Singer and activist Billy Bragg has called on people to celebrate shared values and identity this St George’s Day, urging resistance against “hateful division”. He is supporting a campaign promoting unity ahead of England’s patron saint’s day on Thursday.
The initiative follows community anxiety last summer over the flying of St George’s and Union flags, sparked by an online campaign, “Operation Raise The Colours”, which became contentious. Several local authorities subsequently removed flags from public infrastructure, with some politicians decrying the removals while others argued the increased flag-flying was a result of xenophobia or racism.
Bragg, alongside former Conservative MP Sir Sajid Javid, is backing a new campaign encouraging English people to celebrate what they share in common. The campaign launches a “virtual pocket museum” of beloved objects, people or events symbolising Englishness. From Cornish pasties to Shakespeare, and the Magna Carta to Marmite, 3,000 public suggestions were whittled down to 50, featured on a deck of cards, wall posters, tea towels and T-shirts.
Giant outdoor screen projections at Toynbee Hall in Aldgate, east London, will tell “The story of England 2026 in 50 objects”. The campaign is run by social enterprise Grow Social Capital with support from the Jo Cox Foundation’s More in Common and other social cohesion groups.
Bragg said: “St George’s Day should be a day for celebrating the positive things we have in common – a day for recognising the sense of community that comes from the identity and values that we share in this place called England. Through listening to each other, we can find that common ground from which to resist hateful division.” Sir Sajid added: “St George’s Day is a great day to celebrate what we all have in common. When people talk about what they value, what they trust, and what they share, it becomes easier to build understanding.”
Separate research for the British Future think tank suggested four in 10 people in England (39%) would not display an England flag for fear of appearing to support the far right. The survey, carried out by Focaldata in February 2026 with a nationally representative sample of 2,426 adults, found that 81% disliked it when the English flag is linked to racism or used to intimidate minorities. Sunder Katwala, British Future director, said: “We should be able to celebrate England’s past, present and future – and we do that best when we express pride without prejudice, inviting everybody who calls England home to feel part of St George’s Day.”
