Joy Crookes says UK and Ireland in ‘dark times’ amid rise of far-right politics

Musician says seeing national flags on recent visits to Luton and Dublin doesn't make me feel safe'

The UK and Ireland are entering dark times", according to the singer Joy Crookes, who said the influence of far-right ideology on mainstream politics was comparable to the 1970s when the National Front was at its peak.

Crookes, who has just played two sold-out shows at the O2 Academy in Brixton, said the recent wave of nationalism and the far-right march through central London in September made her feel unsafe in the UK.