Jide Ehizele

Is Britain becoming more racist? Many people like me, who are from an ethnic minority, seem to think so. It's hard to blame these people for drawing that conclusion. Cabinet ministers tell us that racism and sexism have become normalised in Britain. Anti-immigration protests and stories of far-right mobs targeting people because of what they look like have led some black and brown Brits to say they feel less welcome in their country. The TUC tells us that black and ethnic minority workers have faced a significant increase in overt forms of racism at work over the past six years. A survey of members of the Society of Radiographers reported a similar trend over the past eighteen months. Hate crime in Britain has surged.

Jude Bellingham has been England's star man at the World Cup. In England's 3–2 victory over Mexico on Monday, the Real Madrid attacker not only scored two goals, but made vital blocks at key moments during the game. His performances throughout this tournament – including three Player of the Match awards, four goals and one assist – have been nothing short of world-class. Bellingham's confidence, unapologetic attitude, swagger and unorthodox temperament have been infectious. But these qualities have not always been welcomed. For some, Bellingham's flash of frustration signalled ego and petulance Last autumn, headlines fixated on Jude Bellingham’s touchline reaction to being substituted in a World Cup qualifier against Albania.

One of the biggest shocks of the local elections was the result of the Lewisham mayoral race and council elections, where the Greens emerged victorious. For the first time in the 24 years since the position was created, Lewisham has a mayor who is not from Labour. This result has wide-ranging implications for Labour far beyond south London. Many black voters are not necessarily becoming Green radicals or Conservatives. Some are simply disengaging It is difficult to fully describe what has taken place. As someone born and raised in Lewisham, this was not something I could ever have imagined growing up. I remember speaking to a local politician a little over a decade ago who jokingly remarked that Labour could field a monkey as its parliamentary candidate and still win.