Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has again criticised the ruling Conservative Party, saying they have “lost any right” to call themselves a patriotic party no longer capable of “serving anything other than itself.”
The Labour leader said in an op-ed in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that the Tories had weakened many of Britain’s proudest national institutions, such as the economy, mortgages and so forth:
“The question is – is this Conservative Party really capable of serving anything other than itself? I don’t think so. In fact, frankly, when you’ve trashed the economy, hammered mortgage holders, weakened the union, neglected our forces, repeatedly broken laws you expect others to follow and denigrated some of our proudest national institutions – from the BBC, to the National Trust and England football team – I’m afraid you have lost any right to call yourself a patriotic party.”
Starmer said the party lacked faith in the strength of British national identity to “withstand discussion” and this had weakened the Tories’ claim to patriotism:
“Since the Tories have been in power, pride in our flag – indeed, pride in our national identity – has become more contentious. Shouting ‘woke’ doesn’t just undermine the proud British tradition of free speech, dissent and independent thinking. At best, it suggests they don’t have faith in the strength of our history, identity and flag to withstand discussion. At worst, they don’t care if division weakens our nation if it strengthens their grip on power.”
The Labour Party was at its best when it celebrated, defended and served the values of our country and its people; in addition the creation of NATO and the National Health Service is a prime example of this, according to him. He also mentioned that patriotism is about meeting people in towns, villages and cities across the country, it is “the privilege.” In turn, Starmer added that only the Labour Party are now a patriotic party and that they will celebrate St George’s Day with enthusiasm:
“And I won’t let the Tories chip away at our boldness and confidence. To be proudly English means to be proudly ourselves, to hold firm to our convictions and be able to speak our minds – and be civil when others speak theirs. No, Labour is the patriotic party now. We will celebrate St George’s Day with enthusiasm, an enthusiasm shared by each patron saints’ day on our isles.”
He emphasised that hard-working people deserve “better homes”:
“We’re committed to putting our patriotic values into practice. More and better homes for hard-working people. Access to art, sport, and music for every child. Devolving power to local communities, supporting aspiration and championing the British hope that if you work hard, anyone can do well in life.”
He concluded by noting that what matters most is respect, hinting at the Conservative Party’s lack of this quality:
“Ultimately, it’s about respect. Respect for those who have sacrificed so much for us to have the freedoms and rights we enjoy today. Respect for those who keep our country going – from NHS staff to carers, delivery drivers and those who keep Britain safe. And respect for each other, as fellow British citizens.”
The latest polls show that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party is less popular with the public, but the Labour Party holds a strong lead. For instance, a poll by Survation commissioned by campaign group Best for Britain showed the Labour Party gaining 45 per cent of the vote, ahead of the Tories by 19 points.
