They fought for a fairer Britain. Now we must tax for one
VE day reminds us of the true meaning of patriotism: unity, sacrifice, and fairness.
Today, Victory in Europe Day, commemorates the moment of collective triumph over the darkest forces of the 20th century. Usually a day of reflection and memorialisation, this year VE Day arrives with an uneasy echo of the past. Across the West, far-right ideologies are once again on the march, shrouded not in uniforms but in the language of grievance and nationalism.
In the UK, Reform UK’s ascent is clear evidence. The party’s recent local election successes show the space for a populist right-wing challenger has reopened and expanded. Reform cloaks itself in appeals to national pride and so-called “common sense”, offering a potion of Brexit nostalgia, anti-immigration sentiment, and rage against the establishment. It speaks the language of patriotism, but flirts with the far-right.
Progressives have long struggled to articulate their own sense of nationhood. The left has too often ceded the flag to the right, uncertain whether patriotism can coexist with internationalism, fearing what it might become when pushed too far. But VE Day tells a different story. The fight against fascism was not just an international cause, it was a deeply patriotic one. Britons resisted Nazism because they loved their country enough to demand better. The struggle for justice, freedom, and equality was part of what it meant to be British.
There is a compelling patriotic story the left can, and must, tell. Britain stood shoulder-to-shoulder with its allies to defeat tyranny, creating a country that welcomed refugees, created the NHS, built the welfare state, and chose solidarity over scapegoating.
True patriotism was not about isolationism or pining for the past. It is about cherishing the best of who we are: the NHS, the BBC, the welfare safety net, the bravery of anti-fascists, men and women who abandoned everything to fight for their neighbour.
“The Labour government has a rare opportunity to act boldly, to show that patriotism can mean pulling together in the face of adversity.”
That legacy is now at risk as the far right gains ground across Europe. Le Pen in France, the AfD in Germany, Orban in Hungary. In the US, Donald Trump has returned to the presidency, emboldened and vengeful: cracking down on dissent, inflaming racial division, and executing mass deportations to El Salvadorian prisons that look hauntingly familiar. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin continues his war of aggression against Ukraine. In this context, calls for neutrality in the name of diplomatic protocol amount to a dangerous form of appeasement.
We've been down that road before: it does not end well.
This is no time for passivity or illusion. The lesson of the 1930s and ’40s is not simply how fascism rises, but how it is allowed to rise: through economic despair, media complicity, elite complacency, and the mistaken belief that it can be ignored out of existence.
But our vigilance must extend beyond words. It must shape our politics, our economy, and our sense of collective responsibility. The Labour government has a rare opportunity to act boldly, to show that patriotism can mean pulling together in the face of adversity. That means finding the courage to address people’s economic grievances, to implement a radical reform of the tax system that sees the wealthiest pay their fair share. Whether it be a wealth tax, increasing taxes on assets, or reforming the council tax system, there are plenty of tools at the government’s disposal to create a fairer system that sees the wealthiest pay their share to improve the fortunes and services of this country.
After the unprecedented trauma of the pandemic, amid the global instability that now threatens both our security and our democracy, we must ask more of those who have the most. This is not a radical departure from our national values, but a return to them. In 1945, it was the patriotic spirit of rebuilding that created the welfare state. Today, we face new challenges: the climate crisis, geopolitical turmoil and deepening inequality. Meeting them requires resources, resilience, and a renewed social contract. Those with the broadest shoulders must bear more of the burden: not out of punishment, but out of pride.
The left cannot simply oppose the far right. It must offer a bolder vision of belonging, that tells a story of Britain as a place of fairness, decency, and shared endeavour. It is time to honour VE day not with nostalgia, but with purpose. And let’s shape a Britain worthy of that memory.
#ReformWatch
The centre isn’t holding. As parties and policies drift further to the right, and radical talking points become manifesto pledges, The Lead is committed to keeping making sure the far right doesn’t go ignored. We plan to keep an eye on the movements of Reform UK – and we’ll be reporting back to you here, with our new ReformWatch section – appearing each week in our newsletters.
In shocking but not at all surprising news, Reform UK has gained a foothold in 10 local councils across England, sweeping up the most seats of any party and securing two mayoralities in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire. Things are already getting interesting.
Donna Edmunds, a (now ex-) Reform UK councillor, has quit the party just days after being elected in Hodnet in Shropshire. Edmunds was suspended after posting on X announcing her long-term plans to defect from the party. She was subsequently suspended, then branded Farage a “terrible leader” who “must never become Prime Minister”. Going well, then.
Shortly after gaining control of 10 local councils, the party inadvertently banned the Lancashire Red Rose and other county flags. In a predictably unpopular move, chairman Zia Yusuf announced that “Reform-controlled English councils will move at speed to resolve that the only flags permitted to be flown on or in its buildings will be the Union Jack and St George's flag”. Of course, they backtracked. (Note: We’ll be closely following the new Reform administration in Lancashire with our dedicated title The Lancashire Lead. Make sure you subscribe to stay in the loop.)
Mr Farage has said those who work from home (and anyone with a job relating to climate change or diversity) “all better really be seeking alternative careers very, very quickly”. Well, unless they work as Reform’s south central regional director who can expect, “home working with occasional travel within the region” – for £50k a year.
Finally, Reform has threatened to use “every instrument of power available” to prevent migrants being housed in areas where it now controls the local council, chairman Yusuf told the BBC. This includes judicial reviews and injunctions. Asked if the party’s policy was to house migrants in tents, Yusuf said: “That's what France does.”
Get in touch on X, Bluesky and Instagram if you spot anything worth reporting.
At The Lead we were all over last week’s local elections, including Labour’s absolute hammering, and what they need to do now, as well as the political earthquake in Lancashire. Elsewhere, Luke has been looking into the landfill sites bringing daily misery to residents, and Natalie was left in angry disbelief after a Tory MP refused to acknowledge systemic racism in the NHS, during Black Maternal Health week.
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Zoe, Luke, Ed, Ella, Natalie and The Lead team
The "Reform Watch" idea is excellent. I would say that anyone who can come out with the statement that Britain needs its own version of DOGE needs to be watched most carefully. Nigel Farage is just as much of a creep and con-man as Donald Trump. As far as I'm concerned, Fugger Barage. Expose his lies.
And yet Reform supporters on here celebrate VE Day without any sense of irony … 🤦🏼♀️