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English patriots are being urged to fly the St George’s Cross with pride, despite growing pressure from councils trying to have the flags removed.
Labour leadership hopeful Wes Streeting has called on towns and cities across the country to proudly display the flag, even though some within his own party have previously criticised it as “stomach-churning.”
In what looks like a World Cup pitch to English voters, Streeting said ordinary people “love our flag, are proud of our flag, and proud of our country.”
“We should be proud of it,” he told The Sun. “I just don’t understand why people want it taken down.”
“With the World Cup coming up, this should be a chance for us to fly England’s flag and celebrate our country, what makes it special, and our national team.”
The former Health Secretary said he had been travelling around the country speaking with voters who feel disappointed by Labour after nearly two years in power.
He added that pride in the flag outside London is “worlds apart” from attitudes in the capital, where he believes the flag is often rejected.
Streeting also said his father, whom he described as a “mostly Tory-voting East End patriot,” struggled to understand why some on the left seem uncomfortable showing pride in the country.
His comments come just days after several councils were accused of cracking down on flag displays in the name of protecting “community cohesion.”
Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council, and Wiltshire Council have all warned residents against putting up the flag on public property.
Green-led Bristol City Council even said it would speed up the removal of flags placed in “sensitive locations” and review how it handles flags on council-owned land.
Fellow Labour MP Rachael Maskell previously said her “stomach churned” when she saw colleagues waving English flags.
Maskell described the flag as nothing more than “tatty bits of cloth.”
“Keir Starmer with two Union Jacks lined up behind him… that’s not the Labour Party,” she said.
“The Labour Party stands against the colonial state — it’s not about owning it.”
Meanwhile, Oxfordshire County Council has threatened legal action against patriotic campaign group Raise the Colours.
Council leader Liz Leffman claimed the group’s activities were “affecting communities” and stressed her pride in the county’s diverse population.
In November, the chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners said flag-raising could be “disturbing” and “intimidating,” arguing it does not reflect British values.
Starmer has also tried to reclaim the flag in recent years.
“It’s our flag. It belongs to us, and we will fly it for the values we believe in,” the Prime Minister said during a St George’s Day event.
Last night, Streeting had a direct message for councils opposing the flag.
“I just don’t get it… why? What are you doing? You should be putting the flag up,” he said.
“It doesn’t belong to one person, one cause, or one side of politics. It belongs to all of us.”
