US Vice President JD Vance has sparked debate on both sides of the Atlantic after urging Britons to “push back against the crazies” who take offence at the flying of the Union Jack and St George’s flag.
Speaking to Fox News about the recent “Operation Raise the Colours” campaign, which has seen a surge in flag-waving across the country, Vice President Vance weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding British and English flags in public spaces. The grassroots movement gained momentum after reports that councils in London and Birmingham removed the Union Jack and St George’s cross from bridges and lampposts, while leaving Palestinian flags untouched.
Vance, a Republican and frequent commentator on issues of free speech in Britain, was asked whether he had noticed how the English flag had become “simultaneously controversial and patriotic.” He drew a parallel with the United States, recalling that a friend of his was fearful of displaying the American flag during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
“You see the same things happening in Europe, and I think we just have to be on guard against this stuff,” Vance told the network. “It’s OK to be proud of your country. It’s, in fact, a good thing to be proud of your country.”
He continued: “We should push back against the crazies who say we should be so ashamed of our culture and of our heritage that we shouldn’t be willing to fly a flag. It’s craziness. We’ve got to call that craziness out. I’d encourage our European friends to follow suit.”
In Southampton, the city council and several local Labour MPs such as Darren Paffey have publicly argued that raising Union Jacks and St George’s flags in the city is wrong, insisting it could be divisive and exclusionary to some communities. Their stance has drawn criticism from supporters of the “Operation Raise the Colours” campaign, who argue that pride in national symbols should not be viewed as an offence or a threat.
The Vice President’s remarks follow a string of interventions in British public debate. Earlier this month, he issued a stark warning to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, cautioning that the UK risked walking down a “very dark path” of “censoring rather than engaging with a diverse array of opinions.” Vance also expressed concerns about what he described as a “backslide in conscience rights” in Britain during the Munich Security Conference earlier this year.
The Operation Raise the Colours campaign has ignited discussion over national identity and free expression, with supporters claiming the right to fly national flags is under threat, and critics warning of rising tensions. As the debate rumbles on, Vice President Vance’s comments are likely to add to an already heated row.
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