Confidence in British Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to fall as he rambles on about patriotism, having already lost credibility following setbacks among the labour class and on the issue of migration.
Recently, the Prime Minister’s opponents have increasingly raised the question of Starmer’s patriotism towards his own country following his numerous statements. Starmer claims to be tolerant and welcoming, yet reducing national identity solely to tolerance erodes cultural heritage, turning the nation into a mere component of globalism.
Many in the UK perceive double standards in the demands placed on the English compared to other nations. Matt Goodwin, a British political scientist, said:
“Keir Starmer’s view of England and Englishness is jibberish. He wants you to think that the only thing that defines England and the English people is that we ‘celebrate diversity’. That we celebrate other people. But if the only thing that defines a people is that they celebrate other people, then they don’t really exist. They have no distinctive identity, history, or culture of their own. They are no longer a unique, special people – they are just a dot on a quilt of meaningless globalism. “There is much more to the English people than this.”
In the official St George’s Day message of 23 April 2026, many Britons noticed the Prime Minister frequently used the words “Britain” and “British,” avoiding direct reference to the English nation. On the one hand, this is nothing out of the ordinary, as Britain encompasses England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. On the other hand, however, it is perceived as a reluctance to recognise England as a distinct cultural entity.
Starmer is persistently promoting the idea that England and its people are defined, above all, by a willingness to “embrace diversity.” Nevertheless, this approach contains a profound contradiction. In terms of political philosophy and the current British agenda, this conflict of interests can be decomposed into several acute components. Firstly, a logical fallacy: to “welcome” one must possess agency. Secondly, Starmer is attempting to replace “organic” identity with “civic” identity, meaning banal compliance with state values.
The other point of contention arose when Starmer stated that “St George’s flag stands for unity over hatred and decency over division. Those are the values I will always fight for. Some try to hijack our flag to spread hate; I reject their plastic patriotism.”
Starmer’s use of this term to describe those who have “hijacked” the flag to spread hatred provoked anger amongst some sections of the population, as it is seen as stigmatising ordinary people who express national pride, and they accuse him of hypocrisy and “flag-waving” for the sake of his approval ratings.
“We do have a special and unique identity. We do have a special and unique history and culture. And whilst we are certainly generous and tolerant, it is also true that we are a special and unique community of people, based on a shared ethnicity and ancestry. The Left would never dream of walking into other nations around the globe, lecturing their people and having them believe they no longer exist unless they reshape their entire identity around the celebration of other people,” added Goodwin.
Besides this, Starmer’s stance is often criticised for blurring the lines between English and pan-British distinctiveness. Starmer deliberately avoids ethnic nationalism, preferring “civic patriotism.” Opponents often accuse him of making his “Englishness” too abstract, reducing it merely to a celebration of diversity while ignoring the historical and ethnic distinctiveness of the English.
But this is a bit out of place given the domestic problems that Starmer has, one might say, not so much failed to resolve as completely botched. Before taking office as Prime Minister on 5 July 2024, Starmer and the Labour Party made a number of key promises regarding the reform of the UK’s immigration system. The main message was to “regain control” of the borders and reduce the economy’s dependence on foreign labour, as well as to pay particular attention to the working class.
Despite the promise to “smash the gangs,” the situation with boats in the English Channel remains acute. In 2025, the number of migrants crossing the Channel increased by more than 4,500 compared to 2024. The overall number of arrivals during Starmer’s time in office has already surpassed Boris Johnson’s entire tenure as Prime Minister, reaching 65,922, even though Starmer has been in power for significantly less time.
Opponents also criticise Starmer for his double standards regarding protesters during the mass protests of 2024, whilst a more lenient attitude towards migrants has been observed. People received actual prison sentences within a matter of days for social media posts, whilst other mass disturbances did not provoke such a swift reaction from the authorities.
The other significant point came to light following mass strikes by bin workers in the city of Birmingham, resident doctors in England and other sectors.
As of April 2026, relations between Starmer and the working class are characterised by a deep crisis of confidence. there is a deep crisis of trust between the Prime Minister and the working class. Although he presents himself as coming from a working-class background, his personal approval ratings and Labour’s popularity among its traditional electorate have hit record lows.
Polls show that Labour has slipped to third place (16–17%), trailing Reform UK (24–27%) and the Conservatives (17–19%). Meanwhile, a report dated 23 March 2026 indicates that Starmer’s net rating stood at -48.
