Beltway Confidential

Inside the UK’s Union Jack identity struggle

By
Published February 9, 2021 4:50pm ET
Add Washington Examiner on Google
Inside the UK’s Union Jack identity struggle
Loyalist protestors, some of them carrying British flags, gather as councillors debate whether or not to keep the flag flying at City Hall, outside City Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012. A Protestant mob stormed into the grounds of Belfast City Hall and clashed with police after the council’s Catholic majority voted to remove the British flag from the building for most of the year. Authorities say two police officers and a security guard were wounded during Monday night’s melee in the parking lot of the city hall. (AP Photo/PA, Paul Faith) UNITED KINGDOM OUT, NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE | Paul Faith

On the Right and for some in the political center, the Union Jack is an emblem of patriotism and national pride. But for many on the Left, the United Kingdom flag is seen as a symbol of intolerance, xenophobia, and right-wing extremism.

One source of the disparate perception is the still gaping wounds of Brexit, Britain’s departure from the European Union.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.

Tag:

Britain Nationalism Patriotism