At the core of every stout-hearted Briton burns the quiet ember of national pride – a steadfast faith in the land that has nurtured our cherished sovereignty, shaped our shared culture, and defined our very identity.
Across local towns and villages, there is a noticeable groundswell of support for raising the St George’s Cross and the Union Jack which goes much deeper than a show of hollow jingoism; rather it speaks of a longing to rediscover national unity by reclaiming a noble heritage too long traduced by sneering vacuous liberals who see patriotism as a vice not the virtue it surely remains.
The flag campaign’s purpose is to remind us of a common destiny born of our common past. It aims to show the nation – and indeed the wider world – that we remain proud of our heritage, our history and our remarkable achievements. For centuries, Britain has stood as a beacon of resilient courage, as from Agincourt to the Battle of Britain our kingdom resisted foreign tyranny. By raising our flags once more, we affirm that, despite the naysayers, all is not lost, because in places like South Holland and the Deepings, most know that love of one’s country is indeed virtuous.
Those who condemn patriotism, claiming that flying the Union Jack or the St George’s Cross is provocative, even xenophobic, fail to recognise that national unity nurtures. How hypocritical that the same kind that disparage the St George’s banner are enthusiasts for displaying the badges and colours of all kinds of minority interests, which, rather than bringing the country together, divide us into segments competing for attention.
How can it be wrong for the British to take pride in their own standard? A nation that cannot raise its flag without apology is at least made hollow by weak-hearted self-doubt and at worst made hateful by weak-minded self-loathing. The flying of our national colours is not a threat; it is an act of civic celebration, an emblem of togetherness.
Let us not be cowed by those who would turn unity into discord, or pride into shame. The red cross of St George once rallied our knights in battle; the Union Jack has long stood as the timeless symbol of a proud union of nations, forged in struggle and sustained by shared values. These banners are not relics to be condemned to history. They are living totems of our cherished common sense of belonging, for our age and for those born later.
Here in South Holland and The Deepings, and across Lincolnshire, where so many county and national flags are flown, we are leading the way. So, I hope every parish, and every civic institution raises our county and national colours with dignified pride. Let our towns and villages be alive with the red, white and blue of St George and the Union Jack – visible reminders that patriotism here at least is not suppressed for, but celebrated openly as the binding thread of community life. Let our flags fly high over schools that educate our children, churches that guide our spirit, farms that feed our nation, and businesses that drive our prosperity.
A nation's character is its fate. Those who will follow us deserve the chance to know that our generation adorned streets with emblems of patriotism in a quiet, enduring testament to a community bound by its common past and the shared purpose of making Great Britain still greater!