PM condemns toxic spiral of hate

SIR Keir Starmer has condemned those who “exploit” the England flag to “whip up hatred” as he called for the country to reject division and embrace a “patriotic path of national renewal”.

- SOPHIE WINGATE

The country is facing a struggle “between patriots who care about our country, and populists who only care about themselves”, the Prime Minister said.

The intervention comes after more than 110,000 protesters many carrying flags marched in Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom protest last week.

Sir Keir rebuked the far-right activist and tech tycoon Elon Musk, who told the crowd to “fight back” or “die”.

“When populist politicians, convicted criminals, and foreign billionaires take to the stage to encourage violence, make racist comments, and threaten our democracy, it casts a dark shadow of fear and violence across our society,” he wrote in The Sun on Sunday.

“They want to drag our country down into a toxic spiral of division and hatred because it’s good for them. But their vile lies are not good for the country.”