A huge march against the Far Right

Cossy

Many veterans actually believe we were fighting for freedom for us all, not just those with white faces!

A few may be of the old ilk, ie believe it was just for those English, but many did not subscribe to this.

Has Alec Penstone ever mentioned white faces? Why does anybody assume that he thinks the country would be better with fewer brown faces? Unless I've missed something, it's not what he said.

Meandrogrog

Graphite

The populist right have embraced Penstone’s words as an endorsement of their views despite the wide range of possible interpretations.

I wonder if they are aware of what Penstone said about Putin, the warmonger that Farage has expressed so much admiration for.

archive.is/20240608174325/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/08/d-day-veteran-tried-to-send-russian-medal-back-over-ukraine/#selection-2591.0-2597.39

Alec Penstone, 99, who was a sailor with the Arctic Convoy during the Second World War, said Putin should be “taken off this earth” because of atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people.

Mr Penstone said: “I would willingly give [the medal] back but they stopped me from doing it. A bravery award signed by Putin of all people. I’m disgusted and disappointed.

“He wants taken off this earth and the sooner the better. I’ve never said anything like that before but it will be a pleasure when I know that he’s dead. And all his tribe as well.”

And of course, there’s the small matter of Farage’s friend and colleague Nathan Gill, former leader of Reform in Wales, sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting bribes to promote pro-Russian narratives.

bylinetimes.com/2025/10/11/stunned-farages-admission-he-knew-nathan-gill-but-not-his-pro-russian-sympathies-does-not-stand-up-to-scrutiny/

A very quick google search revealed that the admiration of Putin is not as you are trying to spin it.

Reform has just won a seat on Luton Borough Council.

Apparently Labour are predicted to suffer heavy losses in the May elections, so many others must feel the same as Alec Penstone.

Please explain what you think Alec Penstone feels. What do you think he finds worse than in 1945?

Maybe he wants a government as revolutionary as the 1945 Attlee government was. If that's the case, Reform isn't going to enable that.

Many veterans actually believe we were fighting for freedom for us all, not just those with white faces!

A few may be of the old ilk, ie believe it was just for those English, but many did not subscribe to this.

I would imagine,though it was basically an anti right wing match people will also have personal reasons for marching in it,hence all sorts of different flags

Wyllow3

Yes, we are struggling: but to say it was all better when for instance there was no free health care at all and many other things, like proper palliative care and the medications we have now....

It doesnt work for me. Its rose tinted. Look, I understand that many elderly people long for the past, when in some ways life were simpler there was more "community" there was also horrific domestic violence and rape in marriage, unwed mothers were sometimes shoved into MH asylums....

I think you are seeing a ‘rose tinted’ future for the UK.

Graphite

The populist right have embraced Penstone’s words as an endorsement of their views despite the wide range of possible interpretations.

I wonder if they are aware of what Penstone said about Putin, the warmonger that Farage has expressed so much admiration for.

archive.is/20240608174325/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/08/d-day-veteran-tried-to-send-russian-medal-back-over-ukraine/#selection-2591.0-2597.39

Alec Penstone, 99, who was a sailor with the Arctic Convoy during the Second World War, said Putin should be “taken off this earth” because of atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people.

Mr Penstone said: “I would willingly give [the medal] back but they stopped me from doing it. A bravery award signed by Putin of all people. I’m disgusted and disappointed.

“He wants taken off this earth and the sooner the better. I’ve never said anything like that before but it will be a pleasure when I know that he’s dead. And all his tribe as well.”

And of course, there’s the small matter of Farage’s friend and colleague Nathan Gill, former leader of Reform in Wales, sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting bribes to promote pro-Russian narratives.

bylinetimes.com/2025/10/11/stunned-farages-admission-he-knew-nathan-gill-but-not-his-pro-russian-sympathies-does-not-stand-up-to-scrutiny/

A very quick google search revealed that the admiration of Putin is not as you are trying to spin it.

Reform has just won a seat on Luton Borough Council.

Apparently Labour are predicted to suffer heavy losses in the May elections, so many others must feel the same as Alec Penstone.

sixandahalf

It's pot holes isn't it?

The populist right have embraced Penstone’s words as an endorsement of their views despite the wide range of possible interpretations.

I wonder if they are aware of what Penstone said about Putin, the warmonger that Farage has expressed so much admiration for.

archive.is/20240608174325/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/08/d-day-veteran-tried-to-send-russian-medal-back-over-ukraine/#selection-2591.0-2597.39

Alec Penstone, 99, who was a sailor with the Arctic Convoy during the Second World War, said Putin should be “taken off this earth” because of atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people.

Mr Penstone said: “I would willingly give [the medal] back but they stopped me from doing it. A bravery award signed by Putin of all people. I’m disgusted and disappointed.

“He wants taken off this earth and the sooner the better. I’ve never said anything like that before but it will be a pleasure when I know that he’s dead. And all his tribe as well.”

And of course, there’s the small matter of Farage’s friend and colleague Nathan Gill, former leader of Reform in Wales, sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting bribes to promote pro-Russian narratives.

bylinetimes.com/2025/10/11/stunned-farages-admission-he-knew-nathan-gill-but-not-his-pro-russian-sympathies-does-not-stand-up-to-scrutiny/

Yes, we are struggling: but to say it was all better when for instance there was no free health care at all and many other things, like proper palliative care and the medications we have now....

It doesnt work for me. Its rose tinted. Look, I understand that many elderly people long for the past, when in some ways life were simpler there was more "community" there was also horrific domestic violence and rape in marriage, unwed mothers were sometimes shoved into MH asylums....

Wyllow3

Disagreeing is not sneering. Many, many people experienced WW2 in different ways, on the home front as well as soldiers. Many of our mums and dads went through it. My mum was stranded in France as an au pair girl at aged 17 and suffered under the enemy: alone at 17.
Dad was a veteran too.

What they concluded, after the war, was to change the way things were! Pro the NHS, pro the other changes wrought. They are not alive now, but I have no doubt at all they would not say things were worse - post Hitler and Mussolini, post the appalling holocaust, post the levels of poverty people.
tolerated.

so although this veteran of course had every right to his opinion, to use it as an example of what "everyone thinks" just doesn't pan out. Others deserve respect too.

Yes, things did change after the war; we had the NHS, road building, much infrastructure and many improvements were made in so many areas and now?
Well, much seems to be going backwards, sadly.

Disagreeing is not sneering. Many, many people experienced WW2 in different ways, on the home front as well as soldiers. Many of our mums and dads went through it. My mum was stranded in France as an au pair girl at aged 17 and suffered under the enemy: alone at 17.
Dad was a veteran too.

What they concluded, after the war, was to change the way things were! Pro the NHS, pro the other changes wrought. They are not alive now, but I have no doubt at all they would not say things were worse - post Hitler and Mussolini, post the appalling holocaust, post the levels of poverty people.
tolerated.

so although this veteran of course had every right to his opinion, to use it as an example of what "everyone thinks" just doesn't pan out. Others deserve respect too.

eazybee

Meandrogrog is entitled to her opinion and her choice of words. You are not a thread moderator.

But the legal status of asylum seekers isn't an opinion. They are not illegal - that is a fact.

Meandrogrog

sixandahalf

You asked for my experience living very close to a Hotel repurposed to house people seeking asylum. I gave it in good faith.

There was nothing particularly sweet about an unaccompanied child in pyjamas running around a busy street. Many children housed in such places are victims of abuse or simply "disappear" They are prevented from having an education. Just as families do make some tenuous links with the outside world, they are moved out of the area.

I wish people would show a shred of compassion.

The fact remains that they are here illegally, it has nothing to to do with compassion.

Asylum seekers aren't in the UK illegally. How many times does it need saying?

Allira

Still no reason to sneer at veterans.

Where's the sneering?

Meandrogrog

Ilovecheese

It doesn't seem to be at all clear what he meant. People seem to be putting their own interpretations on the meaning.

It is incredibly clear just what he meant.

Well, I'm not sure what he meant. Maybe you could explain.

He said, ‘What we fought for was our freedom, even now [the country] is worse than it was when I fought for it.'

What did he mean by freedom? Freedom from what exactly? Freedom to do what?

I'm not goading and I'm incredibly grateful for what he did, but I don't agree with him.

Still no reason to sneer at veterans.

Bad idea to raise it in the first place as "The Example"?

It is not pleasant to be goading about veterans imo.

Ilovecheese

It doesn't seem to be at all clear what he meant. People seem to be putting their own interpretations on the meaning.

It is incredibly clear just what he meant.

sixandahalf

Meandrogrog

Ilovecheese

What did the WW2 veteran think was the worst thing that was wrong with the country?

I think we all know the answer to that one.

Please share, there are a lot of things that aren't going so well but many are?

Its difficult to know where to start but how about the Clapham riots to kick off with?

It doesn't seem to be at all clear what he meant. People seem to be putting their own interpretations on the meaning.

It's pot holes isn't it?

Meandrogrog

Ilovecheese

What did the WW2 veteran think was the worst thing that was wrong with the country?

I think we all know the answer to that one.

Please share, there are a lot of things that aren't going so well but many are?

Ilovecheese

What did the WW2 veteran think was the worst thing that was wrong with the country?

May I suggest you search on utube. I have not seen the clip on there but will have a look also.

sixandahalf

*it was so sad to read about the WW2 veteran who said what was the sacrifice for*

Do you have a link to this please?

Thanks so much.

His name is Alec Penstone and a quick google search will reveal links including utube. I am not sure how to post links otherwise I would do. I must practice doing it.