Ashfield MP Lee Anderson says Reform county council's £75,000 new flags 'won't cost taxpayers a penny'
Ashfield MP Lee Anderson (Ref) has poured cold water on ongoing claims that the Reform-led county council’s new flags and banners are costing the taxpayer £75,000.
A total of 164 Union flags have been installed across the county in 82 locations – two at each site.
In a video on Facebook, Mr Anderson said the flags and banners were indeed costing £75,000 – but that taxpayers wouldn’t be charged a single penny for them.
And he added that anyone who didn’t like the fact claims the public would be paying for the flags was ‘fake news’ could ‘stick in your pipe and smoke it’.
In the video, he said: “There’s been people moaning in the media about these and saying it’s cost £75,000 and they’re a waste of taxpayers’ money.
"Well let me tell you, yes, it has cost £75,000 to put these up all around Nottinghamshire, but the good news is it will not cost the taxpayer a single penny.
"This is because we’re going to get these (flags and fittings) sponsored by local businesses, who will pay for the fitting, upkeep and maintainence of them and guess what, we’re actually going to make a profit on these.
“And it won’t be just union flags flying on these (flag points).
"Throughout the course of the year, they will be used for celebrating Remembrance and they’ll also be used for advertising for foster carers and for kinship carers.
"So to the people who are spouting this nonsense about it costing us a fortune, it’s not costing you a single penny and I tell you what, don’t they look great – stick that in your pipe and smoke it.”
However, Ashfield councillor Lee Waters (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall Central on the district council, said it was ‘strange’ no English St George’s flags were being used.
He said: “I’ve no issue with the Union flag being flown – it’s part of who we are.
"But spending £75,000 on flags raises real questions about priorities when local services are stretched.
"And if Reform UK’s big plan is flag-flying, it’s odd they’ve ignored England entirely.
"Why are they not flying the St George’s Cross, especially with the World Cup and other events around the corner?”