A tree surgeon in Cambridgeshire has had his council contract terminated after erecting several hundred Union flags along a major road, in a case that highlights tensions between personal expression and public sector neutrality.
Contract Cancelled Over Flag Protest
Billy Crotty, an arborist working for Steeple Morden Parish Council, attached more than 300 British flags to lampposts on the A1198 near Royston. The council, which had awarded Mr Crotty a £9,000 contract to remove conifers, responded by cancelling the agreement. The decision was confirmed on December 1, 2025.
In a statement, the council explained its position, saying it is a ‘politically neutral’ body and therefore ‘felt it necessary to withdraw the contract’. Council chair Nick Badger noted that Mr Crotty's actions had generated ‘intense press interest’.
A Clash of Perspectives
Mr Crotty contested the council's reasoning, arguing that by taking action against him, the authority had made a ‘political judgement’ and done the opposite of remaining neutral. He told the BBC that while he did not wish to intimidate anyone, the flags were at least partly a protest against illegal immigration.
‘I’ve got five children to feed so it is a bit of a worry,’ he added, highlighting the personal impact of losing the contract.
Brother Context of Flag Campaigns
This incident is not isolated. It coincides with action taken against the campaign group Operation Raise The Colours in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The local authority there has charged the group more than £2,300 for erecting 62 English flags.
One activist has been told he must pay £36.27 per flag plus VAT to cover removal costs. A council letter stated it would pursue costs regardless of whether the activists wanted the flags back and sought to prevent further installations to avoid safety issues and wasting ‘limited resources’.
Meanwhile, Operation Raise The Colours spent a recent weekend in France, where members attempted to damage boats used by migrants to cross the Channel. The group reported being chased from a migrant camp and having stones thrown at them.
The case of Billy Crotty underscores the fine line UK local authorities walk in maintaining political impartiality, while individuals and groups use national symbols to make political statements, often with significant personal and financial consequences.
