Richard Bacon Says ‘Union Jack Flyers Prefer Britain To Be White’

ByMF Jones

I know everyone was dying to know what Blue Peter legend Richard Bacon thinks of the Union Jack flag debate, so it’s a good thing he made his feelings clear while discussing the Gary Neville controversy on BBC Newsnight.

Bacon, 49, agrees with Neville that in the current climate, putting up a Union Jack flag amounts to making a statement that you’d prefer Britain to be more white.

Bacon said: “I think it’s about context. Right now, it’s a really sensitive subject. There are times when it’s fine and celebratory when Geri Halliwell was wearing Union Jack pants in the late nineties. That was all fun and playful.”

“Right now, if you stick a pole and a Union Jack tomorrow outside your house I think you’re making a statement.

“I think that statement is you’d probably prefer Britain to be more white.”

Presenter Nick Watt interjected, saying: “That’s quite a thing to say. If you put a flag in your garden you’re saying you want Britain to be more white?”

Bacon doubled down: “I think you’re making a statement. Right now it is a sensitive subject. I think to do it now and to get the pole and put the flag outside right now you’re making a statement.”

Naturally, a load of people on social media are extremely upset with Richard Bacon over his comments, and keep reminding him about the time he got thrown off Blue Peter for snorting cocaine, as if that negates his opinion or something.

Some of the comments were quite funny, to be fair:

Despite the backlash, Bacon tripled down on his comments on X:

Well, the guy’s entitled to think and say what he wants at the end of the day. The question is – when will it be ‘OK’ to put up a Union Jack again? If putting up the flag in the current climate is indicative of racism, at what point will that no longer be the case, and what can we do to speed up that process? In which other countries is putting up your nation’s flag deemed to be bigoted and racist?

Sad state of affairs.

For a look at the people putting up Union Jacks outside Gary Neville’s hotel, click HERE. Really should have seen that coming.

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