Neville Blames Brexit and 'Middle-Aged White Men' After Attack

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville posted a LinkedIn video after the Manchester synagogue attack saying he had removed a Union Jack from one of his development sites and accusing “angry, middle-aged white men” of stoking division by raising flags. He said he had driven through Manchester seeing dozens of Union Jacks near Jewish communities and called for people to move back to a neutral position to stop being turned on each other. Neville stressed his patriotism — noting he represented England 85 times — and said Brexit has harmed national cohesion. His remarks provoked a furious online backlash and risked creating political tension after he featured in a Labour broadcast amid Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to defend the flag, with media coverage highlighting both his call for unity and the strong criticism that followed.