What a difference from four years ago. Across traditional and social media, Britons are crying out for the leadership they see in Donald Trump. It’s no mystery why.
Our great ally, Britain, a nation forged in courage and resolve, once the envy of the world, deserves far better than its current government.
While Labour seems bent on dismantling the nation it governs, Trump never misses a chance to fortify his — without flinching.
With one executive order this week, President Trump has done more to fortify America’s heritage and identity than Sir Keir Starmer has managed for Britain in over a year of catastrophic leadership.
In his latest move, Trump seeks to authorise legal action against those who burn our cherished Star-Spangled flag.
The order states: “My Administration will act to restore respect and sanctity to the American Flag and prosecute those who incite violence or otherwise violate our laws while desecrating this symbol of our country, to the fullest extent permissible under any available authority.”
To be clear, it doesn’t criminalise protest—it targets violent provocation. It declares: "If you burn our flag to stir violence or destruction, the law won’t turn a blind eye. That’s hardly oppression; it’s responsibility. It’s the tone Western democracies deserve when respected symbols face assault.”
Trump just exposed Starmer's catastrophic leadership with one stroke of a pen. The game is up - Lee Cohen
|Getty Images
The order acknowledges the 1989 Supreme Court ruling that flag burning is expressive conduct, but argues that acts inciting lawless action or constituting inflammatory language may face legal consequences.
In contrast, British leadership has seemed hesitant to defend national symbols. In cases such as Tower Hamlets, local councils have removed St George’s or Union flags after complaints about inclusivity, sparking public debate. Critics perceive incidents like these as reflecting a broader reluctance to champion British identity.
The St George’s Cross, a symbol that has rallied Britons through battles and bound communities in shared pride, is now branded divisive by those who should champion its stirring power. It’s the worst kind of self-loathing—a betrayal of the identity that binds the nation.
These acts have ignited a national row, with observers decrying a two-tier bias where British flags are ludicrously deemed provocative, while foreign flags, waved in earlier protests, fly freely. This selective enforcement breeds quiet anger among Britons who ask why their nation’s pride must be apologised for.
This retreat doesn’t just wound pride; it risks unravelling the threads of a culture that has shaped law, liberty, and resilience for generations. Where is the outrage from Downing Street? Where is the call to hoist the flag high, as Trump has done? Starmer’s response has been lame.
His spokesman muttered feebly that “patriotism will always be important to him,” adding that English flags go up “every time the English football team, the women’s and men’s, are around.” Really?! The Flag of England is a mere prop rather than a banner of Britain’s enduring spirit.
For us, your ally across the Atlantic, this spectacle is baffling. Starting with President Trump, who restored Churchill’s bust (removed by Obama and Biden) to the Oval Office, we Americans still honour your “finest hour,” when Britain stood defiant against darkest tyranny.
The St George’s flag, like the Union Jack, carries the weight of Britain’s contributions—its literature, laws, and victories. To see it torn down is to watch that legacy challenged.
Where Churchill and Thatcher wielded symbols to unite a nation in crisis, Starmer’s inaction emboldens those who would erase them.
Labour is intent to appear inclusive and accommodating, hesitating to express unfiltered pride in British traditions unless focus-grouped.
They haven’t lifted a finger—or raised a flag—to defend important national symbols. Labour minister Torsten Bell went as far as to say that political attention should be focused more on public services rather than "worrying about flags.”
Contrast this with Trump’s conviction. With one stroke of the pen, he reaffirmed what millions of Americans—and Britons—believe: national pride isn’t an embarrassment; it’s a priority.
He confronts vandals who exploit free speech to sow discord, reinforcing that patriotism demands respect. For his part, Starmer has overseen months of economic decline and social unrest. It’s hard to imagine more divergent paths for two nations bound by shared history and values.
Yet, the British lion is awakening as movements like Raise the Colours gain momentum and Reform UK swells it ranks. From market towns to city streets, Britons are rallying—through petitions, community displays, and defiant flag-raising—to reject this erosion of their heritage.
The reckoning for Labour in 2029 cannot come soon enough. It will be a welcome restoration of the Britain that inspired the world—and still can.