Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper have both expressed their support for the Union Jack over the last 24 hours

Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper’s recent enthusiasm for the Union Jack has not exactly won over their online critics.

The flag has been a hot topic in recent weeks, as anti-asylum protesters used it as a symbol of their alleged “patriotism” during their summer demonstrations.

The St George’s Cross has also been graffitied on roundabouts and bus stops as anti-refugee sentiment – orchestrated by the far-right – spread across the country.

While some argue that the such flags are a sign of pride in their nation, others believe the banner has been co-opted by the far-right.

Prime minister Keir Starmer told BBC Radio 5 Live that he is “very encouraging of flags”, saying they are “patriotic” and a “great symbol of a nation”.

He said. “I’m the leader of the Labour Party who put the Union Jack on our Labour Party membership cards. I always sit in front of a Union Jack, and I’ve been doing it for years.

“It attracted a lot of comment when I started doing it and in our flat – which is upstairs from here – we’ve got the St George’s flag in our flat.”

He said: “I don’t think they should be devalued and belittled, and sometimes when they’re used purely for devices purposes, that actually devalues our flag. I don’t want to see that.”

Then on BBC Breakfast on........

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