Keir Starmer urges public to reclaim English flag from Southport rioters

Sir Keir Starmer has urged the public to reclaim the English flag, sharing his worries about the far-right claiming ownership of it during a Downing Street reception held to mark St George’s Day.

“I do understand the fight over the flag... but that’s why we’ve got to reclaim it. It belongs to all of us,” the prime minister said.

On Tuesday night (22 April), Sir Keir pointed to the riots following the Southport stabbings, which were fuelled by online misinformation and which the PM has previously blamed the far-right for.

Sir Keir said he had seen “people throwing bricks at the very same police officers I was shaking hands with” when he visited the scene of the stabbings, adding: “And that’s why the battle for our flag is really important because that is what happened and that was only last year.”