I'm sure LGBTQ groups would have been considered "intimidating" in the 1980s

Define intimidation

Totally agree. “The problem is not the left wing, Labour Party or Andy Burnham and it is not politics or immigration at all. It is people. Brits have become thuggish, violent, selfish, backward idiots swayed by an ultra-right-wing press and crass, insidious social media and ultra right-wing thugs such as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson. The toxic growth of the neoliberal Farage and Reform are also distorting the political life and views of the electorate, a substantial number now falling for this odious world view. You know how the American Idiot is a legendary figure around the world? Welcome to the British Buffoon. He is a figure that does not care about anything, will accept any level of indignity, any collapse in living standards if he gets to wave the Union Jack, shake a fist at the world, and sing Britannia Uber Alles. Maybe he is a fisherman, who voted for Brexit, now does not have any fish to catch, and instead of understanding that he was lied to, that Europe was just a convenient scapegoat, he still votes ultra conservative or the disgustingly xenophobic and vile racist Reform. Maybe he is a farmer, who is now facing bankruptcy, since exports to Europe basically do not exist anymore in many farming sectors and yet he still votes ultra conservative or the odious Farage’s Reform because he has been taught that xenophobia is worth more than having a living. Maybe she is a working-class single mom, raising a family in public housing voting against public housing and income because she has been taught that billionaires such as Farage will fix everything. Or maybe she is a middle-class professional whose savings have been drained after more than a decade of austerity, now paying for college, healthcare, childcare, but still votes conservative or Reform because she has been taught that being “woke” is a threat to her kind, culture, identity, and place in the world. What happens when people fail at democracy like this? Well, it is simple. Democracy fails. A society becomes a failed state. Not in the way we are used to thinking of it. There is a coup, there is a revolution, the army rolls in, the government collapses. But in a softer, altogether more dangerous way. Consensually. A country commits suicide as a modern, functioning society not with a bang, but with a million whimpers, shrieks of rage, howls of xenophobia, racism, guttural snarls of nationalism and inane flag waving. And soon, there is nothing left but poverty, despair, rage, and hate. That is what former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned is happening. Britain’s becoming a failed state. He is not wrong. He is right. In the deadliest way of all. Brits are failing their democracy their democracy is not failing them. They are willing their own society to self-destruction. Americans, came to their senses, voted, finally, for Joe Biden and against rampant neoliberalism. But Brits are not coming to their senses. They seem to have had the sense beaten out of them. The conservatives were in power for over a decade and were useless. Boris, Truss, Rishi were crooks or deluded. And now what will Britain be if Reform gains any influence? To infect mainstream politics and the electorate like a malignant disease with homophobic, racist, nativist, fascist, sexist, antisemitic and Islamophobic ideas. A morally bankrupt, sordid, poor little forgotten island, of fools, drunk on beer, egotism, jingoism, shouting at the world, wave flagging barbarians shaking their fists in desperate, stupid, ugly impotent rage. “We’re number one!! You fools!! Bow!!” And the world, being the world, will laugh pityingly, and move swiftly on".

I fucking hate the flag-shagging.

Some folks tried that in Edinburgh, and they were taken down in a few days. Then put up again. Then taken down again.
Cheap polyester madie-in-china tat cable tied to lampposts.
It's not patriotic, it's insipid and cliche.

Ideally we should have flags and improve people's lives imho

Flags on lampposts is a common thing where I live. They've specially adapted the lampposts to accommodate them in some places, to make it look nice and tidy. Works well.