Black Country flag row: Activist claims people 'in denial' over region's links to slavery
An equal rights activist has waded into the Black Country flag row – claiming people in the West Midlands are in denial of the region's "history of enslavement".
Patrick Vernon made the claim following a backlash over West Midlands Fire Service's decision to ban the flag from being flown at fire stations, after officials raised concerns that it might have a "link to slavery".
Wolverhampton-born Mr Vernon, a Windrush campaigner and former Labour councillor in Hackney, sparked uproar in 2015 when he launched a failed campaign to get the flag scrapped.
This week he responded to a tweet from West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, which criticised the fire service's decision and described the flag as having done "a brilliant job in promoting the region's identity and pride in it".
Mr Vernon wrote: "Sadly The West Midlands and The Black Country are still in denial of the history of enslavement and the region. The chain motif is part of this history #BlackLivesMatter @AntiRacismDay."
Marco Longhi, the Conservative MP for Dudley North, said Mr Vernon risked dividing communities with his comments.
"Sadly Patrick Vernon’s ignorance over what the Black Country is and its true heritage is prevents him from being objective," he said.
"This is actually sowing seeds of division within our communities. He should stop this."
Speaking ahead of Black Country Day in 2015, Mr Vernon said: "The chain being used as a symbol in the flag is insensitive.
"Shackles and manacles that were made by chainmakers in the Black Country were used to incarcerate slaves in North America, on plantations and in colonial Africa.
"The chain is not a swastika or a Confederate flag but it is offensive. While I am in support of the festival and think it is a great idea, the Black Country has never done anything to acknowledge that slavery was key to its economic rise.
"This is not political correctness, it is the truth. You can't pick and choose bits of your history, they are interlinked.
"These needs to be a re-interpretation and leaders cannot pretend it never happened."
The flag, which was designed by a 12-year-old schoolgirl, features chains representing the region's industrial heritage and the links forged between communities.
Phil Loach, the West Midland's chief fire officer, said a decision was made to ban the flag from fire stations after bosses were "made aware of claims about the flag’s imagery and the potential link to slavery".
The move infuriated rank-and-file firefighters and union bosses, who say they were not informed of the decision in advance.
