{"id":1414,"date":"2025-03-26T14:01:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T15:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/?p=1414"},"modified":"2025-03-27T11:27:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T11:27:58","slug":"im-proud-to-be-british-and-im-not-embarrassed-to-admit-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/26\/im-proud-to-be-british-and-im-not-embarrassed-to-admit-it\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m proud to be British \u2013 and I\u2019m not embarrassed to admit it"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I am frustrated with the liberal left who wince at the thought of patriotism \u2013 or worse still, shame me for loving our country (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I love my country. There, I said it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And no, I\u2019m not a frothing racist or a far-right activist. I\u2019m not even a Conservative<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a patriot. I\u2019m proud of my country \u2013 and you should be too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For too long, patriotism in Britain has been hijacked, and I am sick to the deepest pit in my stomach of cringing every time a far-right thug or opportunistic political voice drapes themselves in the Union Flag, weaponises our national symbols and whitewashes our heritage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From Tommy Robinson<\/a> to Laurence Fox<\/a> and Nigel Farage, these faux patriots use red, white and blue bunting as a backdrop for division. They have twisted British patriotism into a cheap political prop to slam the other side with.<\/p>\n

Yet, I am equally frustrated with the liberal left who wince at the thought of patriotism \u2013 or worse still, shame me for loving our country.<\/p>\n

If we surrender our country and flag to the far-right, the negative consequences will impact us all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I am everything you\u2019ve been warned about: a liberal, pro-European, anti-Trump<\/a>, anti-Putin, wokerati, DEI-supporting, internationalist, vegetarian lefty. (Phew, I think I got them all in there.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

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These faux patriots use red, white and blue bunting as a backdrop for division (Picture: Guy Smallman\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But I\u2019m also an unashamed patriot who is proud of his nation and will sometimes even go so far as to say the UK <\/a>might be the greatest country in the world.<\/p>\n

The problem today is that being a patriot has become synonymous with narrow-minded nationalism and far-right extremism.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been lumped together with xenophobic slogans, exclusionary politics and misplaced declinism.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Being proud of our country is my right \u2013 and boy, do we have some things to be proud of.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Throughout history, in almost every field \u2013 from health to science and transport to human rights \u2013 we have led the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was Manchester scientist Alan Turing whose groundbreaking work<\/a> cracking the Nazis\u2019 Enigma code helped bring the Second World War to an early end \u2013 saving countless lives and laying the foundations for modern computing.<\/p>\n

And he\u2019s hardly the only Brit to transform the world \u2013 I barely need to mention Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Jane Austen or William Shakespeare.<\/p>\n

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Stephen Hawking is one of many Brits who have transformed the world (Picture: Menahem Kahana\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We kickstarted public transport, invented the World Wide Web, revolutionised nursing and changed science forever.<\/p>\n

We pushed boundaries and built a legacy of courage, creativity, and conviction that can only be found on our tiny island.<\/p>\n

Even now, we don\u2019t just contribute to global culture and sport \u2013 we define it. Britain\u2019s football clubs are adored everywhere, and our music has reached every inch of the planet.<\/p>\n

Big-screen icons like James Bond<\/a>, Harry Potter<\/a> and Wallace & Gromit have captivated audiences worldwide and, with series like Doctor Who, Sherlock and The Crown, our television is undeniably the gold standard.<\/p>\n

We have a strong public sector, a fair justice system, high animal welfare standards, and fundamental rights like same-sex marriage and safe, legal abortion are non-negotiable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When\u00a0Britain\u00a0shows up, we don\u2019t just participate \u2013 we lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m immensely proud of\u00a0our history of defending neighbours in times of crisis and welcoming those in need.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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With series like Doctor Who, Sherlock and The Crown, our television is undeniably the gold standard (Picture: James Pardon\/Bad Wolf\/BBC Studios)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Hitler invaded Poland,\u00a0over 400,000\u00a0Brits made the ultimate sacrifice to defeat fascism.<\/p>\n

When Putin invaded Ukraine, we didn\u2019t even take a breath before picking a side<\/a>. Brits opened their arms, taking in over 200,000 refugees and now we are leading the \u2018Coalition of the Willing\u2019, working flat out to secure Ukraine\u2019s victory through aid, funding and military support.<\/p>\n

Yet, there\u2019s no denying our past is complicated. I acknowledge and regret the injustices wrought by the British Empire<\/a>, the deplorable legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, and the prejudices that prevailed in our society.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I know that for many people \u2013 particularly those of ethnic minority descent \u2013 the horror of Britain\u2019s past, and the inequalities that persist today<\/a>, make it difficult to feel pride in our country.<\/p>\n

That discomfort is valid and modern patriotism must make space for that uncomfortable truth, because we are not perfect today.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t believe in continued British expansionism and the hangover of the Empire still wreaks havoc today \u2013 right on our doorstep.<\/p>\n

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When Putin invaded Ukraine, we didn\u2019t even take a breath before picking a side (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz\/Future Publishing via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I continue to find\u00a0the partition of\u00a0Ireland deeply troubling \u2013 a century-old conflict where British rule\u00a0in the North\u00a0remains contested, power-sharing is fragile, and a fictional border drawn by Westminster still fuels division.<\/p>\n

I find it entirely unsurprising that former colonies like Barbados want to cut ties with us<\/a> completely.<\/p>\n

But my ability to hold multiple truths at once \u2013 pride in our national story and sorrow for the darker elements of its past, and sadly sometimes its present \u2013 reflects a maturity that all Britons, particularly those on the left, must learn to embrace.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to forge a new era of patriotism, in which democracy, the rule of law, compassion and the embrace of diversity are our undeniable bedrock.<\/p>\n

At its core, the United Kingdom is a reflective, compassionate, forward-looking country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Do you consider yourself a proud British patriot?<\/h3>\n