Elanor Smith called the Black Country flag ‘racist’ (Picture: Black Country flag)

A Labour MP has claimed that the Black Country flag is ‘racist’ and has called for it to be scrapped.

The flag depicts a black-and-white chain on and black, white and red background and was chosen after a competition won by a 12-year-old schoolgirl.

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Eleanor Smith, who was recently elected to the Wolverhampton South seat once held by Enoch Powell, has called the flag a ‘big mistake’ and has hit out against it.

During celebrations for the annual Black Country Day, she was not photographed posing in front of the flag.


But other Labour MPs from the region, and the party’s deputy leader Tom Watson, were, according to The Times.

Eleanor Smith won the seat with a majority of more than 2000 (Picture: Caters)

The flag was put together as a celebration of the Black Country, a traditionally industrious region.



It was commissioned by the Flag Institute in 2012 after a competition was held looking for the for best design.

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The colours and design recall a statement by Elihu Burritt who said the Black Country was: ‘Black by day and red by night’.

Ms Smith, who was elected a month ago, told the Express and Star: ‘I have serious concerns about the racist connotations of the flag, particularly the fact that chains are being used to represent the Black Country.

The flag was designed by a 12-year-old (Picture: Caters)

‘The white-on-black imagery used together with the chains when you break it down, I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t worry me as a black person.

She added: ‘In my constituency, there are 130 different languages spoken. Let’s get a flag that actually says we are proud of where we come from.’

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The chains on the design represent the chain industry that provided jobs for thousands during the Victorian and more modern eras.

Black Country Festival committee chairman Steve Edwards told the Express & Star that there was nothing racist about the flag.

‘It’s a representation of the industry from the Black Country – chain-making was a massive part of the region so that’s why the chains are on there,’ he said.

‘For somebody to come out and say this is absolutely ridiculous.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted Smith for comment.

The Flag Institute’s chief vexillologist said he would not describe it as racist and claimed it was representative of the ‘regional heritage’.

Graham Bartram said: ‘The flag was designed by a small girl, I doubt she was being at all racist.

‘If the MP thinks it was racist then it probably says more about the MP than the flag.’

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