FLAG FLYING PHENOMENON

IF a recent massive march in the capital claimed to fly the St George’s cross for freedom of speech few people want to be identified expressing their opinions on flags put up at a major junction. 

Last weekend (13 Sept) residents of Shelthorpe in Loughborough awoke to lamp – posts on the main roads leading to the roundabout bearing the St George cross with one union flag. 

One woman said when she saw from her kitchen window the flags flying it didn’t make her feel so happy and she was reminded of when she used to be called racist names at school forty years’ ago. 

“To these people my skin colour is black, it’s one or the other to them, black or white,” she said. 

“It doesn’t matter to them I’ve worked in this country all my life, for forty years I paid taxes and national insurance. I paid some of their benefits,” she said. 

Yet no one seems clear who put the flags up, some thought it was the council but the county council, responsible for streetlighting and roundabouts doesn’t appear to know either. 

All the shopkeepers on the strip of retail outlets were unanimous in their reaction: “no comment” as they quietly went about their work. Although they appeared nonchalant enough, one saying only: “it is what it is” they were all immigrant or second and third generation.  

One quietly said they didn’t want their windows putting in. 

A pensioner who also preferred not to give her name was incandescent with rage. 

“They may as well be swastikas” she said.  

She said it looked like a professional job with the flags all tied at the same level, too high up for someone with just a ladder. 

“It’s racism disguised as patriotism. I’m going to complain to my MP,” she added. 

But one resident was clear about why the flags are flying.  

“It’s to say this is England,” she stated.  

“I don’t agree with defacing zebra crossings and painting on the roads, but people want to show this is England,” she said.  

Andy Johnson is a known face on the estate growing up in the 1970s in one of the only two families of colour. Although he recognises people see immigrants as a problem who get given everything by the government, he thinks it’s the ruling classes who are the real problem.  

“Immigrants get blamed for everything to shift the blame from the government,” said Andy whose father was from Uganda. 

“They want us to blame each other so we fight among ourselves rather than be against them,” he said. 

He said while it’s easy to understand people living in war zones want to move with their children to a safer place some see immigrants working their butts off and feel pushed out. 

“They see them driving Mercedes, getting nice places to live and they want to make a stand,” he said. His partner Clare agrees saying today immigrants are just given stuff while they struggle.  

But Andy’s worried things are going to go back to how they were, the march in London was bigger than those before WW2 and he has vivid memories of being racially abused, called a golliwog by his teachers as well as other youths on the estate. 

“I’m worried this might just be the start of worse to come and I’m concerned for my kids, they didn’t get it tough like I did, they don’t know how hard it was,” he added. 

Charnwood Borough Council has responded to the flags and people’s reactions to them saying: 

 “As community leaders, we urge all residents and organisations to approach these matters (around the flags) with tolerance and mutual respect.” Said a council spokesperson.  

Earlier this year, the council worked with communities to develop a narrative that best reflects and describes Charnwood and they said one of the strongest messages heard was the pride residents feel in the borough — especially in its diverse, warm, and welcoming people. 

“This is a moment to reaffirm those sentiments. Let’s continue working together to build stronger, more cohesive communities. Debate, challenge, and scrutiny are part of that journey — but there is no place for actions or words that cause hurt or anger,” said the council. 

“Let’s move forward with kindness, understanding, and a shared commitment to continue making Charnwood a place where everyone feels they belong,” they added. 

The streetlighting team at the county council said its only taking action if the flags are a risk to safety. 

“We are monitoring the situation and are only taking action where there are safety critical issues relating to the installation of flags or painting of road markings due to the volume of reports we are currently receiving,” it stated.