A new sculpture has appeared in the heart of London, set upon a plinth in St James’s, Waterloo Place, among the bronze statues of Edward VII and the Crimean War Memorial.

It shows a figure in a suit, striding forward with certainty, while a flag unfurls violently behind the individual, sweeping around the head like a storm‑caught veil and blotting out their sight. The figure leans past the edge of the plinth, suspended in the instant before a fall.

Banksy’s signature is engraved at the base.

The political message is a sharp metaphor: a flag — symbol of belonging, unity, pride — becomes a shroud. What should illuminate instead obscures. What should steady instead misleads. The march, usually a gesture of purpose or solidarity, turns hollow and perilous when severed from vision, awareness, or doubt. Conviction without sight becomes a step into emptiness.