This weekend, Britain witnessed one of the largest far-right-led marches in recent memory. Over 150,000 people flooded Whitehall, waving the Union Jack, St George’s flags, and a volatile mix of emotion, anger, and nationalist symbolism. At the centre of it all: Tommy Robinson, controversial far-right figure, using the flag as a rallying cry. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer issued a firm rebuke: “We will never surrender it to those who use it as a symbol of violence, fear, and division.”
But this isn’t just about protest versus counter-protest. It’s about the deeper fracture lines of British society, the erosion of shared meaning, and — less obviously — how climate insecurity and cultural anxiety are quietly intertwining.
A Nation Divided, a Symbol Hijacked
Flags are supposed to unite. Yet, increasingly in Britain, they divide.
The Union Jack, for many, is a source of national pride — a marker of shared heritage, multicultural strength, and a legacy of resilience. But for others, especially in the context of far-right rallies, it has come to represent exclusion, nostalgia for a romanticised imperial past, and a fear of change.
Starmer’s intervention was not merely symbolic. It was a line in the sand: a declaration that national identity cannot be dictated by extremists or used to intimidate those of different faiths, races, or backgrounds. The Prime Minister rightly stressed, “Our flag represents our diverse country.” Yet the very need to say so shows just how contested that meaning has become.
Freedom, Fear, and the Fragility of Protest
The right to protest is sacrosanct in any democracy. But when freedom of speech morphs into public intimidation, especially against minorities, the lines blur. Saturday’s events — marked by violence, 26 injured police officers, and over two dozen arrests — showed how quickly protest can turn to provocation.
While Peter Kyle, Business Secretary, acknowledged the “freedom of association”, he also pointed to the “klaxon call” for leaders to address the root causes of such unrest: immigration, economic precarity, housing insecurity, and growing climate displacement fears.
Climate Anxiety: The Hidden Driver?
At first glance, climate change may seem unrelated to a far-right march. But dig deeper, and you’ll see the tremors.
Around the world — from the US to Europe to the UK — climate-induced migration is reshaping demographics. In Britain, rising rhetoric against asylum seekers and migrants is increasingly framed in terms of “national strain” — on jobs, homes, energy, and welfare.
In truth, the UK is not overwhelmed by migration. But it is facing rising economic and climate instability. And instead of addressing the systemic failures — from underfunded housing to inadequate climate adaptation — some seek scapegoats.
Tommy Robinson’s rhetoric, echoed by Elon Musk via video link, thrives in this vacuum of leadership. Their framing of “uncontrolled migration” plays directly into climate-era fears — not rooted in facts, but in a crisis of imagination and planning.
Building National Identity in the Age of Emergency
The core question is this: What kind of country is Britain becoming — and who gets to decide?
If the flag is to remain a symbol of unity, then government, media, and communities must reclaim it not through rhetoric, but action. That means:
- Educating on Britain’s diverse history.
- Investing in local economies and climate adaptation.
- De-escalating inflammatory media narratives.
- Creating inclusive spaces for dialogue — not just digital echo chambers.
This is about more than left vs right. It’s about choosing whether Britain faces its challenges — immigration, climate, inequality — with solidarity or scapegoating.
As the streets calm and Whitehall returns to business as usual, the flag still waves. But what it represents is no longer a given. It is being contested, reshaped, and reclaimed — by voices of division, but also by those of unity.
Let us ensure it remains a banner of dignity, diversity, and decisive climate action — not a backdrop to another Britain breaking apart.
