Suddenly, two of our familiar flags – the neo-colonial Union Jack and England’s Red Cross of St George – have, for many people, become toxic symbols of fear, hatred and xenophobia. As recent news bulletins have vividly demonstrated, these once familiar flags of England’s national identity have been hijacked by the far right.
It’s a familiar story from our past, too easily forgotten. In England, as elsewhere, the unscrupulous have been quick to exploit xenophobia for their own ends. Its most familiar manifestation is antisemitism. In medieval England, the rich powerful could easily whip up hatred and fear of minorities, including the small Jewish communities. Even before the days of dreaded social media, absurd lies could spread at lightning speed, including claims of Jewish people drinking the blood of children in satanic rituals.
Such fear and hatred, perpetuated by local Norman landlords to avoid paying their debts to Jewish moneylenders – precursors of modern bankers – incited the mass murder of the Jewish community in York in 1190.
Old tropes, new targets
Creating scapegoats was also a fundamental part of Nazi ideology, leading not just to Kristallnacht in 1938 but ultimately to the horrors of the Holocaust.
In 21st-century Britain, the same dark tropes are being used again, this time linked to alleged sexual violence by people with black- and brown-hued skins. Unbelievably, there are now absurd claims that Britain is no longer a safe place to live, owing to potential violence against women and girls, perpetuated of course by “aliens”. There is even a claim by a leading politician that women avoid jogging in parks near migrant centres for fear of being attacked by men hiding in bushes.
Flag-wearing mobs outside hotels housing migrants have become a familiar sight on our television screens. Just as in the appalling pre-Brexit days of 2016, we are again seeing nightly images of small inflatable dinghies packed with migrants crossing the Channel, just as refugees at Calais were once shown climbing wire fences.
Almost invariably, such images are followed by a soundbite from Farage or another senior right-wing politician, constantly cashing in on, and repeating, the frightening message – the hordes are coming. Britain is no longer safe. Dr Goebbels could not have orchestrated it better.
Fear, anger and exploitation
Racism and bigotry are now inexorably linked to the flag of St George – ironically representing an obscure Greek saint who never came anywhere near England. Red crosses, now being daubed in public spaces, have ominous echoes of other crooked crosses from the 1930s.
The government’s failure to find effective solutions is something Reform has been quick to exploit. The perception of highly visible, newly arrived immigrants in ‘luxury’ hotels in city centres, with free food and other benefits, inevitably sticks in the throats of people who are unemployed or on low wages, struggling to survive and relying on Food Banks. Anger at supposedly generous treatment of the newly arrived – who have presumably paid thousands of pounds to people-smuggling gangs for their hazardous crossings – provides the perfect platform for demagogues.
Unless rapid solutions are found – ending the highly visible boat crossings, speeding up the asylum process, and above all creating a tough but compassionate immigration system – Britain will become like the USA: in the grip of authoritarian dictatorship, with civil rights and freedoms suspended, perhaps forever.
Towards a constructive future
Ironically, with a rapidly ageing and disturbingly sick population, Britain desperately needs young workers in care, the NHS, catering, transport and agriculture. The intelligent solution would be to offer temporary work visas in key industries, allowing young, able immigrants to earn their citizenship.
Such a system would require a national identity scheme – no more intrusive than credit cards or NHS app – using modern IT and AI technology, with appropriate safeguards, to establish those with the right to stay, whether temporarily or permanently. Accommodation close to workplaces would be required, if necessary using mobile homes or repurposed existing buildings.
If new arrivals were seen to be contributing to the common good, they would no longer be easy targets for misinformation, abuse or medieval stereotyping. Education is also needed to counter the lies and vile propaganda financed by those whose wealth is sheltered in offshore tax havens or secured through cryptocurrency money laundering.
Flags of identity
So, during the 2025 flag wars, which flag can we wave that does not incite anger, hatred and fear?
One important bulwark against the rise of neofascism is regionalism, especially if based in local communities, with vibrant citizen engagement, locally elected politicians, and – ideally – elected Regional Assemblies.
In Yorkshire we have our own flag – the white rose against a blue background. Since 2008 this has been an official flag, which can be displayed at civic centres, or on garden flagpoles.
The white rose tradition
The history of the rose is fascinating. Derived from the medieval rose of tapestry and parchment, it was used for a time by the Plantagenet House of York in the Wars of the Roses. Its perhaps defining moment came in 1759 when soldiers returning from their victory against the French at Minden in modern Germany picked wild white roses to wear in their caps, as a symbol of mourning, peace and reconciliation for their fallen comrades.
This is also why we celebrate Yorkshire Day on 1 August, which in 1834 was also the day that William Wilberforce’s anti-slavery legislation became law.
The modern design, with its twin rows of petals and gold centre, is based on a cultivated rose, dating back to Roman times, with a medieval French variant, rosa alba semi-plena, grown in monastic and court gardens in medieval and Tudor England. A rose, in other words, as old as England itself.
Modern Yorkshire values
The Yorkshire Rose has also become a symbol of sporting prowess – in cricket, football and athletics. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, had Yorkshire competed as a nation, it would have ranked 17th in the medal table.
Yorkshire’s athletes and sportspeople also reflect modern Yorkshire – a community shaped by Celtic, Anglian, Norse settlers, and later by Irish, European, Afro-Caribbean and South Asian arrivals, as well as Jewish refugees escaping persecution. All have contributed massively to Yorkshire’s success.
Only in relatively recent times, with post-Thatcher de-industrialisation of the North, has Yorkshire lagged behind the prosperous South. This decline has been a root cause of the rise of populism with its simplistic if familiar solution – blame foreigners, especially those of different appearance.
Hope in the white rose
If we can revive Yorkshire as a strong economic region, capitalising on its great natural resources, magnificent landscapes, cultural heritage, and its capable workforce, this malignant hatred will rapidly disappear.
The white rose of Yorkshire is therefore not a symbol of division, but of hope and pride. Traditional Yorkshire values include fairness and a powerful work ethic. For centuries, we have welcomed and cherished those who have come here to work, to help themselves and others to thrive.
Our Yorkshire flag denotes peace, togetherness and reconciliation. Let’s wear or display it with pride. It represents who we truly are: secure and proud of our regional identity, one we can share with others, whatever their cultural or ethnic heritage.
