Totnes Pride flag display sparks political dispute

A political dispute has emerged following the unfurling of a 150-metre rainbow flag around Totnes Castle in Devon. The display was part of the return of Totnes Pride after a three-year hiatus, attracting approximately 400 attendees.

Rupert Lowe, founder and leader of Restore Britain, criticized the event on social media, describing the display as “wildly naff” and “generally vomit-inducing.” He suggested that the event represented “woke theatre” that “sensible gay people despise.”

In response, South Devon MP Caroline Voaden accused Lowe of using “culture-war politics to stoke division.” Totnes Pride organizers, including facilitator Pulama Kaufman, rejected the notion of local outrage, stating the community response was “overwhelmingly positive” and describing the installation as a “piece of public art” supported by English Heritage.