A Mansfield election candidate says he received a 'horrible backlash' after calling for the England flag to be displayed more prominently in the town. Ben Brown, a local solicitor who is standing for the Conservative Party in the upcoming Mansfield District Council elections, shared a photo on social media of the Saint George's Cross outside Nottingham's Council House.
The Council House flag, unveiled on April 21 before being taken down on April 24, was installed to mark St George's Day and was believed to be the largest of its kind in the country. Mr Brown's post on April 21 bemoaned the lack of such a large flag in Mansfield, pledging that he would personally pay for one to go up on the town hall every year if he is elected.
But the following day, Mr Brown said he received a "horrible backlash" to the idea. He shared one particular Facebook message he had been sent, which read: "Why are you trying to stir up hate and divide people by offering to put an England flag on the town hall? You're just spreading more racist Tory ideology."
