Labour council leader faces calls to quit after 'criminals and nonces' remark

A Labour council leader is facing calls to quit after being filmed labelling St George's flag campaigners as 'criminals' and 'nonces' during a Hertfordshire council meeting.

Jeremy Newmark, who leads Hertsmere Borough Council, described Operation Raise The Colours as 'an organised and orchestrated attempt by a bunch of criminals, extremists, nonces to hijack our national flag' while answering a Conservative councillor's question about whether the Liberal Democrats-run Hertfordshire County Council should remove Union Flags and St George's crosses.

The remarks came days after an estimated 150,000 supporters of ex-English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson joined a Unite The Kingdom rally in London. Newmark, who previously stood as Labour's parliamentary candidate for Finchley and Golders Green in 2017, has been described by opponents as having forfeited his integrity and pushed residents apart.

Opposition councillors condemned him for the remarks, arguing they risked normalising extremism in local politics. Tory councillor Brett Rosehill confronted Newmark at the meeting last Wednesday, asking whether he accepted that by linking the national flag to extremism he risked letting extremists define it instead of reclaiming it for the mainstream. Newmark told Rosehill he would not be lectured about patriotism by a councillor who had praised Operation Raise The Colours, insisting: 'I’m not playing.' He reiterated that the campaign was an organised effort by criminals and extremists to hijack the flag.

'Yes, Councillor Rosehill, this is the organisation that you cited in glowing terms in your question. Look at the individuals behind that organisation, look at the individuals behind Tommy Robinson’s event this weekend. Look at their string of criminal convictions, sex offences and suchlike. If those are the people that councillors in the group opposite see fit to quote in this chamber, see fit to laud in this chamber and to use as part of normative political discourse – something is very wrong,' Newmark added.

The Conservative group on the council, which has led a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition since 2023, called for Newmark's immediate suspension or resignation. They said his words had real consequences over the weekend, stirring hostility and undermining community cohesion. Conservative group leader Lynette Sullivan said the remarks underscored the need for leadership that unites and respects residents, not one that fuels division. Her deputy, Harvey Cohen, added that any leader who insults residents has forfeited integrity and that Hertsmere deserves better.

The Daily Mail has contacted Hertsmere Borough Council for comment. In a statement posted on the Hertsmere Labour website, Newmark apologised for the language he used, saying some of it was wrong and that others had interpreted it in ways he did not intend. He framed his remarks as a reaction to what he described as false claims by Tommy Robinson that the council housed asylum seekers at the expense of local residents, and he reaffirmed pride in Labour's aims to build decent homes, create good jobs, and promote positive community relations in the borough.

The incident reflects ongoing tensions around national flags and extremism in local politics, drawing attention amid broader debates over patriotism and identity across the country. The council leadership has signaled it is prepared to address the controversy through internal processes, while opponents push for accountability and a clear stance against rhetoric that could inflame community tensions.