Patriotism. Not politics.

That’s what the Union Jack should be about and that’s what it’s always been about for me.

I served under our flag for fourteen years in the armed forces. I wore it on my shoulder in Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

And I lost many, many friends who wore it just as proudly as I did.

That’s why it makes me furious to see our flag turned into a symbol of division by political extremists on both the left and the right.

I’ve never understood those on the far left who treat our flag as something to be ashamed of. Britain has done tremendous good for the world - from fighting fascism to promoting democracy and advancing human rights. So I have no time for those who cherry-pick our history to try and turn people against our flag.

Equally, I have no time for those on the far right who hijack our flag to stir up hate and disorder.

Take Stephen Yaxley-Lennon’s recent ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally. Not everyone who attended was far right - that’s absolutely not what I’m saying. But let’s be honest: the people throwing bottles and flares, punching and kicking police officers, and attacking horses were far right.

They’re not patriots. They’re thugs.

Twenty-six police officers injured - four seriously - under a sea of Union Jack and St George flags. Senseless violence committed by people who aren’t fit to carry the flags they wave.

I condemned them in Parliament - and I’ll condemn them every time.

I’ve stood on the front line defending peace in the face of violent disorder in Northern Ireland. I know what it’s like to stand firm with discipline, staring down those who are itching to do you harm. I also know that our flag belongs to those brave police officers - not the thugs who attacked them.

These thugs are not defenders of British values - they are pretend patriots who wrap themselves in our flag while trampling on everything it stands for.

They claim to love Britain, but they undermine the institutions that protect us. They talk about free speech, but they try to silence others with fists and flares. They shout about law and order, then injure the very officers who uphold it.

Sadly, we’ve seen where this kind of extremism can lead. Just days before Yaxley-Lennon’s rally, American activist Charlie Kirk was tragically murdered while speaking at a university event.

We didn’t share the same politics, but I respected the fact that he believed in the value of conversation and debate. He built his platform by debating others, not by silencing them. His death is now being used as a rallying cry by the far-right, many of whom drape themselves in our flag.

But our flag should never be a symbol of aggression and violence. It should be a symbol of service, unity, and freedom. That’s what I fought for - and that’s what all real patriots must defend.