Dear Editor,
It seems we’ve reached peak absurdity in Britain when the simple act of flying our national flag can spark a row fit for Question Time. Welcome to Flag Gate — the latest saga in which being quietly patriotic is treated as if it’s a dangerous political statement.
On one side, you have people who think the Union Jack and St George’s Cross should proudly fly year-round in our towns, not just trotted out for royal weddings and the odd football tournament. On the other, you have a vocal minority who clutch their pearls at the mere sight of a flagpole, convinced it’s a being armed by of nationalists, Brexit lovers or even something far more sinister.
This is the same crowd, mind you, who happily encourage mass protests, wave foreign flags with gusto, and think it’s acceptable to glue themselves to the M25 because someone didn’t switch to oat milk fast enough. Palestinian flags have been waved from government buildings, marches have brought London to a standstill, and a small but noisy group of activists think lying in the middle of the road is ‘peaceful protest’ — even if it stops ambulances. Thousands arrested for supporting an actual proscribed terror group but hang on…. a Union Jack on a lamppost in the high street and suddenly we’ve got a ‘far-right problem’. Give me strength.
Let’s get one thing straight: the vast majority of people who want to see the Union Flag or St George’s Cross flying proudly aren’t extremists. They’re not plotting coups from the local pub. They’re ordinary Britons who love this country — its culture, its history, its decency — and are tired of being made to feel embarrassed about it.
Yes, there’s a tiny fringe who have tried to hijack the flag debate to push anti-immigration or far-right agendas. They exist. They’re a minority. But it’s dishonest — and frankly insulting — to pretend they represent the rest of us. Most people flying the flag aren’t interested in division; they’re interested in pride.
This debate isn’t about who you voted for or where you were born. It’s about recognising that Britishness isn’t exclusive — it’s shared. Whether your family has been here for centuries or you arrived last year, the flag represents something bigger: the values we hold in common.
British values aren’t just words in a government leaflet. They’re lived every day. They’re about fairness and decency — like queuing patiently without pushing in. They’re about a quiet, resilient pride — like standing in the rain to watch a Royal parade, armed with nothing but a brolly and a flask of tea.
They’re about community spirit — from the village fête to the packed terraces at a football match. They’re Oasis blaring from a pub garden, Paddington Bear teaching us about kindness, and a nation united by its love of a proper cuppa.
Of course, we also cherish the big principles: democracy, individual liberty, respect and tolerance for others. These are the backbone of our society. They’re what bind us together no matter our background. Flying the flag isn’t about excluding anyone — it’s about saying this is what we share.
And here’s where clarity matters: these values are for everyone who comes to this country legally and in good faith. Britain has always welcomed those who want to contribute, integrate, and respect our way of life. But that social contract is being undermined daily by the steady flow of small boats across the Channel — and a government that seems content to watch it happen.
Illegal migration erodes public confidence. It’s unfair on those who followed the rules, unfair on communities already under strain, and unfair on the British public expected to foot the bill while ministers shrug. It doesn’t make you ‘far right’ to say this — it makes you someone who believes in borders, security and basic common sense. If you don’t control who comes in, you undermine trust in everything else.
The people who’ve come here legally deserve a system that protects and values them. Instead, we’ve got chaos. And that chaos fuels division — exactly the sort of division the flag should be cutting through, not being blamed for.
And here’s the irony: while ordinary Britons are proud to fly their flag, we’ve got the most anti-British government in living memory trying to chip away at everything that makes this country great. From giving away our islands to hammering our pensions, our farmers, and British businesses, Starmer’s assault on Britain is nothing short of treasonous with disabled children and savers next in his firing line.
He’s presiding over a managed decline — and doing it with a smug grin. The man has all the charisma of damp toast, no wonder Donald Trump forgot who he was! While he dithers on the world stage, real Britons are left picking up the pieces at home. And yet somehow, in his Britain, flying the flag is the controversial bit.
If Starmer had his way, we’d probably replace the Union Jack with some bland EU-blue banner with a QR code linking to a diversity strategy. Oh and he would use his mate ‘Tony’ to design it… much like the nonsense that are Digital ID cards an idea resurrected from the Blair years.
This isn’t a left vs right issue. It’s a pride vs cynicism issue. It’s about whether we’re allowed to love our country openly without being smeared. No one blinks when the French fly the Tricolore, or when Americans hoist the Stars and Stripes on every street corner. In contrast however if your a Brit, it seems flying a St George’s flag will see you accused of plotting to overthrow the state. Ludicrous.
Well, I say enough. Let’s stop apologising for being British. Let’s stop letting the professional offence-takers dictate what pride should look like. If people can wave foreign flags freely, then surely the Union Jack — the flag of our shared home — has earned its place in our towns year-round.
Flying the flag isn’t an act of aggression. It’s an act of belonging. It’s about saying: This is who we are. This is what we love. This is what we stand for.
Whether you’re celebrating our music, our humour, our institutions, or just a good cuppa on a drizzly afternoon, that flag belongs to all of us.
So yes, let’s fly the Union Flag and St George’s Cross all year round. Not out of hostility, but out of love. Because Britain, for all its flaws, is still the best country in the world. And it’s about time we started acting like it.
Cllr Nicholas E Housden
