‘Real patriotism Is abour service, not spectacle’

Real patriotism doesn’t shout. It doesn’t wave a flag to win an argument. It is lived quietly, every day, by people who look after one another and keep this country going. After 24 years in uniform, serving alongside the best of Britain, I know that patriotism is rooted in service – in the belief that this country is worth fighting for. 

And right now, there is a fight for Britain’s future. A fight between those of us who want to rebuild this country – even when the path is difficult and you’re struggling – and those who would take us backwards, divide our communities and talk Britain down for their own gain. I know which side I’m on. I know which side Labour is on. And I know which side the British people deserve to win. 

I was reminded of this last month on Remembrance Sunday. Like millions, I stood with veterans and families to honour those who never came home. In that silence, I thought of the people I served with and of what they taught me. That patriotism is responsibility. It is the weight you carry for others. It is choosing service over spectacle. 

READ MORE: ‘Championing all those who served is the true meaning of remembrance day’

A government in the service of working people. Not the spectacle of performative politics. 

Look around Britain today and you can see patriotism everywhere – not in culture-war headlines, but in the everyday strength of our communities. The nurse who stays late so someone isn’t left alone. The teacher missing lunch to help a child. The neighbour checking in on an elderly friend. The volunteer keeping a youth club open because no one else will. These people protect our country, and the values we say define Britain. Values of fairness, decency, kindness and duty. They are the country’s quiet patriots and their work deserves a politics that matches their commitment. 

That is why we cannot allow patriotism to be captured by those who use it as a wedge. I have carried the Union Flag in conflict zones, across continents and to the summit of Everest. I have seen it on the shoulders of British servicemen and women in the darkest places on earth. And I have laid it gently over the bodies of friends who did not return. To me, our flag is not a prop for stoking division. It is a symbol of a country at its best when it stands together. 

To remain united in the toughest of times requires effort, I know that more than most. When your backs are against the wall, it’s hard. Right now though, unity is needed to reject the politics of permanent decline. There are those who say Britain is broken beyond repair – that all we can do is lower our expectations, blame one another and settle for less. They offer anger instead of answers. They darken the sky and then sell you umbrellas. 

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Labour must choose a different path. We must choose the path of service, responsibility and national renewal. Because patriotism, at its core, is about believing that Britain can and should be better – and working every day to make it so. It is about respecting those who came before us, taking responsibility for those around us and protecting the future for the generations who will follow. That’s why I serve this government and this Prime Minister.

Across our movement I meet people who embody that belief. Councillors fighting for local services, teachers lifting children’s ambitions, carers who show compassion when systems fail, community volunteers who hold entire neighbourhoods together. They are the ones who defend Britain’s values in practice, not in rhetoric. They are the guardians of our social fabric. 

We must row in behind them, unite with them and fight to protect our shared values. 

That is the patriotism I learned wearing our flag on my shoulder: quiet, determined, inclusive – rooted in service, not in spectacle. And it is that spirit we must bring into public life now. Because the choice facing our country is simple: build up or tear down; move forward or fall back; face our challenges with courage or surrender to those who profit from division. 

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I know where I stand. I believe Britain is worth the effort and worth the fight. And I believe Labour can be the party that leads that renewal – confident in our values, proud of our country and committed to leaving it stronger than we found it.

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