After Salford City owner Gary Neville blamed “angry Middle-aged white men” and “Brexit” for divisions created across the country, an expert in the country’s departure from the EU has expressed his agreement.
In a social media post made following the violent synagogue attack in Crumpsall on Friday, Neville linked the rise in flag displays across Salford with a deeper division being built in British society. He stated that he had recently removed a Union flag from one of his development sites in Manchester and criticised the surge of flags as being used in a “negative fashion”.
Neville believes this divide has been building up since Brexit as it “has had a devastating impact on this country and the messaging is getting dangerous.” His comments follow the recent anti-immigration protests across the UK and the ‘Unite the Kingdom Rally’ which took place last weekend.
Alex de Ruyter, professor and former director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University, said about Neville’s comments: “To sum up, I broadly support what he said.
“At face value, this (the increased flying of Union flags) might be interpreted as patriotism, but actually it’s a dog whistle to say that you’re only English or British if you’re white and you were born here and your ancestors were here for a thousand years. And that’s the worst thing.
“I think one of the key things that Gary Neville hit on there in his own experience as an England footballer is that he welcomed this. He welcomed playing with players from all over the world. So he is reiterating the point; this enriches our society.
“The UK is an ageing society. It needs migrant labour to shore up key sectors, including the NHS and agriculture. And when you see slogans like stop the boats, you clearly recognise straight away that it’s being used as a prop for ethno nationalism to exclude others who you think are different.
“This is the fifth-largest economy in the world. It produces enough wealth to be able to afford all of its citizens and aspiring citizens an adequate lifestyle. Why isn’t it?
“The real question is rich versus poor. And when I say poor, I don’t really mean just poor. I mean the rich, the 1 per cent versus the 99 per cent.”
In his video, Neville described driving through Littleton Road, in Kersal, and seeing “probably 50 or 60 Union flags.”
He recalled feeling “that we are all being turned on each other,” during his journey, and said “the division that is being created is absolutely disgusting.”
But earlier this year, Salford City Council outlined their stance on Union flags being flown across the city: “We proudly fly the Union Flag at our Civic Centre at all times.
Both the Union Flag and the St George’s Flag are recognised as legitimate symbols of our shared national heritage, and we fully support residents who choose to express their national and civic pride in a responsible and appropriate manner.
“Accordingly, the Council will not be removing flags that have recently been displayed, except in cases where they present a safety risk or constitute an offence, such as criminal damage.”
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