The Atlantic

Pork Legs Are Shaking Up British Politics

How gammon, a traditional English meal, became a leftist insult—and why it's igniting a debate about racism
Source: Peter Summers / Reuters

It’s the sort of thing you’re more likely to find at a country pub than at the center of a political debate. But in the U.K., the meat product known as gammon has recently become shorthand for a certain type of middle-aged white man. He’s a Conservative voter, he likely supports Brexit, and his habitual rantings about immigration and the scourge of political correctness have caused him to turn so red as to resemble a pan-fried slab of ham.

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