{"id":54394,"date":"2025-04-27T09:23:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T09:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/54394\/"},"modified":"2025-04-27T09:23:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T09:23:16","slug":"inside-the-rise-and-fall-of-patriotic-pride-in-englands-most-english-town-as-locals-pin-hopes-on-reforms-fight-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/54394\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the rise and fall of patriotic pride in England\u2019s most English town as locals pin hopes on Reform\u2019s fight back"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThere\u2019s only one politician standing up for England,\u201d Canvey Island pensioner Terry White said with a grin on his face. \u201cAnd you know who that is.\u201d The answer, shared by many in Canvey, was Nigel Farage.<\/p>\n

Behind Canvey\u2019s 14-mile sea wall, the former bastion of English pride has entered patriotic decline.<\/p>\n

At a time when locals expressed fears about celebrating St George’s Day<\/a>, many are now turning to a relatively new political force to restore a sense of English zeal.<\/p>\n

And given Canvey has already elected one Labour MP during the constituency’s Tory-dominated inception, Reform UK’s crusaders now look poised to lead the patriotic fight back on the Essex coast. <\/p>\n

\u201cI just feel so let down,\u201d one local resident told GB News. \u201cI voted for Brexit to take back control of our borders but it’s just gotten out of control. I really believe, if anyone can change that, Nigel can.\u201d<\/p>\n

It soon became clear that more and more locals had pinned Canvey\u2019s drop in Englishness on the legacy of both the Tories and Labour.<\/p>\n

\"Nigel<\/p>\n

Nigel Farage celebrating England’s goal at the pub in the 2024 Euros<\/p>\n

PA<\/p>\n

\"Nigel<\/p>\n

Nigel Farage celebrating St George’s Day<\/p>\n

GETTY<\/p>\n

Steve Love, 69, who relocated to Canvey Island from Dagenham around 20 years ago, admitted: \u201cI\u2019m not as proud of being English as I used to be. We\u2019ve been let down by successive Governments for the past 20 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Love, who had a St George\u2019s tattoo injected onto his forearm, also expressed his hopes of Farage turning the ship around.<\/p>\n

Basking in the spring sun outside Sak’s Bar, Love added: \u201cThe only way we can change it now is get Reform in and that\u2019s only if they do what they\u2019re promising. If that happens, then we have half a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pensioner, like so many people in Canvey, went on to describe the Channel crossing crisis as the single biggest issue facing the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are sick of it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not about genuine asylum seekers, fleeing wars and stuff. These people are economic migrants.\u201d<\/p>\n

And even those who supported Remain could not disassociate Englishness from Farage\u2019s biggest political moment: the Brexit referendum.<\/p>\n

John Simmonds, 76, who was among just 27.3 per cent of Castle Point residents to support staying in the EU in 2016, said: \u201cA lot of the change comes from people regretting their decision. My friends certainly do, although they won\u2019t admit it.\u201d<\/p>\n

INSIDE ENGLAND’S ST GEORGE’S DAY CELEBRATIONS:
<\/strong>\"AA painting is displayed on a sea wall on March 24, 2025 in Canvey Island, EnglandGETTY\"Nigel<\/p>\n

Nigel Farage visiting Canvey ahead of the 2015 General Election<\/p>\n

GETTY<\/p>\n

\"CanveyCanvey Island is known as a tourist spot of choice for Essex and East London residentsGB NEWS<\/p>\n

There are also growing concerns about England\u2019s history and traditions being rubbished in recent years.<\/p>\n

Back at the seafront, White claimed: \u201cI saw it the other day, a woman was on TV calling for us to tear down Nelson\u2019s Column. It\u2019s like every part of our history is getting erased.\u201d<\/p>\n

A tweed-clad John Sutton added: \u201cI\u2019m in the RAF Association and compared to the Americans we don\u2019t show any support for our Armed Forces \u2026 It\u2019s such a shame and it\u2019s only getting worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest Census highlights the stark drop in Englishness both in Canvey and England at large.<\/p>\n

The 2011 Census had put Canvey Island\u2019s English-only population at 77.5 per cent but the latest survey showed the figure had fallen to just 27.3 per cent four years ago.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the 8.6 per cent of residents who identified as both English and British jumped to 16.9 per cent, with the proportion identifying as British soaring from just 11 per cent to 52.5 per cent.<\/p>\n

Canvey, which is covered by Castle Point in Westminster, delivered a knife-edge Tory victory in the 2024 General Election.<\/p>\n

DO YOU THINK ENGLAND’S HISTORY AND TRADITIONS HAVE BEEN RUBBISHED IN RECENT YEARS? CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE COMMENTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"NigelNigel Farage on the campaign trailPA<\/p>\n

Reform UK\u2019s Keiron McGill secured 12,234 votes, just 3,251 ballots behind sitting Conservative MP Rebecca Harris.<\/p>\n

Recent opinion polls suggest Reform UK would now snatch the Essex seaside town, along with swathes of others across parts of England with high levels of patriotic fervour. <\/p>\n

And Canvey has been in Farage’s sights for the best part of two decades, with the Clacton MP visiting the seaside town during his victorious 2014 and 2019 EU Parliament Election campaigns.<\/p>\n

Ukip even managed to represent the coastal constituency in the House of Commons, albeit only briefly following Bob Spink\u2019s 2008 defection.<\/p>\n

However, there remains clear evidence that Reform UK can count on higher levels of support among proudly English voters.<\/p>\n

And Reform UK knows there is an opportunity to monopolise and even cannibalise the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth the Conservatives and Labour have built an education system rooted in British guilt, driven by divisive woke ideology, and designed to undermine traditional masculinity,\u201d Ashfield MP Lee Anderson told the People\u2019s Channel.<\/p>\n

LATEST REFORM UK STORIES:
<\/strong>\"Nigel<\/p>\n

Nigel Farage meets supporters in Canvey Island while on the European Election campaign trail.<\/p>\n

PA<\/p>\n

\"NoNo England flags were on show when Sir Keir Starmer entered No10GETTY<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have ruined patriotism through their failure to make people proud. Reform UK will remind the public that Britain is one of the most generous, resilient, and accomplished nations on earth. We are hard-working people with every reason to be proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cPatriotism demands leadership that believes in its own citizens. Reform will always put the British people first – so they choose to stay, invest in their future, and rebuild this nation, rather than flee it, as they do under the Tories and Labour.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, overlooking the clear local association between patriotism and Reform, Harris instead swiped at Labour on the question of Englishness.<\/p>\n

Harris, who serves as Kemi Badenoch\u2019s Opposition Chief Whip, said: \u201cThere is a unique sense of community in Canvey. It would be Emily Thornberry\u2019s worst nightmare – lots of vans and St George\u2019s flags.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cIt\u2019s very sad that the feeling of national pride is on the decline. I don\u2019t think people feel like this Government reflects or even understands their sense of national pride or Englishness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Labour\u2019s English problem does not just date back to Thornberry\u2019s visit to Rochester & Strood in 2014 or Starmer’s apparent inability to display a St George\u2019s flag following his landslide victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn left-wing circles,\u201d George Orwell wrote in his 1941 essay The Lion and the Unicorn, \u201cit is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman and that it is a duty to snigger at every English institution.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\\u200bMoreMore than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK in a record week for crossingsGB News\"CanveyCanvey Island lies on the banks of the River ThamesGB NEWS<\/p>\n

Speaking to GB News on St George’s Day Farage inadvertently echoed Orwell’s damning wartime assessment.<\/p>\n

“It’s as if, to the North London intellectuals, the very thought of Englishness is almost abhorrent,” the Reform UK leader said. <\/p>\n

Despite Labour’s long-standing patriotism problem, trade unionist Paul Embery, ex-MP Tristam Hunt and activist musician Billy Bragg have all proved that left-leaning thinkers believe there is room for Englishness in the Labour Party.<\/p>\n

Dover & Deal MP Mike Tapp believes Labour\u2019s commitment to delivery proves it is already the true party of patriotism.<\/p>\n

The ex-army intelligence officer told the People\u2019s Channel: \u201cWhen we talk about patriotism, be it British or English, that means standing up for the country and what we\u2019ve already seen from Labour is fixing the NHS and reducing waiting times, which impacts everybody.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve put \u00a31,400 extra in millions of workers\u2019 pockets through raising the minimum wage, we\u2019ve been trying to stabilise the economy after inheriting an absolute mess and putting more police on the streets to combat anti-social behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking a direct swipe at both the Tories and Reform, Tapp added: \u201cPatriotism is about service. The Tories failed to serve, given they cut the military to its smallest size since the Napoleonic times. Cut the police by significant numbers. The NHS was left completely on its knees and tanked the economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to Reform, if you\u2019re fawning over Putin, then you don\u2019t want what\u2019s best for this country and they\u2019ve voted against all of the measures that will help working people across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Starmer himself could not help but take a veiled swipe at Farage during his St George’s Day tribute.<\/p>\n

WHICH POLITICAL PARTY DO YOU THINK BEST REPRESENTS ENGLISHNESS? CLICK HERE TO HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE COMMENTS BELOW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"ReformReform UK MP Lee Anderson at a rallyGETTY\"Nigel<\/p>\n

Nigel Farage proudly flashes with UK socks in the EU Parliament<\/p>\n

GETTY<\/p>\n

“That flag doesn’t belong to me as Prime Minister,” Starmer said. “It doesn’t belong to my party, the Labour Party, or to any group or political party.<\/p>\n

“It belongs to all of us, to England in all of its wonderful diversity. And we should be proud of that flag and we must never concede it because it’s an expression of our values and our patriotism.”<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister also vowed to “wrench the flag out of the hands of those who want to divide this nation and reclaim it for good”<\/a>, adding: “That\u2019s what we must do for our country, for English decency, honour and fairness.”<\/p>\n

Following Starmer’s St George’s Day comments, Farage told the People’s Channel: “You get the feeling that what’s happening today (April 23) in Downing Street – with the flag of St George and Starmer saying he wants to reclaim the flag – basically the Labour Party and the Prime Minister is dancing to Reform’s tune.”<\/p>\n

However, research conducted shortly before the 2024 General Election by More in Common found around 23 per cent of \u201cEnglish only\u201d voters backed Reform UK, well-above the populist party’s 14.4 per cent UK-wide haul.<\/p>\n

Reform\u2019s support slowly drops when voters feel less English, dipping down to just nine per cent among \u201cBritish only\u201d respondents.<\/p>\n

It is a similar story for the Tories, with 28 per cent of \u201cEnglish only\u201d voters backing the Conservatives in 2024 but just 19 per cent of \u201cBritish only\u201d voters doing the same.<\/p>\n

\"HousesHouses lie next to the shoreline on March 24, 2025 in Canvey IslandGETTY<\/p>\n

However, the problem for the Tories in 2024 was that the drop in support it witnessed last July was exacerbated by the support it lost from English-identifying voters.<\/p>\n

The Tories suffered a 26 per cent drop among \u201cEnglish only\u201d voters and a 28 per cent slump among \u201cmore English than British\u201d voters.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Labour made the most gains amongst \u201cEnglish only\u201d voters, with the once-steadfast Tories handing Starmer an eight-point boost.<\/p>\n

And, perhaps strikingly, Reform\u2019s subsequent surge in support has likely been propelled by voters who describe themselves as English rather than British.<\/p>\n

More in Common found Backbone Conservatives, Loyal Nationals and Disengaged Traditionalists identify more as English than British – with Reform\u2019s support among those groups soaring by four, six and nine per cent respectively.<\/p>\n

The only exception among groups who were more likely to identify as British came among Disengaged Battlers, with a seven-point Reform boost.<\/p>\n

Despite many in Canvey wanting to deliver a damning verdict on the first 10 months of Starmer\u2019s Government, Essex was among the councils to axe its otherwise imminent local election contests this May.<\/p>\n

HOW DO YOU SHOW YOUR NATIONAL PRIDE? CLICK HERE TO TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Flags<\/p>\n

Flags proudly on show on Canvey Island’s high street<\/p>\n

GB NEWS<\/p>\n

\"Dover<\/p>\n

Dover & Deal MP Mike Tapp<\/p>\n

PA<\/p>\n

The county was arguably seen as Reform\u2019s number one target, with the populist party already returning two MPs and emerging as a clear challenger in an additional eight out of 18 seats.<\/p>\n

However, GB News\u2019s number-crunchers have revealed some of the other patches of predominantly Brexit-backing England where Farage can set his sights.<\/p>\n

More than 20 areas where more than one-in-five locals identified as \u201cEnglish only\u201d will return councillors to their respective county halls on May 1.<\/p>\n

And many overlap with Electoral Calculus\u2019s recent research pinpointing where Reform UK can expect to make the most significant inroads.<\/p>\n

Derbyshire, which could see Reform emerge as its largest party, includes Amber Valley and North East Derbyshire.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Swale, which has already delivered a number of by-election successes for Reform, could propel the populist party to a similar position in Kent.<\/p>\n

Devon, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire could also prove fruitful for Farage.<\/p>\n

FOR MORE ON REFORM’S PUSH TO TAKE KENT CLICK HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Englishness<\/p>\n

Englishness (shown in dark blue) by local authority area<\/p>\n

ONS<\/p>\n

\"Nowcast's<\/p>\n

Nowcast’s forecast gains for Reform UK based on current polling<\/p>\n

NOWCAST<\/p>\n

Despite making serious inroads in England, Nowcast also shows Reform UK leaving its mark on Welsh politics.<\/p>\n

Reform, which is expanding its support far beyond England, could now snatch Montgomeryshire & Glyndwr, Llanelli, Neath & Swansea East and Rhondda & Ogmore.<\/p>\n

Farage is expected to perform well in Wales next year, potentially even supplanting Labour as the largest party in Cardiff Bay.<\/p>\n

However, Reform could also surpass Ukip’s high point by not only returning MSPs to Holyrood but becoming the third largest party by vote share north of the border.<\/p>\n

Despite much being made of England’s drop in Englishness, experts have warned against putting too much faith in the Office for National Statistics’ nationality data.<\/p>\n

Professor John Denham, a former Labour MP who now heads up the University of Southampton\u2019s Centre for English Identity and Politics, told GB News: \u201cYou can’t compare the most recent ONS with the previous one because they changed the ordering of the questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost reliable polls show a gradual drift from people saying they are more English than British to equally English and British. There\u2019s no sign of people stopping being English entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the overall shift in English identity since 2011, Professor Denham added: \u201cPride has fallen for Englishness and Britishness alike – no doubt the reasons you heard are part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cThere\u2019s only one politician standing up for England,\u201d Canvey Island pensioner Terry White said with a grin on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54395,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5008],"tags":[748,28912,393,2653,4884,12,285,386,16,1259,3106,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-54394","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-england","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-east-of-england","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-essex","12":"tag-great-britain","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-politics","15":"tag-reform-uk","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-uk-news","18":"tag-uk-politics","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114409203722019015","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}