Last week in my small rural town, St George’s flags were erected from lamp-posts and crudely daubed on roundabouts and zebra crossings, while residents were subjected to “Sieg Heil” as a mob walked along the streets. Downing Street has put out a statement that patriotism is important, while Joanne Monk, the Reform UK leader of Worcestershire city council, also emphasised pride in the flag.
I have nothing against the flag per se, but when Nazi thugs use it to demonstrate and catcall, it morphs into something else entirely. As a Black person, I have been subject to abuse three times in the past fortnight. My 12-year-old child and his friend were called “paedos” at school – they are the only Black children in the class – and a friend’s child was called the N-word on the bus (this was before the summer recess). To be Black in the countryside at the moment is to have a target on your back.
