‘Patriotism and nation-building must be at the heart of Labour’s values story’

In his resignation speech, Wes Streeting invoked ‘a confident British patriotism, decent, fair-minded, internationalist, bound together in common endeavour, with a conviction that our greatest strength has always been one another’. He contrasted this with a ‘brittle nationalism built on grievance’ offered by the ‘gathering storm’ of Reform UK. With those few words, Streeting opened a debate that should be central to Labour’s future.

Reform UK – like other European national populist parties – mobilises its support around ideas of a sovereign nation that looks after its own people. While much of the left is reluctant to talk positively about nation or patriotism, national populism will only be defeated by a more powerful and inclusive national story. We need to be able to say who belongs, how we came to be here, what we hold in common, and what we want to build together. The next Labour Prime Minister will need a compelling story of the country they hope to lead, but the challenges are tougher than Streeting has yet made it sound.

Keir Starmer and his ministers insist on being photographed in front of union flags. There is little evidence from the polls that this cuts any patriotic ice with voters. Simply claiming to stand for Britain and British identity is not effective. ‘Being British’ no longer provides a deeply shared identity across the UK. Nor do we agree what values bind us together.

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The UK’s national identities are fragmented. Nationalist leaders have been elected as first Ministers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Whitehall and Westminster conceit, originally formed under Empire, has been that England’s view of Britain speaks for every part of the UK. That no longer works for England’s regions let alone the other nations. And the England which has both flags on lamp posts and a diverse men’s World Cup team matters to many English voters. If we want the union to thrive, UK Labour cannot simply invoke British identity. Labour’s Britishness must have room for the nationhood of Scotland, Wales, England and the uniquely polarised identities of Northern Ireland.

It is easier to name values like patriotism, internationalism and fairness, than to agree what they mean. Is the welfare system fair? Does it give too much to those who don’t deserve it or is it cruel and harsh to those who rely on it? The Nigerian nurse is not an enemy, but even Labour MPs can’t agree how long they should wait to become a citizen. Does internationalism mean co-operating with other nations to tackle common problems or pooling sovereignty in the EU? Should we reverse aid cuts or increase defence spending? When should our parliament’s laws be re-interpreted to fit the ECHR? Is patriotism a love of country, or a way of telling British history that takes one side in the culture wars?

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Although these are difficult questions, they underline the importance of finding shared values. Just think how often voters tell us: ‘I don’t know where my country is going anymore.’ We won’t build a better nation with our ‘common endeavour’ without a shared understanding of the obligations we owe to each other and what we can expect in return.

Instead of just invoking ‘shared values’ we need to thrash out what these shared values would mean in practice. Millions of voters say life isn’t fair today, so let’s lead a discussion about what fair would look like and how it would work. A closer relationship with the EU would need a new story of nation that does not just tear us apart again. We should not run away from debate about who can become a member of the nation and how.

Labour should recognise the need for nation-building. This is far more ambitious than talking about national identity. Led and facilitated by the government, nation building would be a whole of society enterprise that puts national cohesion at the heart of policy making. Nation-building – for each nation and across the UK – would aim to bring people together with a new sense of purpose.

When we honestly confront the issues that divide us, we will find the values that can unite. We will be stronger when the welfare system, foreign policy priorities and our national economic policy embed those agreed shared values. We will be able to tell a shared national history that includes everyone building their life here.

Recent publications from the Labour Growth Group and the Tribune Group both stress how tax reform must reflect popular ideas of fairness. Far from being a distraction from the job at hand, nation-building will be a critical part of being a successful government. Under Starmer or whoever becomes the next Prime Minister.

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