Sir Keir Starmer accused the Conservatives of defaming “some of our proudest national institutions” and said they had “lost any right” to call themselves a patriotic party.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Labor leader claimed that “Labour is now a patriotic party”.
Asked whether the Conservative Party could “really serve anything other than itself”, he said: “I don’t think so.
“In fact, it has, frankly, destroyed the economy, hurt mortgage holders, weakened labor unions, disrespected our military, and repeatedly broken the laws we expected others to follow. You have denigrated some of our proudest national institutions, from the BBC to the National Trust. I’m sorry, England Football Team, but you have not lost your right to call yourself a patriotic party. I think.”
In an op-ed published ahead of St George’s Day on Tuesday, Sir Keir wrote of his “pride and gratitude” for being British.
He said Labor was “at its best when it celebrates, defends and serves the values of our country and its people” and promised to “always put country before party”.
“Being proudly British means being proud of yourself, standing firm in your beliefs, being able to speak your mind, and being polite when others speak their mind. “No, Labor is now a patriotic party,” he said.
In recent years, Conservative Party insiders have criticized the National Trust for investigating its properties’ links to slavery and colonialism.
Some have accused English footballers of “taking a knee” to racism.
Lord Keir accused the Conservatives of overseeing a period when pride in British identity became “increasingly controversial”.
“Crying ‘woke’ not only undermines the proud British tradition of free speech, dissent and independent thought,” he said.
“At best, it suggests they don’t believe in the strength of our history, our identity, and our flag to withstand debate.
“They don’t care if division weakens the country as long as, at worst, it strengthens their grip on power.”
His comments echo those of former Labor Prime Minister Tony Blair, who, as opposition leader, criticized the Conservative Party for lacking patriotism nearly 30 years ago.
“It’s no use waving the flag cloth when we’ve spent 16 years tearing apart the fabric of our country,” he said at the 1995 Labor Party conference.
