[On extensive displays of UK and English flags in Home county villages] It reflects the fear and insecurity in society – but it's a legitimate fear and quite a noble statement by ordinary people who believe in their nation and want to proclaim it. The waving of a flag is a pacific way of asserting identity and belonging. Wherever the flag is planted, people – the majority of that community – stand for the values and traditional ideas of our nation. A country in crisis has to lean on its traditional symbols.
''the guardian'' interview (november 2025)