A ‘vote Labour’ sign placed outside a house in Sidcup has been vandalised with blue spray paint.
On Friday, June 21, a person had sprayed blue paint on both sides of a vote Labour flag outside Gus Simpson’s home.
In former years, Gus said he had voted for the Conservatives and Labour in “equal measure”, but Brexit and Boris Johnson meant that he “swore never to vote for the Conservatives ever again”.
He told the News Shopper: “I have never been politically motivative, but I really wanted to show my support for Labour this time.
“I reached out to Labour for a couple of posters.
“When the Old Bexley and Sidcup Labour candidate popped them round, he asked so nicely if I wanted a flag, I couldn’t refuse.”
After looking at his Ring Doorbell footage on Saturday morning (June 22) Gus found that someone had sprayed blue paint on both sides of the Labour flag.
Gus added: “The absurdity of it struck me—what kind of person keeps a blue spray paint can in their garage?
“But beyond the humour, I wondered why my flag, innocently displayed on my property, had become the target of criminal damage.
“My defenceless Labour flag seemed to have provoked intense emotions.
“Yet, let’s not forget the true purpose of flags and posters—they exist to express support.”
Despite the “amusing spectacle” on Saturday morning, Gus say’s there’s an “unsettling undercurrent” that cannot be ignored.
“Once upon a time, political discourse was a healthy and enjoyable pursuit”, Gus said.
The sign was vandalised with blue spray paint (Image: Gus Simpson)
He explained: “We’d gather in pubs, chat over fences, and engage in spirited debates about politics.
“Now, it seems you’re either aligned with someone’s politics or branded as the enemy.
“Individuals resort to threats or attempts to silence opposing views.”
Despite noticing that neighbouring houses had removed their Labour posters, Gus left the blue-painted Labour flag “proudly displayed.”
Gus said: “Unfortunately, they had managed to intimidate others by damaging my flag and I think that is a crying shame.
“Like countless others, I rely on Ring cameras, which captured the crime in all its technicolour absurdity.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel