Labour leader flies the flag for the Queen
In a break with the Corbyn years, Sir Keir Starmer pays heartfelt tribute to an ‘extraordinary’ monarch
‘Under Sir Keir’s leadership, the Labour Party no longer sees patriotism as a dirty word’
‘She has shown that integrity, hard work and selflessness are the antidote to pessimism’
IT IS the public’s “patriotic duty” to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Sir Keir Starmer says today as he embraces the flag and breaks with the Jeremy Corbyn years.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the Labour leader argues that the consistency of the Queen’s 70-year reign may help explain why political extremism never fully took hold in Britain.
Sir Keir also calls on councils to ensure that “as many people can celebrate as possible” through street parties, amid fears that “killjoy” local authorities are rejecting last minute requests for permission.
The intervention reflects Sir Keir’s determination to make it clear that the Labour Party under his leadership is proud of Britain and does not see “patriotism” as a dirty word.
Under Mr Corbyn, the party leadership was accused of lukewarm support for the monarchy.
Sir Keir writes: “The jubilee weekend isn’t just an opportunity for us to reflect on the 70 years since Her Majesty’s accession to the throne – although it will, of course, be that. And it isn’t simply a chance for a country wearied by the extraordinary circumstances of the last few years to let its hair down – although it is, of course, your patriotic duty to do just that.
“No, the first Platinum Jubilee in our nation’s history is a chance to celebrate a truly extraordinary Queen, to reflect on the difference she has made to her country, and to consider what our Elizabethan age has meant – and what it will mean for our future.
“Her Majesty’s commitment to duty and her passion for furthering our country on the world stage have not just benefited each of us – they have also conferred on her the respect and love of people here and across the world. She has shown us that integrity, hard work and selflessness are the antidote to pessimism.”
The Labour leader, who will be attending a jubilee celebration over the weekend, has gone on his own personal journey regarding the monarchy. As a youth he was a Republican, but he has since described getting his knighthood as the happiest day in his parents’ life.
In a message to councils, Sir Keir writes: “This weekend’s celebrations will feel the same. I encourage everyone to get involved – and I endorse this newspaper’s call for local authorities to try to ensure that as many events can take place and as many people can celebrate as possible.”
On extremism, he says: “The Western world has changed beyond recognition since the 1950s. This has led to fundamental questions of what it means to be a citizen and what it means to be patriotic. Her Majesty’s constant presence – a bridge between different eras – has been an important part in helping us to wrestle with those questions.
“That Britain has at every juncture rejected extremism is in no small part due to our idea of who we are as a people: an idea borne of a sense of stability that cannot exist without strong institutions.”
Sir Keir took over the leadership of the Labour Party in April 2020, following a leadership race. Mr Corbyn stepped down following the heavy election defeat of December 2019.
The Jubilee weekend isn’t just an opportunity for us to reflect on the 70 years since Her Majesty’s accession to the throne – although it will, of course, be that.
And it isn’t simply a chance for a country wearied by the extraordinary circumstances of the past few years to let its hair down – although it is, of course, your patriotic duty to do just that.
No, the first Platinum Jubilee in our nation’s history is a chance to celebrate a truly extraordinary Queen, to reflect on the difference she has made to her country, and to consider what our Elizabethan age has meant – and what it will mean for our future.
Over the coming days, there will be time for rich explorations of the history. How Her Majesty has guided us through turbulent times and stood alongside us during the good and the bad.
But I want to reflect on the values the Queen represents and how they have made her such a popular, unifying and enduring figure.
We live in a time in which our attitudes towards authority have changed. The deferential culture of the early part of Her Majesty’s reign has long gone.
But the Queen has been able to rise above much of the archness and cynicism: the hope and surety she represents sometimes feel like a throwback to that former age. The admiration people have for her goes far beyond the typical relationship between monarch and people.
There is no great secret as to how she has managed this. Her Majesty’s commitment to duty and her passion for furthering our country on the world stage have not just benefited each of us – they have also conferred on her the respect and love of people here and across the world. She has shown us that integrity, hard work and selflessness are the antidote to pessimism.
It is a truism that with great power comes great responsibility, but the Queen’s reign has been a continuous reminder of the way to deal with that – to block out the noise and get on with the job at hand.
The Western world has changed beyond recognition since the 1950s. This has led to fundamental questions about what it means to be a citizen and what it means to be patriotic. Britain has been no outlier in this. Her Majesty’s constant presence – a bridge between different eras – has been an important part in helping us to wrestle with those questions.
That Britain has at every juncture rejected extremism is in no small part due to our idea of who we are as a people: an idea borne of a sense of stability that cannot exist without strong institutions.
Watching last year’s Euro 2020 tournament, it was striking not just how many of the home nations’ players were first, second or thirdgeneration immigrants but how many of those wearing replica shirts in the stands or the pubs were as well.
This weekend’s celebrations will feel the same. I encourage everyone to get involved – and I endorse this newspaper’s call for local authorities to try to ensure that as many events can take place and as many people can celebrate as possible.
Just as at the Queen’s coronation in 1953, our country is at a crossroads. Just as then, we have gone through great change. And just as then, there are siren voices who claim that our best days are behind us.
But they will once again be proven wrong. The Britain that is emerging at this Platinum Jubilee is one that is again ready to move on from the tribulations of recent years, stronger for its experiences, and more than able to seize the opportunities ahead. A new patriotism, one that is easy, self-confident and inclusive, is being born all around us.
Just as the Queen has led us through the past 70 years, all that she has taught us – about duty, tolerance, humility and responsibility – will continue to guide us into this next era. We are a better, brighter country because of her. Our history is richer, our future built on firmer foundations and our great country made greater still by her rule.
Now that’s something worth celebrating.