Flags being taken down !

MollyNew

We were driving along the motorway a couple of days ago and there were flags attached to the overhead bridges. Some had become partially detached. I wouldn't like to be driving along if one of them became totally detached and landed on my vehicle.

Yes, I was on the M42 today, and there was one flapping below a bridge, hanging just from one string. It was raining heavily, and it could so easily have detached and landed on somebody’s windscreen. I’m totally against anything potentially obstructing the highway in any way, it’s hazardous.

Visiting friends last week, their estate was full of England flags from bedroom windows. I didnt think ' oh these people love England'. I thought, 'these people ares aying ' immigrants not welcome'.
Context is everything. As others have said here, in the US flags are a normal way of life. In the UK they only tend to come out on highdays.

I was in a neighbouring town the other day, and saw them for the first time (apart from the couple I’ve seen on road bridges elsewhere).

The town is deprived, with a high crime rate and unemployment. Why there would be a sudden upsurge in love of England here is beyond me. It was obviously an anti-immigration statement.

Why would I make an exhibition of my political opinions

'Context' and 'intent' are the keys.
Are they being flown in places with mixed communities?
Are they intended to make incomers feel unwelcome?

Maremia

'Context' and 'intent' are the keys.
Are they being flown in places with mixed communities?
Are they intended to make incomers feel unwelcome?

from ChatGPT :-

It’s not just Labour – councils of every stripe (Labour in Birmingham, Reform in Durham, even independents in London) have pulled down St George’s and Union flags when they’ve been tied to lamp-posts or put up without permission, usually citing health & safety. The real political split is in the chatter: Tories and Reform call it patriotism, Labour/Lib Dem/Nationalist types stress rules and community – but in practice, if it’s not official, whatever the party, the council takes it down.

Lots here. Only one in my middle class village but in the surrounding villages that experience considerable deprivation there are lots. But nobody cares about what those people think or have concerns about and I don't suppose that will change.

I am in a reform council they haven't pulled them down, I could send the photos if you want. I think they had to pull one or two down that were causing an obstruction but the rest have remained.

Doodledog

I was in a neighbouring town the other day, and saw them for the first time (apart from the couple I’ve seen on road bridges elsewhere).

The town is deprived, with a high crime rate and unemployment. Why there would be a sudden upsurge in love of England here is beyond me. It was obviously an anti-immigration statement.

Errrm....I guess I'd get referred to as "lower middle class" if anyone was classifying and managed to be employed for all except about 18 months of my worklife - so not very high "up the pecking order" so to say.

Near enough to that position and only a couple of "rungs" up so to say that I can well understand why people who are at "the bottom of the pecking order" will be thinking "There would be more money/more Council housing etc around if not for.....".

People in nice big houses in nice leafy areas probably rarely have much comprehension that there are people stuck with darn all and sometimes (not always - but often enough) very little due to too much competition for what is "theirs". Certainly there was a lot of competition for Council housing and private rented housing anyway - and I can well understand why people would be angry if they saw someone else enjoying what is "theirs" by right (as they and/or their ancestors have paid in for it one way or another).

I believe in people putting in a fair amount of effort to get "their" share of things - but, if you've put in that effort = then frustration builds up. People do usually have a little scorecard in their head of what they need/have decided is rightfully "theirs" and that was pointed out to me very clearly by friends when a first spell of unemployment hit me and my friends said how I was obviously extremely angry and upset that had happened to me, then there was a 2nd spell and a 3rd spell and, at that point, I thought "Society - do NOT do that to me ever again or I'll probably turn so far that I'll be a communist". I was absolutely livid that something that was on the "not mine" list had happened to me and no-one and nothing was going to get me out of my final job - whatever they did (and boy did they do one heck of a lot trying to.......) but I fought them tooth and nail to not have that happen to me again.

If you know something is "yours" (eg housing) or "not yours" (eg unemployment) you fight and fight hard to have "your" situation you expected and need.

My father came from a large poor working class family and he never forgot - even when he married my middle-class mother. There would be comments of "The Council used to house relatives near each other/we all came first for what there was because we'd paid in for it". He was well aware that his own family were a contributory factor to his poverty (ie they'd had too many children - courtesy of no Pill/legal abortion yet at that point in history). He knew he would have had more if they hadnt had "all those children" but he was competing with "all those children" for scarce family resources. He knew that at least what there was was shared out between people that were "locals" - a lot of whom had also had too many children.

I've had my own analogous situation come up in my life (the second I had the chance to get a mortgage - married women had their earnings taken into account too and houseprices shot out of my reach just as I was about to get mine). So, from a different situation, I can sympathise when someone sees "their" Council housing grabbed out from under their nose/"their" private rented housing ditto grabbed from under their nose. One does think "But I've done my bit/this is my country/why am I not able to get my share then?"

It must be a sight easier for people who've always thought "There'll be enough for me to have my bit - of whatever-it-is".

That is THE phrase to bear in mind - if someone is putting in reasonable effort - "Why am I not able to get my share then? I've done my bit....."

I am not flying any flag but the fact that others do and also take part in demonstrations are only the tip of the iceberg, many others are very discontented with the liberal attitudes in government today.
Farage as playing to that audience, a very large one and growing.

Doodledog

I was in a neighbouring town the other day, and saw them for the first time (apart from the couple I’ve seen on road bridges elsewhere).

The town is deprived, with a high crime rate and unemployment. Why there would be a sudden upsurge in love of England here is beyond me. It was obviously an anti-immigration statement.

I think you live in Scotland? I doubt if social class is a significant variable. That education level and attainment is a significant variable I feel is beyond doubt.

There’s been another thread about this. You compare us to America - who wants to be compared to a nation of bigots? (apologies to the many Democrats.)
I dislike national flags in any number being displayed. The odd one’s ok (sometimes they fly the English flag from the spire of the cathedral where I live) but the way it’s going ATM smacks of xenophobia.

And yet there you are being bigoted

Caleo

Doodledog

I was in a neighbouring town the other day, and saw them for the first time (apart from the couple I’ve seen on road bridges elsewhere).

The town is deprived, with a high crime rate and unemployment. Why there would be a sudden upsurge in love of England here is beyond me. It was obviously an anti-immigration statement.

I think you live in Scotland? I doubt if social class is a significant variable. That education level and attainment is a significant variable I feel is beyond doubt.

Unfortunately, social class and education level/attainment have a common cause. That common cause is lack of social mobility.

Lack of social mobility is caused largely by capitalism.

Galaxy

And yet there you are being bigoted

And the people who the capitalist system deprives are kept in ignorance of the root cause of their deprivation by right wing politicians.

Where I live last year was knitted or crocheted bonnets on post boxes this year it's flags. People haven't got enough to do.

Here's an idea, if you love your country and have pride in it then organise a giant litter pick. Show your love and do something useful, win win. Oh and don't assault police officers

Ours are still up. Funny though, some of the big houses have dedicated flag poles.
The road that runs through these nice houses have union jacks hanging from the those horrible, aluminium posts, lining the road. I think they look smart & patriotic.
I like the Union Jack, but ‘The George Cross, not so much’

No flags here apart from football flags when there is a cup final. If someone of national importance dies the church in the village has a flag half mast.

Flag flying at the last night at the proms or royal/sporting events etc., are bringing people together.
The ‘flagging’ recently going on was a hostile gesture aimed at making asylum seekers feel threatened.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sorry wrong thread.

After the winds at the weekend they are looking sad and tatty where I am. I'm on the coast in the south west, don't know if it's cheap flags or the winds would have damaged any flags but they look dreadful. Not to mention overturned bins and the contents blown about and tree branches everywhere.

Several streets now have Union flags tied to lampposts near me.
The flags look good quality and are secured with plastic ties.
The council is obvs not taking them down in a hurry.

Flags dont belong on lamp posts and bridges. They certainly should not be painted on traffic islands or street furniture because it just looks scruffy. I am not against people displaying them on their own flagposts or in their windows or doors because that is private property and their own decision. That also goes for people who might want to display Palestine or Israeli flags or the Jolly Rodger for that matter.