Starmer says Britain will ‘never surrender’ to far-right protesters misusing English flag

Britain will “never surrender” to far-right protesters who misuse the English flag to incite violence and spread fear, Keir Starmer has said, as he condemned attacks on police and the racist intimidation of minorities.

The prime minister stressed that the St George’s flag “represents our diverse country” and warned he would not tolerate people being “intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin”.

People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country’s values.

But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin.

Britain is a nation…

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 14, 2025

His comments came after MPs and anti-fascist groups urged him to speak out against the rhetoric seen at Saturday’s nationalist march, described as the largest in decades. The protest was organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

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In his first response to the rally, Starmer said while the right to peaceful protest was a core British value, “violence and intimidation” were unacceptable. He condemned the far right’s attempt to hijack the national flag for “violence, fear and division”.

“People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country’s values,” he told the Guardian. “But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin. Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect.”

Police said between 110,000 and 150,000 people attended the march, where clashes broke out between demonstrators and officers. The Metropolitan Police reported that many officers were “punched, kicked and struck by bottles”. Nine people were arrested, with further arrests expected. Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said while some had come to protest peacefully, “many came intent on violence”.

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The rally was addressed by billionaire X owner Elon Musk, a former confidant of Donald Trump, who warned that “violence is coming” and called for the dissolution of parliament and a fresh election.

Starmer’s strong stance may calm concerns within Labour ranks that he had not done enough to challenge the rise of right-wing extremism. The group Hope Not Hate had earlier written to him, urging a clear condemnation of escalating racist rhetoric.

Robinson, founder of the English Defence League, remains one of the UK’s most influential far-right figures. His march drew inspiration from European nationalist leaders such as French politician Éric Zemmour, who claimed: “We are both subject to the same process of the great replacement of our European people by peoples coming from the south and of Muslim culture … you and we are being colonised by our former colonies.”