What does "from the south" mean?

In Line of Duty S01E03, there's this conversation:

We've followed procedure to the letter, sir.

I don't doubt it for a minute, but Tony Gates is, uh, from the South. I'm sure you'd be mortified, Ted, mortified, if anyone formed the opinion that AC-12 makes a point of pressing charges against officers from the South.

Everyone receives the exact same treatment.

Of course, of course, it's a delicate balance. But no one would welcome the accusation that the case against an officer from the South was being pursued with unusual alacrity.

What does "from the South" mean? (Perhaps it's some sort of euphemism for black in the UK?)

dialogue line-of-duty

Best Answer

I think they're using this quick switch of direction as a euphemism.

In and of itself, the label of 'from the South' refers to the UK's North/South divide rather than any racial implication. Lennie James is a Londoner [though Nottingham-born], the rest of the cast are generically Northern.

However, the accusation that they may be singling out a black officer for particular attention would make the investigation an uneasy one. To quickly switch that out as to him being a Southerner avoids the unmentioned potential for tension. Both sides of the conversation I think are aware of this euphemistic switch.

Birmingham is an odd place to use this distinction, though, as even they don't know whether they belong to the North or the South; anyone from either end always places them in the other camp ;)