Excellent post on FB from Tobias Kennedy-Matthews: “It’s a new year, and I just wanted to clarify something that a certain demographic don’t understand. I’m English and proud. Imagine calling me a woke lefty as if it’s an insult 😂 Imagine thinking I’m not patriotic. Imagine someone that thinks painting a roundabout or sticking a cheap Chinese flag to a lamppost is helpful while trying to tell me I don’t do enough, lefties like me are lazy, don’t contribute to society, have nothing good to say. I run a business, pay a lot of tax, learn new skills every year to make myself better, use those skills to fundraise and support the community that raised me. I care so much about my community that I give it hundreds of hours of my time every year. While you were graffitiing a roundabout with a wonky red line I was running a race to raise money for mental health services, the local hospital, those in our community that need it, whoever they are, wherever they come from. Don’t talk to me about helping our own. I do what I do with love, and without fear or hatred. Life is hard, we shouldn’t be making it harder, we should be supporting each other. The energy you use putting up a flag to “piss off the lefties” could be so much better spent. It’s not the flag we resent, it’s you. Fly the flag, I don’t mind, but do it with good intent, and not to provoke. I’m English and I’m fucking proud. Proud of what I see day to day on the ground in our community. Proud of the achievements of those that genuinely help others, that’s my England. If you want to jeer and sneer at that, take a look in the mirror, you are the shame of this country. Not me.”