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I understand why people are nervous about this. When you see some yobbo draped in a union jack, or with the St George’s cross painted across his face, shouting hate against foreigners, it is easy to conclude that the flag-wavers are not your team.
But it’s our flag too and you should never be ashamed of it, even on those days when your country’s leadership disappoints you by invading Iraq, backing Brexit or picking the wrong song for its Eurovision entry.
We all know the adage about patriotism being the last refuge of the scoundrel and perhaps you have the odd friend — or student-age child — who delights in referring to themselves as a citizen of the world. But most of them are actually pretty pleased to be living in the UK and, even with its current problems, they are right to be. Even if we no longer think God is an Englishman we all know that he keeps a house here for when he’s visiting. (There’s no truth to the rumour that he moved to Dubai for tax reasons after Rachel Reeves’ budget, though I guess that’s bad news for the meek, who now face a hefty inheritance tax bill on the Earth.)
It is also true that there are bad actors who use the flag as a divisive symbol as part of a wider campaign to other those more recent arrivals in the country. And on top of all that, it simply has never been a very British thing to wear your patriotism too heavily. The English in particular have not felt much need to make a display of our love of country. Although the Scots and Welsh have no problem flying their national flags.
But here’s the thing. You cannot allow patriotism to belong to only one political movement. There are different ways to love your country. Doing down the flag because you dislike some of the people who most avidly display it will simply be turned against you by those who want to cast doubt on your commitment to the nation. Slag the flag and you have placed yourself in the rootless cosmopolitan box they want to put you in.
The only choice is for Brits of all creeds and colours to reclaim it for their kind of Britain. There was a time when this seemed to be happening but such progress has been arrested by the unease many feel at the aggression, anger and political cynicism with which it is being deployed.
You do not want to give these people sole custody of our flag. So yes, everyone should fly it or wear it proudly. The banners you see after England football victories or at the Last Night of the Proms. That’s my flag and I’m prepared to bet that is the flag for most Brits. We want it as a symbol of shared values, national pride and unity, not the colours of snarling hatred.
The last thing the bad actors want to see is the union jack on the lapels or homes of immigrants and new arrivals — a sign of inclusion not exclusion. So let’s disappoint the race-baiters and agitators, the political posers who suddenly want to film themselves shimmying up lampposts to affix the flag to their career ambitions. Instead of sneering, let’s take it back. And by the way, those of us whose predecessors chose this country often feel the very greatest love for it.
As for the derided metropolitan liberal elite, they too must step up. It may be hard at first; you run the risk of being misunderstood. But we want the cross of St George flying proudly from every Liberal Democrat stronghold in south-west London, from the doorways of Gail’s and in the vases of Oliver Bonas. Embrace the flag. In fact it might even be worth starting a small business supplying domestic flagpoles for the front lawn.
And look, I know the colour scheme can feel a bit too bold for those of us more comfortable with pastel or rustic shades, but that’s no reason to miss out. Farrow & Ball does a lovely off-white, Slipper Satin, which is a little less glary. Its Wimborne White is also very pleasing. And don’t settle for the first bland scarlet you find. Take a look at Rectory Red or Romesco. Before long you will have a St George’s cross that nicely offsets the brickwork. Then perhaps add an Oxfam poster in the window to show you are the good kind of patriot.
Those of us who love this modern, multi-ethnic nation, for all its flaws, have a role to play in making sure everyone knows this is our flag too. It is a symbol of integration, of different nations joined together. It does not belong to one subset of the people but to all of us.
Email Robert at [email protected]
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