As a surging Reform UK threatens Labour’s post-industrial heartlands, Sir Keir Starmer has two secret weapons to show his love for England: the Melton Mowbray pork pie and Ross Kemp.

At a reception to celebrate St George’s Day, Downing Street hosted the former EastEnders actor, public sector workers, Rob Beckett the comedian, and sporting figures Sarah Storey and Maro Itoje.

Guests at the party on Tuesday evening were treated to pork pies, Lancashire Eccles cakes and Bakewell tarts, as the Prime Minister praised the value of “modern patriotism” and celebrated English culture.

A Downing Street spokesman was keen to stress Sir Keir’s zeal for his country, pointing out that he has “previously spoken about the pride that he feels in being English”.

But this was not enough for Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, who declared that Sir Keir “and his north London friends loathe Englishness”.

Kemp grew up in Essex before attending drama school and is a longstanding Labour supporter, although he endorsed Tory MP Mark Francois in the 2024 general election. The 60 year-old has presented a series of documentaries on war zones and gangs.

Beckett, 39, has frequently talked about his working-class upbringing in south-east London, where his father drove vans, and has described the “rage” he feels when encountering snobbery in the comedy world.