The recent British divide

Anyone that lives in England, would agree on the sudden wave of Union Jacks and St George’s flags. Whether its hanging off the bridges on the motorways, flying from poles or even the flags that have been spray painted on roundabouts, there is no denying that this trend has become impossible to miss and difficult to understand without such complexities of intention. Although it's previously been hung in patriotism and pride of our country, recent times have triggered questions of the true intentions behind their sudden popularity.

Although I have lived in Britain since birth, being half Caribbean and half English, I was attacked unprovoked, shot at with a BB gun and screamed at.

I had been shot at twice on the same day by the same car, and my mum who was coming to meet me was shot at straight after they had targeted me. When we looked for the cars’ registration plate, all we saw was the St George’s flag covering it. When I had asked my mum what feelings this incident ignited in her, she at first seemed angry at the pure ignorance of the men but showed her disappointment by saying:

‘‘All my life I’ve done nothing but worked hard in this same old town and here these boys are shooting and shouting at me as if I don’t have any right to be here.”

Just within a few minutes, my peaceful safe little town of Ipswich became unsafe and cold.

To me, the recent atmosphere in England has become poisonous, constantly seeing the flags of my country has suddenly caused intimidation to me and many minorities. Immigration issues in the UK have recently been publicised and debated, Nigel Farage confirming ‘Reform UK is prepared to deport up to 600,000 migrants’ in his ‘operation restoring justice’ plan. His proposal that targets both legal and illegal immigrants has ignited a divide in Britain.

For many decades, Britain has been a multicultural blended country to which many are showing their disapproval of. The increased support for Reform UK – who are passionately anti immigrant – reflects this growing public opinion that has always existed but is coming to light more vigorously and violently. To be British was once a proud statement to give, but with recent events it has become almost embarrassing.

Over recent months I have heard of more violent and unprovoked attacks targeting people of minorities, the racial attacks on elderly Sikh men in Wolverhampton, and others sprayed and shot at with unknown substances. There have been many terrorist attacks in the UK against migrants in previous years.

In May, a group planned terrorist attacks on Mosques and Islamic education centres to which they had stockpiled over 200 weapons. The Worcester asylum seeker attack in 2024 is a perfect example of how these anti immigrant ideas can become violent terrorist acts: Callum Parslow had planned to kill migrants and carried out a bladed weapon attack against an asylum seeker.

Those who so passionately believe in these anti immigrant ideas are becoming so confident because of the community they are finding through shared toxic beliefs.

An example of this is the recent protest in London that took over social media. Tommy Robinson, one of the UK’s most prominent far-right activist and founder of the English Defence League, organised a march called ‘Unite The Kingdom’, a protest against migrants, asylum seekers and anyone they deem not English.

Despite their defence that they aren’t racist, it was entirely a hate march organised to fear monger all minorities, as they chanted Islamophobic and racist chants. It seems they believe all foreigners should leave their country and yet their country would be nothing without them. Even after their protests, most were seen purchasing from Turkish and Indian food stalls despite their ideas that these people making their food shouldn’t be here.

I truly don’t understand the ignorance of these ideas, it’s ironic that ‘these people don’t belong in England’ because England wouldn’t be much without them. 

How would the country have recovered from WW2 without the help of the Windrush generation? How would thousands of shops and business function without their hard work? These ignorant people wave the St George’s flag with pure ‘British confidence’ as if St George, himself wasn’t a child to a Palestine mother and a Turkish father.

The continuous terrorist and violent attacks against minorities and asylum seekers should receive more concern from the UK. It’s truly concerning to see this poisonous atmosphere in this country. People of all minorities should feel safe walking to work, letting their children go to parks, or even just taking trips to different towns without worrying if they could be attacked for the colour of their skin. It’s as if we’re regressing and forgetting everything minorities have done to make Britain, Britain.