Ellie Grey - Proud to be British?

Ellie Grey states what she feels about the recent surge of flag-waving and patriotism in the UK.

She rejects reading from a script and usually speaks off-the-cuff, but feels compelled to address the recent surge in British patriotism and the calls to "be proud to be British" while blaming migrants for the country's issues. She believes this nationalistic push is a distraction orchestrated by the government and media, meant to divide people and justify tighter controls—like digital IDs—instead of tackling real problems.

She expresses deep embarrassment rather than pride in Britain’s current state, highlighting numerous failings:

The NHS, once a symbol of national pride, is now in crisis: record-high waiting lists, drastically low public satisfaction, and preventable patient deaths.

Poverty impacts 4.5 million children—almost a third of the youth—with food banks now normalised and many working families struggling.

The elderly face hardship on a state pension that ranks among Europe’s lowest, and homelessness is at record levels.

She criticises a justice system where most abusers avoid prison, while ordinary people are harshly punished for minor infractions.

Billions are spent on ineffective border security, and despite the UK’s self-image as a peace-defender, it is one of the world’s largest arms dealers.

She calls out hypocrisy around drugs—officials profit from legal cannabis while criminalising ordinary users—and questions the promotion of alcohol despite its harms.

Infrastructure and education are crumbling, producing anxious, unhealthy children who may have shorter lives than their parents.

She accuses the media of acting as propagandists—spreading division, fear, and distraction to cover up government corruption and mismanagement.

She insists that the problem isn’t a lack of money, but a refusal to prioritise the public.

Ultimately, she refuses to celebrate the UK as it stands, arguing that real patriotism requires demanding change and confronting uncomfortable truths, not hiding behind empty pride. To her, uncritical patriotism is propaganda, not genuine love for one's country.