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Home Office civil servants said the English flag was “triggering” and made them fear for their lives, a leaked recording reveals.
Last year, Home Office staff were invited to a “safe space” to discuss the “concerning misuse of the English flag” and how it had “left some colleagues feeling anxious or unsettled”.
One official said that when he sees the English flag, he now thinks, “Am I in danger? Or are my children in danger?” He continued: “Right now… it is particularly triggering.”
During the half-hour meeting, civil servants discussed how the campaign to hoist British flags across the country made them fear for their lives and those of their families.
One said: “Being a mixed race person of colour I’ve been finding it extremely difficult… I’ve noticed so many more people now using the flag to try and legitimise refusing immigrants into the country.”
Another ethnic minority official said the flag campaign had “caused… concern for my own safety and that of my family and friends”, while one Indian civil servant said: “I’m terrified of bringing a mixed race child into this world”.
White Home Office staff agreed with their ethnic minority colleagues. One commented: “It’s a scary time to be a person of colour in the UK right now, and as a person with white privilege, I can’t speak to my friends’ experiences but I can stand alongside you and be an ally.”
Home Office staff were sent an email inviting them to the event, which included details of 11 different mental-health support services in response to concerns raised about the display of the English flag.
Two civil servants, both describing themselves as British Muslims, said they could “feel the ‘vibes’ of hate when you walk the streets” and that “[the protests] leave me fearing for my safety and that of my family and friends.”
