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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
John Crace

Starmer finally finds his voice as he speaks from the heart

Keir Starmer standing behind a sign saying 'Renew Britian' with people waving flags in the foregeround.
But there just weren’t enough union jacks. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

It’s a small thing and I don’t want to sound churlish. But there just weren’t enough flags. Sure, there were union jacks on the banners around the conference stage. Sure, there were ushers handing out union Jacks – along with saltires and red dragons for the Scots and the Welsh in the room. Just don’t look too closely where those flags were made. It might well have been a Chinese sweat shop.

Sure, members of the cabinet were up and down like yo-yos with their union jacks. But where were the red, white and blue suits? Why wasn’t Rachel Reeves channelling Geri Halliwell at the 1997 Brit awards? What’s wrong with these people? Don’t they love their country?

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