have been given six seats between them of the 102 committee seats available. Cllr Chris Houlihan will sit on the democracy and general purposes committee and the overview and scrutiny committee.

Cllr Mariela Nedelcheva will sit on the Joint Transportation Board and the employment committee.

Cllr Steve Povey will sit on the housing and community cohesion and on the planning and healthier stronger communities PACs.

The three have chosen Cllr Chris Houilhan as their group leader.