The bizarre relationship between the Tories and patriotism

The British have always had in common a streak of cussedness, and a dislike of being ordered about, and no tradition whatsoever of the forced jollity of this ludicrous One Britain One Nation song Gavin Williamson wants our children to sing, writes Sean O’Grady

Conservatives are trying, somewhat clumsily, to monopolise the Union Jack and love of country (Getty)

Superficially, at least, the campaign for a One Britain One Nation day in schools, an obligatory clap for carers and the promotion of its admittedly odd anthem is something few could object to. You have to be a little curmudgeonly, for example, to take issue with the idea that “we are Britain and we have one dream to unite all people in one great team” as the song goes. It even recommends that we “celebrate our differences with love in our hearts”. And who would want to argue that we shouldn’t be a nation of “so many different races, standing in the same place”.

So why the fuss? Why has something that supposedly tries to unite ended up with quite bitter dissent, on social media and elsewhere?

First, there is an understandable suspicion about something that has emerged with something of a Tory flavour to it, and a time when the Conservatives are trying, somewhat clumsily, to monopolise the Union Jack and love of country, and to make these exclusively Tory traits. The founder, an ex-policeman named Kash Singh, appears to be an associate of two Tory MPs, Philip Davies and Esther McVey, who are married (to each other) but, say their detractors, divorced from reality.