Flying the Flag, But Forgetting the Story

A Birmingham press release tries to reclaim English pride. The history it leans on is far messier, and far more interesting.

I get a fair few press releases. Everyone has a cause. Everyone wants a hearing. Fair enough, if you do not tell, you do not get heard.

Most pass by without much thought.

But one from the Birmingham Conservatives stuck. Not because it shouted louder than the rest, but because it stepped, perhaps without quite realising it, into territory this country has spent years awkwardly avoiding.

Pride in being English.

Now, that should not be controversial. But it is. And that is exactly why this press release matters.

Because it tries to reclaim that ground.

The Press Release Sets the Scene

At its core, the proposal is simple enough. A programme of civic pride.

A St George’s Day parade.

Flags flown properly on public buildings.

Commemorations of Athelstan and the formation of England.

Celebrations tied to Henry VIII and Sutton Park.

Education. Museums. Heritage.

Councillor Robert Alden, Leader of the Opposition on Birmingham City Council, puts it like this:

“Pride in our place and history is a powerful force for unity.”

And he is right.

But only if we tell that history properly.

A Voice Worth Hearing

The release also includes Councillor Simon Ward, Leader of Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council. He is someone I respect, and that matters here.

Because if you are going to talk about history and identity, you need people who understand that this is not decoration. It is not branding. It is something deeper.

And that is where the press release is at its strongest, and where it also risks becoming too neat.

Because Even Birmingham Didn’t Start Where You Think

Take Birmingham itself.

The press release talks about heritage, but heritage does not begin with industry or even with the medieval town.

Before Birmingham was Birmingham, this area sat within the Hemlingford Hundred, an Anglo-Saxon administrative division. Not a city. Not even a town. A landscape of woodland, scattered settlements, and river crossings.

Then comes Bermingham, the settlement of the Beormingas.

And then, as ever in English history, comes 1066 and William the Conqueror.

Land changes hands. Power resets. Families rise.

Including the de Berminghams.

And, in my own case, this is where a personal thread runs quietly underneath all of this. My ancestry traces back to that Norman arrival. Somewhere along that line sits the Baronetcy of Chiselhampton, which I am told I am entitled to.

I have never chased it.

But it makes the point rather neatly.

Much of what we call heritage begins not in ceremony, but in conquest.

St George, And The First Big Reality Check

The press release quite rightly centres on St George’s Day.

Parades. Flags. Celebration.

But let’s just pause for a moment.

Saint George was not English.

He was a Roman soldier, likely of Greek origin, born in what is now Turkey. He never came to England. He never spoke English. England did not exist as a unified nation in his lifetime.

And yet, he is ours.

Which tells you something important.

English identity has never been about purity. It has always been about adoption.

Athelstan, And The Long Road to England

The press release then moves to Athelstan and the “unification” of England.

Yes, Athelstan did more than most to bring together the kingdoms.

But let’s not pretend England arrived fully formed.

This was a land of competing powers, including Mercia, where Birmingham sits.

And this is where the story becomes far more interesting than the press release allows.

The Warrior Queen They Should Be Shouting About

Because if you are talking about Mercia, you cannot ignore Æthelflæd.

She ruled here. Not symbolically. Not ceremonially. Actually ruled.

She built fortified towns. Led armies. Held territory.

And here is the crucial point.

She is the only ruler in early English history to govern in her own right and then pass that power directly to another woman, her daughter Ælfwynn.

That is not just unusual.

That is unique.

If you are building a narrative of English pride, that is gold.

And yet, she is missing.

Sutton Coldfield, Henry VIII… And Let’s Make This Interesting

Then we come to the part of the press release that deals with Henry VIII and Sutton Coldfield.

The official version is clean.

The King grants Sutton Park. Bishop Vesey secures the town’s future. A legacy is created.

All true.

But Henry VIII was not a tidy man.

His court moved across the country, and where it went, politics, power, and pleasure followed. Hunting trips were rarely just about hunting.

Now, let’s be clear. There is no definitive historical record placing one specific mistress in Sutton Coldfield at a precise moment.

But what we do know is this.

Henry maintained relationships across his reign, and one of the most prominent was Bessie Blount, who bore him a son, Henry FitzRoy.

That alone tells you everything about the man.

So picture it properly.

A royal progress. A hunting lodge. Courtiers. Whispered conversations. Alliances being formed. Favours being traded. And somewhere in that world, the King’s personal life unfolding alongside his political one.

Not a sanitised gift.

A moment in a much larger, far more human story.

And frankly, far more interesting because of it.

The Flag, And The Awkward Pause

I come back to something small, but telling.

This was not theoretical. I was a Birmingham City Councillor at the time. I had a St George’s flag up in my office during Euro 2000. Nothing aggressive, nothing performative, just there, as you would expect in any normal country supporting its national team.

People would walk in. Colleagues. Mostly from my own side of the chamber.

They would see it.

Pause.

And then carry on as if nothing had happened.

No comments. No challenge. No banter even.

Just that flicker of hesitation, like they had walked into something slightly uncomfortable and decided it was best left alone.

That silence is the story.

Because it tells you that somewhere along the line, being openly, quietly English had become something people were unsure how to handle.

Not oppose.

Not defend.

Just… avoid.

And that is exactly the ground this press release is trying, perhaps clumsily, to step back onto.

We Go Back Much Further Than That

And yet, when you step back and look at the full sweep of it, the awkwardness makes even less sense.

Because this island has never been static.

Go back far enough, and Britain was not just uninhabited, it was uninhabitable. Ice, tundra, nothing that could sustain settled life. Then the ice retreats, and the first people arrive, crossing what we now call Doggerland, when Britain was still connected to mainland Europe.

We were not even an island to begin with.

Then come early settlers. Then the Celts. Then the Romans, who built roads, cities, and systems that still shape us.

Then they leave.

And into that space come the Anglo-Saxons. Then the Vikings, not just raiders but settlers.

And then 1066.

William the Conqueror and the Normans, who take control and reshape everything.

Each wave does not erase the last.

It layers over it.

Which means English identity is not something fixed.

It is something accumulated.

A long, continuous act of becoming.

Birmingham, As It Actually Is

The press release celebrates Birmingham’s contribution, and rightly so.

Joseph Chamberlain.

Joseph Sturge.

Birmingham Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society.

Bertha Bracey.

A city of invention, reform, and global reach.

But also contradiction.

And that is the point.

So Let’s Do This Properly

The press release is right to push this conversation.

But if we are going to do it, let’s do it properly.

Celebrate St George’s Day, but know who St George was.

Celebrate Athelstan, but understand the struggle behind the title.

Celebrate Sutton Park, but remember Henry VIII in full, not in part.

Celebrate Birmingham, but tell its story from Hemlingford to industry, not just from the polished middle.

And if you want a symbol of strength rooted in this region, then stop overlooking Æthelflæd.

Because she did something no one else did.

Note on the Press Release

For transparency and fairness, the full Birmingham Conservative press release that prompted this article is reproduced below.

PRESS RELEASE (Full Text)

Flying the Flag for Birmingham: Local Conservatives Announce Plans to Celebrate Local and National Heritage

Birmingham Local Conservatives today unveiled an ambitious programme of activities designed to foster pride in our city’s rich history and the United Kingdom’s enduring legacy. By championing local and national culture, we aim to unite communities, inspire the next generation, and counter the negativity of those who seek to undermine our shared achievements. At the heart of these initiatives is a commitment to celebrating the landmarks that define our identity.

Key activities include:

Hosting a Vibrant St George’s Day Parade: On 23 April each year, Birmingham will come alive with a grand parade honouring England’s patron saint, with community participation to showcase our national spirit.

Flying National & Civic Flags on Public Buildings: We will ensure the Union Flag and St George’s Cross & Council Coat of Arms are proudly displayed on key civic sites year-round, symbolising our unwavering patriotism and the unity it brings.

Marking the 1,100th Anniversary of England’s Unification by King Athelstan: With a special focus on Mercian heritage, given Birmingham’s roots in the ancient Kingdom of Mercia, we will host events in 2027 highlighting Athelstan’s pivotal role in forging a united England. This will include educational talks, exhibitions, and community gatherings to reflect on how our region contributed to this foundational moment.

Commemorating the 500th Anniversary of Sutton Park’s Gifting: In 2028, we will celebrate Henry VIII’s granting of Sutton Park to the people of our region and the granting of Sutton Coldfield’s Royal Status at the request of Bishop John Vesey. Working in partnership with Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, Sir Andrew Mitchell MP and the organising committee for the quincentenary celebrations, Birmingham will contribute fully to the exciting programme of events that is already being formulated. We will work with the Town Council to ensure the park is placed into a charitable trust well in advance of 2028, ensuring access to much-needed investment for the historic park.

Curriculum Support for Schools: To embed these stories in young minds, we will provide resources and funding for local schools to integrate lessons on St George’s Day, Athelstan’s unification, Sutton Park’s history, and broader Birmingham heritage into their curricula. This will include celebrating some of Birmingham’s pioneers, such as Joseph Chamberlain and Joseph Sturge, the women of the Birmingham Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society, and local heroes like Bertha Bracey.

Enhanced Support for Birmingham Museums: We pledge increased funding to keep all our museums open and thriving, alongside a series of heritage-promoting events such as workshops, lectures, and interactive exhibits to draw visitors and celebrate Birmingham’s global contributions.

Councillor Robert Alden (Con, Erdington), Leader of the Opposition & Birmingham Local Conservatives, said:

“Pride in our place and history is a powerful force for unity. In a time when some voices choose to talk-down our city and country, we choose to celebrate the extraordinary contributions Birmingham and Britain have made to the world.”

“The City of Chamberlains, Cadburys, Spitfires, pen nips, heavy metal, the industrial revolution and so much more. Some of the greatest industrialists and inventors of the world called Birmingham home. A Local Conservative run Birmingham will ensure we celebrate, promote and share our incredible journey as a city, region and country. Birmingham is the greatest city in the world and we would make sure everyone hears why”.

Councillor Simon Ward (Con, Four Oaks, Sutton Town Council), Leader of Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council, said:

“It is great to see Local Conservatives in Birmingham celebrating the rich history of our Royal Town. Our 500th birthday is massively important to the town and the local area. Exciting plans are being formulated across Royal Sutton Coldfield to mark this landmark across our community. The pledge to see our fantastic park placed into a charitable trust will ensure that it receives the funding it so desperately needs.”