Operation 'Raise the Colours' is a Massive Red Flag for Britain

It started, as it often does, with something small. During my weekly Sunday visit to my parents, I noticed a lone Union Jack fluttering from a lamppost. It seemed out of place, a forced declaration. I soon realised it was likely part of "Operation Raise the Colours," a campaign that, on the surface, sounds like harmless patriotism.

But it isn't.

Thanks to the investigative work of Hope Not Hate, we know exactly who is behind this "Operation." It’s co-organised by Andrew Currien, a long-time ally of the far-right extremist Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) and a former key figure in the English Defence League's leadership. This isn't your grandad putting up a flag for the Jubilee; this is a calculated political act orchestrated by figures from the far-right fringe, designed to look like a grassroots movement.

The 'Braveheart' Patriot Paradox 🤔

As someone from Scotland, I'm watching this unfold with a profound sense of bewilderment. We're now seeing the same people who champion Scottish independence, who build their identity on a historical opposition to the Union, suddenly wrapping themselves in the very flag they supposedly disdain. The most ardent Braveheart-watching, anti-Westminster voices are now, overnight, staunch British patriots? It's a spectacular piece of hypocrisy.

This contradiction exposes the shallow nature of the movement. It’s not about a genuine love for the multicultural, multinational entity that is the United Kingdom. It’s about co-opting a national symbol for a narrow, exclusionary agenda.

This cluelessness extends to one of their favourite talking points: immigrants "not learning English." It's an utterly baffling complaint in a country like ours. Right here in Scotland, our government and emergency services feature Gaelic (Gaˋidhlig). Head over to Wales, and you'll find Welsh (Cymraeg) thriving as an official language. In Northern Ireland, there's Gaeilge. This brand of "patriotism" seems to demand a monolingual Britain that has never actually existed, ignoring the rich linguistic diversity of the nations that make up the Union in the first place.

Who Gets to Define 'Britishness'?

This gets to the heart of the problem: the battle for the meaning of "Britishness." People on the right often accuse critics like me of calling all these patriots racist. Let's be clear: this isn't about attacking patriotism. It's about questioning the specific, toxic version being sold to us.

Most of us have layered identities. I’m from Glasgow, which makes me Scottish. I’m Scottish, which makes me British. I’m British, which makes me European. None of these cancel the others out. However, when a certain group hijacks the "British" label and makes it synonymous with sinking refugee dinghies in the Channel, vandalising public property with red paint, and screaming "take our country back," they can't be surprised when people are repulsed by it.

They are the ones poisoning the well.

"Take the nation back," they chant. A simple question: back from whom? Often, the targets of their anger are Black and Asian Britons whose families have been in this country for generations. Sometimes even longer than the 2nd or 3rd generation European immigrants who are shouting the loudest. The irony is staggering. This isn't patriotism; it's a grievance performance.

A Tale of Two Refugees

The hypocrisy is never clearer than when we look at how different refugees are treated.

When Ukraine was invaded, Britain opened its doors. When China cracked down on Hong Kong, we offered a path to citizenship. In both cases, the voices of the flag-waving "patriots" were largely silent. There was no widespread outrage, no demand to "send them back."

Yet, when desperate people (mostly brown and Black) fleeing war, persecution, and climate collapse in other parts of the world arrive on our shores, they are demonised. They are labelled "invaders" and "criminals" of "prime military age."

What’s the difference? Let's be honest. For those pushing this divisive narrative, the difference is race. The selective outrage reveals that this isn't about rules or resources; it's about prejudice.

We Can, and Must, Do Better

It's their actions that force us to call this movement what it is: racist. And by allowing them to wrap their bigotry in the Union Jack, we risk letting them define our country.

When I think of what makes Britain great, I don’t think of angry men with paintbrushes. I think of the NHS, a monument to collective compassion. I think of the welfare state, founded on the principle of looking after one another. I think of our incredible contribution to the arts, sciences, and culture, from Shakespeare to the World Wide Web. I think of our nation's finest hour, standing against fascism in Europe.

That is a Britain worth being proud of. A Britain of unity, innovation, and compassion. Because I can assure you. You stop the boats, you put immigration at 0, you will find another enemy, and it's only time before the right wing engine is pointed directly at you. This is a story that is REPEATED time and time again throughout human  history. We can either be doomed to repeat it, or pull our socks up and stand against it.

By all accounts Reform UK seem set to win the next general election in 4 years time. A lot can happen in 4 years, and they're already struggling to have real answers to real questions (not that their answers to anything else have been remotely possible). There's still plenty of time to stop that push and I'm hoping to reach as many people as I can tell you, there's still time to stop it, there's still time to talk to people and try to take them off the ledge. There's still time.