Whose Flag Is It Anyway? : Reclaiming The Colours

The Contest for Symbols

National flags are never the harmless décor of public life; they are contested territory. From 1970s National Front marches to today’s Raise the Colours displays, competing factions race to drape themselves in the Union Jack and St George’s Cross. Yet no single interest can truly “own” these emblems. These flags belong foremost to the people whose daily labours, neighbourhood ties and shared struggles give it meaning—far beyond any Westminster decree, protest or party-branding exercise.

Economic Fractures and the Identity Void

Our crisis of national identity runs deeper than debates over immigration. It is fueled by an economic system that has fractured once-vibrant working-class communities, hollowed out local industries and left millions feeling rootless. With family pubs, social clubs and factories closed or sold off, communities lose more than jobs—they lose a sense of belonging. That erosion, coupled with a perfectly reasonable distrust of distant authorities and creaking institutions, creates a powder keg. In the absence of a positive, inclusive vision of “who we are,” people gravitate toward the loudest voices—too often those preaching negativity and division rather than solidarity.

The Nation Lives in Its People

Many mistakenly equate the nation with the State: the pomp of official ceremonies, the spin of party manifestos and the headlines of political dispatches. But a country’s true character is forged in kitchens, on factory floors, in community centres and on volunteer frontlines. It is the bus driver, the nurse, the cleaner and the teacher who animate our flag. In recognising that, we can shift the conversation from abstract identity battles to the tangible value of everyday public services, meaningful local jobs and mutual aid networks that knit us together. We are proud to say that we are “For the Nation, Against the State.”

Third Way: A Left Nationalist Vision

Third Way advances a Left Nationalist alternative built on radical redistribution of power and wealth. We insist that control over local assets—councils, co-operatives, neighbourhood trusts—must rest with those who live and work in our towns and cities. True democracy is not a decision every few years at the ballot box but the ongoing ability for communities to set their own priorities, manage local resources and hold institutions to account. We advocate referendum and recall to hold politicians to account. And we want national independence, neutrality and economic sovereignty with goods we can make here, made here.

In the society we want the Home Office simply wouldn’t be able to impose unpopular policies on local communities like filling run-down hotels with asylum seekers. Because those communities would have the power to say, ‘No’. We believe that in a State closely aligned to the wishes of the people there would be less conflict between the two!

Reactionary movements may promise a “return” to greatness, but without transferring real power or resources back to the people, they can only deliver another false dawn. It’s telling that they highlight real problems but offer no solutions or fundamental change. Those who support them should expect the same disappointment they have suffered over and over again.

Lessons in Progressive Patriotism

History offers a roadmap. In the 1840s, Chartists carried both red and national banners, demanding voting rights for working people as an act of patriotic renewal. Post-war Labour governments flew Union Jacks alongside NHS and council-housing flags, binding social reform to national pride. There have been many attempts by the Left to reclaim this ground but they have never caught on. Yet I have always believed that the society people really want is one which combines Social Justice with Nationalism. We must not abandon the idea of a progressive patriotism.

Reclaiming the Standard

Our challenge is clear: fill the vacuum of identity with a story of collective purpose and shared history, not let it represent only ignorance and fear. We must invest in schools, hospitals and affordable homes; devolve decision-making to grassroots bodies; and weave together national colours with social-justice values. The Union Jack, in its fullness, should flutter not over empty vessels of rhetoric but over living acts of mutual aid, shared prosperity, national pride and real democratic power. Our nation should be a positive beacon to the World with an emphasis on a great future as well as a shared past. Only then will we be able to answer with confidence: this flag belongs to us all.

By Patrick Harrington