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'I'm a proud Englishman', Sir Sadiq Khan says, as he praises 'proper patriotism' - but warns of 'poison of far-right'
30 April 2025, 21:03 | Updated: 1 May 2025, 12:19
Sir Sadiq Khan has said he is "proud" to be English, while praising "proper patriotism" and warning of the "poisonous" far-right.
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Writing for LBC, the London mayor said he valued his English and European identities, as well as his Pakistani and Asian heritage and his Muslim faith.
Sir Sadiq said that the UK had become much more diverse and inclusive since his childhood - while also warning of a "concerted effort" by the far-right to destabilise Britain's multicultural society.
The London mayor grew up in Tooting, south London in the 1970s and 1980s and said that as a boy he was "not always comfortable" with the St George's Cross.
"It was a time when, first, the National Front, and then the BNP were on the march and it sometimes felt our flag had been co-opted by them," he wrote.
Read more: English, Muslim, European – and Proud of Every Part of My Identity, writes Sir Sadiq Khan
Sir Sadiq said that Euro '96, held in England, served as a turning point and helped foster a more inclusive national identity.
"I’ll never forget watching England dismantle the Dutch 4-1 at Wembley," he said. "It was an exhilarating performance that led to an outpouring of joy and euphoria.
"And after the final whistle, tens of thousands of us waved the red cross with gusto and embraced while chanting ‘football’s coming home’."
Sir Sadiq said it felt that "our flag had been reclaimed and recast as a symbol of national unity".
He added that after the heroics of Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham, the St George's Cross "no longer belonged to the hateful few, but to the decent majority."
Sir Sadiq, who was to rise through the ranks of the Labour Party to become a government minister before moving to City Hall, said the country "became more liberal and inclusive" in the 1990s and 2000s.
"Increasingly, we came to appreciate that our people could have multiple identities," he said.
"For example, I’m proud to be a Londoner and to be English, just as I’m proud to be of Pakistani and Asian heritage, and proud to be European and someone of Islamic faith.
"In my eyes, these identities don’t contradict one another. They make us who we are. There’s no tension between patriotism and pluralism."
Watch Again: James O'Brien is joined by London Mayor Sadiq Khan | 07/03/25
Sir Sadiq said this concept had "long been accepted by the British public", pointing out that athletes like Jude Bellingham and Kelly Holmes "can each represent our country, be English and each be proud of their own heritage."
He said that pinning down what makes someone English can be difficult.
"It’s a fluid, not a fixed, concept and one that has developed over hundreds of years," he added.
"To some, it’s about manners and mannerisms. Cups of tea and cricket. Paddington, our green and pleasant land, and – of course – penalty shootout heartbreak.
"To others, it’s about fish and chips, Sunday roasts and chicken tikka masala."
Sir Sadiq said England was "the country of Shakespeare and Stormzy; Jane Austen and Anthony Joshua.
"Modern England is a tapestry of various cultures, faiths, histories and influences – bound together by the values of democracy, decency, fairness and respect."
He said there were "so many reasons to take pride in being English" - but warned that the public "cannot be complacent" amid a "concerted effort to normalise views that were once rightly consigned to the fringes."
"We must always be on our guard against those whose so-called patriotism seems to be less about love of country and more about hatred and exclusion of others," Sir Sadiq said.
