Suella Braverman pledges to make it mandatory for ALL schools to fly the Union flag under a Reform Government

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The Education spokesman set out her plans at the Reform UK conference in Birmingham

Suella Braverman has set out her plan to make it mandatory for all UK schools to fly the Union flag and sing the national anthem.

Delivering her keynote speech at the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, the Education spokesman declared that under a Reform Government, she will roll out a "balanced patriotic curriculum".

Mrs Braverman told the conference: "At the root of everything we are as a country is our education system, because although Britain is broken, it can be saved. It can be fixed.

"If we are to repair broken Britain, we need to start with redefining our education system, so it works for every child, not just the wealthiest, or the brightest, or the best, but for every single child."

The Reform MP argued that the education system is a "postcode lottery" for those from poorer households living in poorer areas.

She said: "We are nothing without our nurseries, without our schools, without our colleges and yes even without our universities. But sadly, today it doesn't matter how hard you work or how bright you are. If you live in a poor area, you will more likely go to a low-quality school, earn less money, have worse health and have a shorter life, even.

"If your parents are rich, you have a higher chance of going to an outstanding school, but if you are born poor, your opportunities in life become closed off through no fault of your own.

"We have a postcode lottery where education is built not on talent but on wealth and where you live, and yet it is the left and sadly too many in the Conservative Party who defend this indefensible wrong."

Setting out her vision for the nation's schools, Suella hit out at educators for choosing to teach children about "Refugee Week rather than how great Britain truly is".

She revealed: "One profound problem is how our schools are more likely to teach kids that they can be born in the wrong body or about Refugee Week than how great Britain truly is.

"That is why under a Reform Government, every school will sing the national anthem, our great hymns and be obliged to fly the union flag."

Mrs Braverman pledged to "save our education system" by ensuring children learn to "love their country" rather than be told how "racist" Britain is.

She said: "Throughout the rest of the world, school children learn to love their country. They understand it has faults and flaws, but they are taught to love what is theirs. Because what is a country?

"Britain is a collection of little streets, building little hamlets and villages that fold into towns and cities. We are a nation of accents, of cultures, of music, sport and literature, of rich history. Yet at school, we learn very little about this.

"That is why we must save our education system. We need our young people to see what patriotism looks like if they are to have any sense of how great our country is.

"That is why we will roll out a balanced patriotic curriculum."

Mrs Braverman told the conference: "The British Empire did so much good for the world, including my ancestors.

"It is the Empire of Shakespeare and Dickens, it abolished slavery, it defeated Hitler, it spread democracy, built railways and raised billions out of poverty.

"It is time we taught that in our schools. This is something only Reform UK is prepared to do.

"Because although Britain is broken, it can be saved, it can be fixed. If we are to repair broken Britain, we need to start with redefining our education system."