Video of PM talking about Southport rioters shared out of context

A clip of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking about the Southport riots last summer is being shared online with the false claim he’s talking about a recent social media campaign to raise the St George’s and Union Jack flags in public spaces.

In the clip, Mr Starmer says: “Those involved will feel the full force of the law. So we coordinated, we went through some of the numbers, over 400 people now have been arrested, 100 have been charged—some in relation to online activity, and a number of them are already in court, and I'm now expecting substantive sentencing before the end of this week. That should send a very powerful message to anybody involved, either directly or online, that you are likely to be dealt with within a week, and that nobody, but nobody, should be involving themselves in this disorder.”

It has been shared with the caption: “Keir Starmer says those involved in putting up Union Jacks or St George flags will feel the full force of the law and will be dealt with within a week.”

But this video is not recent, and has nothing to do with the movement to raise these flags across the UK, dubbed ‘Operation Raise the Colours’.

The clip actually dates back to August 2024 and shows Mr Starmer speaking about protests that broke out after an attack in Southport, in which three children were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

We’ve written extensively about the spread of misinformation and false narratives in the wake of these murders, which may have significantly contributed to the offline violence and disruption that subsequently erupted across the UK.

Flying St George’s and Union Jack flags in public is perfectly legal, provided it meets certain requirements, such as being well maintained and not obscuring official signs. A spokesperson for the PM also said he “absolutely” supports people flying the St George’s and Union Jack flags.

We fact checked other examples of misinformation relating to this movement last week, including a fake Daily Mail article reporting on government plans to ban the England flag being displayed in public, and a photo supposedly showing veterans’ homes decorated in England flags as part of this movement, but that was actually for a Nike advert in 2023.

Misleading videos are commonplace on social media. Our guide to identifying misleading videos offers some advice on how to verify what you see online before sharing it.