Black Lives Matter is one of those terms that really rubs people up the wrong way. Of course black lives matter — it is difficult to find anyone who would say otherwise these days. Race relations in the UK have come a long way since the 1950s.

The United Kingdom is one of the most welcoming places to live in the world. That, surely, is demonstrable by the number of illegal immigrants crossing our borders on a daily basis. People are breaking laws and risking their livelihoods for a chance to live in this wonderful country. We must never forget that.

The fact that black lives so clearly matter in Britain only makes it all the more galling that Black Lives Matter, a radical, neo-Marxist organisation, has been able to sow its divisive seeds in our society.

Recent polls show that racism has actually increased following the protests perpetrated last summer by BLM where they campaigned to “defund the police”. A group promoting the idea of a lawless society and stoking racial tensions whilst overtly spreading propaganda with a heavy anti-family, anti-British sentiment should be avoided. It is astonishing to see people still choosing to associate with them.

The BLM Global Network is now promoting a “Black Xmas” campaign, advising shoppers to avoid white-owned institutions and, instead, to shop at black-owned businesses. This dangerous idea, in which goods or services are to be judged by the skin colour of those providing them rather than their own merits, has gained more traction in the US than it has over here. It is vital that we resist importing this sort of American drama into Britain, a totally different context. 

I can only hope that this campaign is so egregious that it finally causes the scales to fall from the eyes of those who would still hold that BLM is a disinterested, neutral campaign for racial justice. After all, this kind of hate speech would have been clamped down upon immediately if it was anti-black instead of anti-white. If we want to develop a truly diverse, multi-ethnic society, should we not be promoting equality and colour-blindness? It raises the question: are diversity and equality even goals of the BLM movement, or are they intent on causing harm and breaking down social cohesion?

Christmas is not a time for identity politics. Christmas is about the birth of Our Lord and Saviour. The story of Christ’s nativity. Would an activist group get away with such sacrilege or desecration toward the holy day of any other religion? Somehow I think not.

The idea of a “Black Xmas” is repulsive. Christmas does not have a skin colour, and attempting to shoe-horn a race onto Christmas is putting race grievance politics before Christ. As He taught us: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus”.

You don’t have to be a practising Christian to “love thy neighbour as thyself”. Indeed, whilst I lament much of the secularisation of this important festival, at least it gives us all something in common, whatever our skin colour. This is why so many of different faiths and backgrounds buy Christmas trees.

Those using the festive season to push forward their anti-white agenda and encourage illegal discrimination should take the time to reflect and repent. We must forgive them for their ignorance and ignore their ridiculous idea. I would encourage everyone to instead shop locally, support British industry, and help the high street recover from 18 months of restrictive Covid regulations.

We must not let these charlatans stoke up racial tensions where there are none. Christmas is about love; we must not let a vocal minority twist it into a time of hate and division. Merry Christmas, everyone.