Merton Green Party is deeply concerned about the appearance of Union Flags and St George’s Flags on numerous lampposts in the borough, and extremely disappointed by the Council’s response.
Firstly, the flags were not put up by the Council or Transport for London, and are, therefore, a breach of the Highways Act.
Secondly, in the context of the recent pernicious scapegoating of immigrants (particularly asylum seekers and refugees), these flags are not a benign presence or a celebration of national success. Rather, they are a form of territory marking by people whose idea of what it means to be British or English excludes those who were born abroad and those with family roots in other countries – especially those from the global majority. As such, they are intimidating and divisive, and should not be tolerated.
We are dismayed that Merton Labour have chosen to not use their power to order the removal of the flags. Taking down the flags would be an assurance that racism and xenophobia is finally challenged, after a discreditable period of Labour procrastination.
4 responses to “Labour’s Inaction in Face of Racism and Xenophobia”
Thanks for this. Having marched in a counter-protest against the Tommy Robinson supporters who had perched in their England flag capes on the lions at Trafalgar Square and attacked police officers, I was dismayed to see these flags draped all over our our high street. Even my 7-year-old knows that the real message of these St. George flags is not patriotism but a message that non-whites like her best friend are unwelcome.
Thanks for caring, John! We apologise for not responding to your message sooner.
Following communications with Transport for London and various attempts to get the Council to take action, we are happy that Morden town centre is flag-free. We believe that this was the work of Transport for London, not the Council.
Sadly, the unauthorised display of Union Flags in some streets outside the town centre remains a problem. We are continuing to apply pressure accordingly.
It’s concerning that the Council seems to be prioritizing a technicality over addressing the underlying issues with the flags—I found some related discussion on community responses at https://tinyfun.io/game/spaceman-8. Is there any plan to actively investigate who is responsible for putting them up?
Frustratingly, there has been no indication that the Council are up for addressing the underlying issues and/or finding out who is responsible.