'Let's take pride in the flag,' urges Greater Manchester Police chief as he warns of ‘danger of reacting to tiny minority’
The St George's flag is a 'unifying symbol' and 'we should all stand beneath it', says chief constable Sir Stephen Watson.
Greater Manchester’s police chief has urged Brits to proudly fly the St George’s flag and warned over the danger of “reacting to a tiny minority” by weaponising it.
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Speaking to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, chief constable Sir Stephen Watson said he feels an “immense sense of pride and gratitude” when he sees a Union Jack raised.
“I’m very proud to be British, very proud of our flag and think that we should all as a country seize what I think is a unifying symbol and we should all stand beneath it,” he said.
But Sir Stephen warned that the St George’s flag has “on occasion been used by those who would seek to weaponise it”.
While he admitted that there are some “unpleasant people that fly our flag”, he added that is likely only a ‘very small minority of people” with vast majority being good people.
He warned: “Let’s not get hung up on this notion of weaponising the flag, let us all seize the flag for what It stands for and be proud of it.
He went on to warn of the "self-fulfilling prophecy" of pandering to a minority when it came to flying the flag on Britain's streets.
“I do think there is a danger that if we react to a tiny minority of people ultimately it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and that somehow that flying the flag becomes a bad thing to do lest it otherwise offend somebody and I don’t think that is at all sustainable,” he insisted.
Sir Stephen’s defence of the Union Jack comes after Manchester United football legend Gary Neville sparked backlash by claiming those sticking them up around Manchester are mostly “angry, middle-aged white men, who know exactly what they’re doing”.
The pundit was chiming into the contentious debate about patriotism following an online campaign called Operation Raise the Colours
Some politicians have decried their removal claiming they are a show of patriotism and national pride, while others claim the increased number of flags is a result of xenophobia or racism linked to the far right and anti-migrant protestors.
It led to several local authorities removing the flags from public infrastructure in its aftermath.
Sir Stephen said it is up to local authorities to make their own decisions but urged them to remember why the St George’s flag is an important symbol for Britain.
He said: “We’ve just passed through Remembrance services. Millions of men and women cleaved to our flag in defence of democracy and freedom. It’s important to them, it’s important to me, and I suggest to the vast majority of people.
“There is a good reason why we have a flag in the House of Commons, there is a good reason why have a flag when the royal family are not present over our royal palaces There is a good reason why I have a flag in my office because it actually represents the country that we serve.”