Luke Murphy says the English flag “is for everyone” and must not be used to make Basingstoke residents feel excluded. I feel really proud to wear an England shirt, and my family have served under that flag to defend our country. “There are clear rules about what you can attach to lampposts, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate our flag. Hampshire County Council says it will remove flags from lampposts only if they pose a safety risk, not simply because they are unauthorised. The council removed seven flags from Hampshire’s highways network in the past year during routine maintenance or inspections, not a targeted enforcement drive.