JKR

If one ever needed proof of the power symbols hold, here it is – back in the eighties, when the London Design Museum was still at the blueprint stage, various cultural commentators and design experts were asked what they would exhibit in pride of place. Stephen Bayley’s response (and I’m paraphrasing – it was a long time ago) was the Spitfire because never before had something of such aesthetic perfection played such a vital role in our nation’s history. The answer stuck with me – the fighter plane, from its smooth lines to its distinctive Merlin engine roar is truly a thing of beauty, and an obvious symbol of Britain acting at its very best. So it’s not just the Generals, who complained in an open letter on Tuesday, who resent its image being hijacked by “political extremists”. But as part of our nation’s cultural fabric, perhaps the only people who can lay claim to moral ownership of this symbol are the few remaining pilots who flew them for us (and of course the BNP managed to find one to join their party). So perhaps the Spitfire is actually not off limits to anyone, no matter how wrong-headed one might consider their politics to be?

I would suggest that the easiest way to rob this appropriation of its oxygen would be for all parties to adopt the Spitfire in their campaign imagery. This might sound fatuous, but Billy Bragg, the Bard of Barking, made a bit of noise a few years back when he called for a “reclaiming” of the flag of St George from the racists who had hijacked it. “Let’s bring the flag of St George home and reclaim it as one of the symbols that we use to express an alternative identity that is diverse, outward-looking and inclusive.” Similarly, I think the Spitfire as a symbol of freedom might be worth fighting for. On a lighter note, here’s an appropriation of the symbol that might be a bit politically incorrect, but the campaign made me laugh…