Next Thursday, August 15^th marks 15 years since me and my family moved to my Mum’s birth place of Wolverhampton – a place which is one of the most multicultural, diverse and open anywhere in the world.

We moved to Wolves from Great Malvern in Worcestershire, because of consistent racial abuse from some neighbours in our cul-de-sac and in that near decade and a half, I’d thought we’d seen the back of such hatred.

I have to say that such action across the nation in the last 9 days, in the aftermath of the terrible events in Southport, has put me on edge and has seen me go around in caution, knowing how the aftermath of the loss of three innocent children, has inexcusably mobilised the far right and place many millions in fear.

As a proud British Asian, born in Worcester and with a mix of Worcestershire, Black Country and Yorkshire in the accent (University resulting in the last of those), I am not afraid to say that such cowardice, such racism and specifically such islamophobia which Muslims have been subject to is a deliberate, calculated and concerted campaign, to blame most things on a certain and specific section of our society.

It is incomprehensible that this is the case in modern day Britain and many who perpetrate for such abuse, seriously need a long history lesson of the way that folks of different cultures and backgrounds have been of a wonderfully positive impact to our nation – not least our incredible Olympians who’ve as of this posting have got 49 medals at Paris 2024.

I hope the book gets thrown at all those who have been involved in such dreadful acts and I welcome the quick nature that arrests, charges and convictions are being made and that in a number of instances, maybe subject to charges under anti-terror laws.

My thoughts are with everyone involved in last Monday’s dreadful act in Southport – not least the families of those who died and were injured and others up and down the nation, whose businesses and lives have been affected by thuggery and racial abuse not seen in a generation.

Enough really is enough and once this subsides and those responsible are brought to justice, I hope there is and will be an immediate national reset towards the way folks are treated, knowing of the vilification that has bubbled under the surface for decades and which in a shocking way has seeked to turn our nation upside down.