Far-Right Souvenirs - How Tradition Flirts With Racists And How Racists Corrupt Tradition

Eliot Lord
4 days ago
3 min read

Halloween sees droves of endearingly-costumed kids break down our doors, yet there is another annual tradition that I am somewhat less looking forward to this year. Remembrance Day is normally a time of reflection, one that is about celebrating the bravery of those who have fought and died for us. On remembrance day, I might wear a white poppy for peace, and may also wear a red poppy.

One of these symbols has sadly been linked to the far-right, despite the British Legion’s long-standing appeals against this. With flags continuing to go up across the country, sometimes paid for by far-right promoters and owners of companies actively supporting the far-right, the appropriation by the far-right of the poppy leaves it taking on a different, more unpleasant, meaning this year, one even more unpleasant than it has been in previous years.

Events make politics as they do all things, and to glean an insight into the climate behind this burgeoning far-right appropriation of British tradition we might look at one recent star of the news agenda: Hadush Kebatu.Finally caught after a massive manhunt, Kebatu is an asylum seeker who committed a sexual crime, so it is clear why his flight has exacerbated caution over so-called illegal migration into the country, but this does not excuse demonising all immigrants or asylum seekers to the point of supporting politicians that espouse far-right views. This racism existed long before the Kebatu case, and if Labour don’t get their act together, it can only flourish. Labour is fighting fire with petrol and it will blow up in their face. Less than 100 years ago, we fought against Adolf Hitler as a nation to exile this type of politics to history, and yet, we see the symbolism of that same far-right period still being used now in protests across the country, whilst the same protesters can’t quite seem to ascertain how to draw a simple red cross on a white background. The Raise the Colours campaign has no place on our streets, and really I don’t think it ever should. I am not automatically proud of my country. It is a coincidence of birth that I was born here.

Whilst the rest of my family are also from here, and one otherwise pleasant relative happens to wholeheartedly support Reform UK and the Raise the Colours campaign, I do not harbour any great emotion either way for my country. I am proud of some of the people within it, but these people are few and far between when I look at Britain today, and often are British citizens as a result of migration.

Malala Yousafzai, Doreen Lawrence, Diane Abbott - all here as a result of ancestry outside of Britain. These people certainly don’t support the Raise the Colours campaign, notwithstanding being exemplary Brits, and why would that be? Because it is an immediate way to ‘other’. In my borough of London, thankfully we haven’t had many raise the colours, but I have spoken to people who I am surprised support it.

No longer can I confidently assume that there is a broad alignment of political perspectives for decency across the country. I certainly wasn’t thrilled by the Tory austerity that characterised the years between 2010 and 2024, and neither have I been thrilled by austerity in all but name being continued by Labour, but this is even worse. I knew there never was a homogeny of views, however, I hoped it was more homogenous than this.

With Reform leading in the polls consistently, after Starmer’s barely had one year in power, one can only assume they will win the next election. As Keir Starmer still pursues the flag-shagging contingent of the UK electorate, one that has never been sympathetic to Labour, one can only imagine the numbskullery of those advising him, here’s looking at you McSweeney. McSweeney Todd is seeking the murderous demise of the Labour Party and country with his pandering to the far-right.

The ghouls that run Reform UK, and other far-right groups, luckily have not succeeded in the recent high profile elections, but still the difficulty remains for progressive parties: how to drain the swamp that is the far-right of this country. It will not be done by aping their antics; Labour cannot out-Reform Reform, voters will see through such inauthenticity and go for the non-lite version. Put plainly, if you want full-fat unsalted butter, you’re not going to be happy with low-fat salted Clover as an alternative. Labour is that low-fat alternative in this case, and it increasingly is failing to please anybody. Considering Labour’s latest by-election results, if similar dissatisfaction is seen across the country, they will lose their majority in the Senedd in Wales come the elections in May, and they will lose the eventual general election in 2029.