St George’s Crisis: The Significance of Flag Flyer Sentiment for our Future

Image - Jake Landsberg

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Since mid-August, England has seen the proliferation of St George’s Cross across our streets, with the flag covering the lamp posts and being drawn on the roundabouts in areas spanning the nation. We’ve not really seen much like this in recent history; the patriotism and unity of the likes seen on Thursday evenings during lockdown paired with the divisiveness of recent political faction face-offs in London is a mixture that can rarely be seen in a single cause. The movement, Operation Raise the Colours, was initiated in response to a feeling of loss of national pride and betrayal by the state. Ahead of today's Tommy Robinson led protest starting in Samford Street in Southwark, it’s crucial we understand where this sentiment has come from and how this era of change will impact our lives.

The merit lies not in labelling this movement as right or wrong but rather in portraying the significance of the sentiment of those doing it, its relevance in relation to the notion of ‘Englishness’ and its ever-evolving definition, and what this means for us all going forward.

Views on the ground vary. Some feel ‘awakened’ and support the movement, feeling a strong sense of pride by the nations unity in flying the flag across the country. Others less so – citing that whilst they respect the flag, they sense the movement has other motives. In an interview with iNews, a 58-year-old man living in Blackley explained he felt worried for the impact it might have on his Polish neighbours, explaining they might feel that the movement is a message to the immigrant community, and compared it with the BNP in the 70s as it’s fuelling racism.

This is of course a fair concern and it speaks volumes to the reasons it's a complicated development for the government to handle.

Following years of increased legal and illegal immigration, several stand-offs against pro-Palestinian rallies, paired simultaneously with the level of support Farage’s Reform UK Party has amassed, there’s no reason to be surprised by the emergence of a widespread movement based on patriotism by the far-right.

It’s a climactic period of time for the far-right.

One cannot allow far right activists to spread fear, but when the symbol for this movement is the flag of the nation also being used by citizens not wanting to incite any sort of fear, we cannot expect any sort of peaceful settlement or common consensus on the issue. A divided front on this issue by councils prove this; with some councils, such as Birmingham, removing or painting over the flags whilst others aim to ignore the divisive side of the movement and focus on the unity of the symbol, with the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper (whilst being Home Secretary at the time) encouraging people to ‘put ‘em up anywhere’ on a recent radio interview with the Times.

Substantially, what does it say about the people of our nation, the direction we’ve gone in and the direction the sentiment of the nation demands we go? The 2024 estimates on immigration suggest that 948,000 immigrants entered the UK, a reduction from the 1.3 million that entered during 2023. It’s changed the makeup of many communities (including London, where over 40% of its residents were born abroad as of 2021), and subsequently been a matter for mainstream discussion. Whilst 52% of those polled wanted reduced immigration to the UK, many recognised the benefits of immigration to society in the UK, with 60% saying immigration should be made easier for ‘High-skilled workers’ (as of the Migration Observatory in January 2025). And those flying flags shouldn’t be naive to the fact; immigration can be hugely beneficial to the UK. Those citing ‘overpopulation’ should be aware that if net-immigration where to be 0, we’d be in a critical population decline, with net figures only of 120,000 leaving the population ‘flat’ (ONS figures May 2025). It’s not only a matter of population but also of contributing to the economy and society that’s often cited as a reason for anti-immigration. Proponents of this view may not realise that over 5.75million employees (making up 19% of the UK workforce) are immigrants to the UK- a significant amount (Migration observatory as of December 2024).

Regardless of opinion, it’s of integral importance that we both recognise immigration can be majorly beneficial and that there is a limit, which upon breaching would no longer be beneficial. A borderless UK is not beneficial to those residing within it.

Sentiment from those putting up the flags has arisen from a variety of factors, and it’s important to understand why. With over 106,000 immigrants housed in accommodation provided by the government (majority being in hotels) the feeling of ‘betrayal’ has arisen from citizens who are facing high inflation, hitting 3.8% in July and tax rise upon tax rise, with further expected to come in the upcoming autumn budget.

It speaks to the difficulty our party system is having. With the emergence and popularity of Reform UK, we’ve seen both the Tories and Labour produce a far tougher stance against illegal and legal immigration, with Labour now aiming to ‘tackle the boats’ – a stance which no doubt gives Reform UK the upper hand going into the next General Election given it’s their raison d'etre.

From this, we must understand why it’s important to address this period of turbulent sentiment that's spread through the UK. We must ensure we enter a period of stability and to do so we must recognise and accept inevitable change.

It speaks, most significantly, to the notion of Englishness. From the English Reformation and the Industrial Revolution to the introduction of High Tea and Hooliganism, the notion of being English has always changed drastically. It’s change has always come with scepticism and whilst I present the changes flippantly, they have often come with grievous consequences for the nation too (probably excluding High Tea). Don’t get me wrong. To accept that‘ Englishness’ often changes, is not to accept that any change is acceptable and not to be feared. With civil protests and division running rampant in the UK there’s no doubt it’s a time of turbulence and instability in the UK, and it’s in the hands of the Labour government – more specifically the newly appointed Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood (and the successive governments to come) – to solve this era of division and change to ensure a harmless and smooth transition to the next era of ‘Englishness’. If dealt with correctly, it’s an era we should welcome, not fear.

So, just as we knew the merits of clapping on the NHS on Thursdays during lockdown, and just as we feared (and continue to do so) the implications of ideologically fuelled rallies in London, we must enter this era of change with balance, intelligence, and clarity. Those who view this societal challenge with hatred or naivety are putting the interests of our country behind those of their own.