Organisers say they are aiming to spread “love, unity and patriotism” with the flags that have appeared across Birmingham
Graeme Brown is the editor of BirminghamLive and the Birmingham Mail, and senior editor at Reach PLC for Birmingham, the Black Country and Worcestershire
Birmingham seems to be enjoying a surge in civic pride judging by all the St George’s flags going up. In Weoley Castle, Northfield, Sutton Coldfield and more – as well as parts of Solihull and the Black Country – flags have become a regular feature. Organisers say they are aiming to spread “love, unity and patriotism” with the flags. I don’t think that message is landing, though.
The dozens of emails I have received about this matter suggest it is in fact divisive. People love it because they feel it reflects them or hate it because they feel it targets them.
And let’s not be naive – flying a flag carries a message. You fly an Isreali or Palestinian flag, you aren’t saying you support their cricket team, you are saying you support a cause.
Being in England, though, is something that unites us all. A problem I have is how the English flag seems to have been co-opted.
As an example, today I watched people draped in the same St George’s cross shout abuse at asylum seekers in a hotel.
Some may see that as patriotism – not me. The idea that we open our doors to people seeking asylum is on my list of reasons to be proud of England.
I want to be clear, I see why the people at that protest feel let down. They’re right to. It’s fine to be concerned about immigration, too.
It’s not fine, though, nor is it accurate, to blame families of asylum seekers packed into hotel rooms for it.
When you strip away some of the right-wing narrative fuelled from social media accounts from nowhere near Birmingham, I think this is a cry for help that unites many Brummies.
The economy is struggling, shops are closing, we can’t get a grip on migration, housing is a mess, recycling bins aren’t being collected.
These flags are being flown in areas where over half of children live in poverty. We all love our children. We can unite around the idea they shouldn’t live in poverty. That would be a change to be patriotic about.
So let the flags fly, but let’s start delivering on the love and unity bit.