UK left call countryside racist

Former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman writes:

I was somewhat surprised to read last week that, according to the Wildlife and Countryside Link charity, the countryside is systemically racist and is an environment feared to be “dominated by white people”.

I can’t recall worrying about “colonial legacies framing nature as a white space” while riding horses in the Brecon Beacons. Nor were we fighting racism while hiking in the Lake District. We were more interested in finding the best pub lunch.

To claim that the countryside is racist is one of the most ridiculous examples of Left-wing identity politics. It’s a symptom of a deeper problem within our society – the urge to constantly view everything through the lens of race or gender, plead victimhood and point the finger at an oppressor. Whether it’s the patriarchy, or colonial masters, this desperation to divide society is ripping through our institutions, creating a culture of fear and self-censorship.

Identity politics is the enemy of tolerance.

Secondly, my own experience tells a very different story. Since my childhood, my family and I have spent countless holidays camping, fruit-picking, hiking and getting lost in blizzards. My parents took up camping in the 1980s for practical reasons: money was tight and it was cheap, child-friendly and we could take the dog. Every summer we would pile the car boot full of sleeping bags and gas canisters and head outdoors. 

It made such a refreshing change to London and we’d always come home with new friends and lots of stories. Not once in 30 years did we experience hostility. If anything, on the rare occasion that I’ve experienced racism – the crass street-level type – I’ve been in the city, never in the sticks.

Regarding rural areas as racist is in itself a type of prejudice.

Lastly, this is not just wrong but dangerous. We need to stop making white people feel guilty for being white. Critical race theory, white privilege and unconscious bias should be constantly debunked as Left-wing militancy. It’s wholly disempowering for ethnic minorities to be judged by skin colour rather than by character.

Why cast me as a victim and rob me of my agency? Why foster resentment? The truth is that so many people are terrified to challenge this groupthink which is taking over our country. They’re scared of being labelled racist and losing their job. Best just keep your head down, they think. But we cannot become self-censured identikit automatons who parrot the same Orwellian newspeak.

The Prime Minister of the UK is Hindu. The First Minister of Scotland is Muslim. The UK is in fact a great example of a society that generally doesn’t judge you by your skin colour, race or religion.