A flag stolen by extremists or abandoned by politicians?

A poll in the Daily Mail today shows that England is one of the most unpatriotic countries in Europe.

It seems sad but true. Our nation's flag has been abused for many years now as a symbol for extremist nationalism. Yet while some on the extreme fringe of British politics could be blamed for tarnishing a flag, is that really fair?

It seems more the case that our lack of national identity is down to the conditions that our politicians have created where patriotism is derided or viewed with great suspicion. It is of course absurd that anyone should feel any negativity about displaying their nation's flag, but perhaps the feeling would be less pressed into the psyche of English society if those most visible in our country spoke up a bit.

At the end of the day, England is a brilliant country. Just look at some of the fantastic English people who are representing us in the world: from Johnson Beharry to David Haye, Wayne Rooney to Nigel Farage (okay some may disagree with that last one), there are a lot of reasons to be proud of the great nation we remain today. Fly the flag on St. George's Day on Friday and we can slowly restore our nation's flag to what it is meant to be all about.