Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to "shut up" and stop "whinging", after addressing the Southport riots in his St George's Day message.
Speaking at a special reception to mark the occasion, the Labour leader claimed there are people "trying to sow division in our communities", taking the red and white of our flag "as they throw bricks at businesses".
Recalling the incident of the summer riots following the Southport attack, Starmer added: "The day after the terrible Southport incident last year, I went up to take the opportunity to shake the hands of the first respondents of police and ambulance workers, you’ll now have seen what they all faced.
"By the time I got back to London that very day, we had people throwing bricks at the very same police officers I was shaking hands with.
"And that’s why the battle for our flag is really important because that is what happened and that was only last year. So, we have to fight for our flag and for our values."
Lee Anderson hit out at Keir Starmer for 'whinging' in his St George's Day message
GB News / PA
Hitting out at the message, Reform UK's Lee Anderson tore into Starmer, claiming he and the Labour Government are "embarrassed of our great country".
Anderson told GB News: "I think today of all days, what Sir Keir Starmer should be doing is celebrating English Heritage, our history and our culture instead of playing politics.
"He's very, very quiet when certain people are on the streets out there waving their flags during these riots on Parliament Square.
"We've seen some of the people promoting Hamas terror, Islamists waving flags - he keeps relatively quiet when that happens - but when the true English people come out to celebrate their history, their heritage, their culture, he's having a whinge."
In a pointed attack on the Prime Minister, Anderson fumed: "He probably needs to shut up, because this is a great country and we get one day a year to celebrate it, waving our flags.
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Sir Keir Starmer called for the nation to 'reclaim the flag' in his St George's Day messagePA"He should be out there himself with a flag pin on, waving the flag and celebrating everything that's great about this wonderful country."
When asked by host Martin Daubney what it is about England that "brings out the worst in our parliament", Anderson claimed the Labour Party are "embarrassed of our country".
He stated: "We've seen it a few years back, with Emily Thornberry when she was sneering at people, with the flag of Saint George on their council house during the World Cup.
"And this is what they do all the time, they are embarrassed about our history, our heritage and our culture and every single opportunity they have to have a little dig about it."
Anderson told GB News that the Government are 'embarrassed' of our country
GB News
Condemning their attitudes towards patriotism, particularly on St George's Day, Anderson said: "And I'll say to them, shut up.
"We are a great country, we are a gift to the world. They should be celebrating everything we've done for this world."
In his speech during the reception, Starmer concluded: "So that’s what we must do for our country, for English decency, honour and fairness - wrench it out of the hands of those who want to divide this nation and reclaim it for good.
"Because that flag doesn’t belong to me as prime minister or any group or political party and that is the point. It belongs to all of us, to England, in all its wonder and diversity. And we should be proud of that flag, we must never concede it, because it is an expression of our values and our patriotism."
