"I've never seen anything like it!"

It's hard to believe that he wouldn't have known a that a by election was going on, I gather they have been inundated with party activists and MPs from the two major parties as well as UKIP in that part of Kent.

Aside from the tone of Emily Thornberry's crass tweet, I think she could have also given some consideration to the fact that she has breached this man/family's privacy. I think it's irresponsible to post pictures of an individual's home showing his van with registration number all over the social media without permission, after all he hasn't broken any laws. He has now been propelled into the spotlight whether he likes it or not.

When I see the English flag flying at my neighbours, I know it's either the Dutch twinning or Liam Fox is coming to tea again.

I had a look at how many mps are privately educated. It is 33%. tbh, that is actually less than I thought.
I couldnt be bothered to find out the breakdown figures for each party.

I wonder what it is like in the local constituency Headquarters where they become the prospective candidates?

Are they able to talk the talk better than the pother candidates?
Are the people who elect them, overawed by them?
Do they just look at cvs, and think, by definition, they are better?

Anyone know at all?

If so many of them didnt get past the first hurdle, they could not become mps in the first place.

I am not saying that all should be stopped, but something is massively out of sync.

I've known a few MPs before and after they were selected and elected. They came over as fairly ordinary - some of them were also quite intelligent! - but most of them shared one characteristic - ambition, even ruthlessness. These were the ones who succeeded. Although, as I say, some of them were intelligent, what many them lacked - both male and female - was emotional intelligence.

oh heck. It is hard to beat that then. I guessed they had confidence, but not the ruthlessness and um the lacking in emotional intelligence.

While some of us merely moan, others are out and about actually doing things so they are going to get through.

Perhaps those in local constiuencies only have those sorts of people put themselves forward.
Oh dear.

Maybe it's because they are taught to debate in private schools, so heckling and answering questions under fire come more easily. It could also be the reason why private schools are so hot on carrying on the traditions of having a debating society, believing that they are training up the next generation of politicians.

I'm not 'getting at' any poster I am raising a point when I say:-

It's precisely the fact that we, the English, cannot fly the flag of our nation without it becoming a political football and deemed as supporting the BNP or having far right views.

That is precisely why the the likes of UKIP are doing so well.

People are fed up and the stupidid, ex, Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry has just proved the point the Labour elite, as Miliband would say, 'just don't get it'. She even dug herself into a bigger hole by saying 'never seen anything like it'. Good grief woman you don't get out much and most certainly do not reflect a lot of your voters.

I've never heard anybody criticise the flying of the Saltire or the Welsh Dragon. Why ?. Because only the English are kicked into touch for daring to be proud of their country. Hypocrisy. B----y hell we have even had a thread talking about Labour councils flying the Palestinian Flag but fly the English National Flag and all hell breaks loose.

I don't think this woman would have commented if it had been one flag, neatly displayed. It was the overall impression she was remarking on. Still patronising and sneery though.

Her other tweets from the doorsteps were in a similar vein. Silly woman.

It's true - and very sad. I almost feel we ought to start again with a new design. One that just means that we love our country. And make it illegal for any covert political users and abusers to treat it as their symbol. I loved the Jubilee year, it was actually safe to put up a flag without feeling potentially offensive.

You don't see national flags in people's houses on the continent. I haven't anyway. Odd that.

I think it's ok for football, but don't like it from a nationalist stance.

Gill57 I am a scot living south of the border, and haven't got a patriotic bone in my body. But when I see the Saltire these days I associate with a sad time in our history. Recent history meaning the scottish independance vote. On another thread re. twitter my husband received death threats for his stand against such. It has divided some in our extended families, causing what seems unrepairable rifts. Just aligning with your sad association with the red and white of St. Georges'.

It seems wrong that the man"s van registration has been posted for all to see, IMO !

alex57currie SNAP! I too am a Scot living South of the Border and my heart sinks when I see family members on facebook etc. wearing this banner that says 45, along with the Saltire. For those unaware of the siginficance of this, it represent the percentage of Scottish voters who voted for independence. Another example of a proud symbol being hijacked by a vociferous and sadly sometimes nasty minority.

POGS, it is unfortunate that the English flag was used as the symbol for the BNP. I don't understand the need to fly flags on houses when there is no National celebration taking place . I don't have a need to fly the Welsh flag because I love my country , I just do

There are 3 union flags flying within a mile of our house. We live in a very ordinary suburb in north Manchester. I know one of the families flying the union flag has a son in the military and suspect that's the case with the other two homes.
The only time we have flags of St George on homes locally is during significant sporting events. Oh yes, and when the EDL came to try and cause riots here between the white british and pakistani communities. Luckily, no such riots occurred and local people from both communities came out to suggest the EDL go home. The closest it came to a riot, was when the bussed in anti fascist group charged the (bussed in) EDL and the police had to get involved.
I feel it's so sad that flying the English flag is usually associated with racism, dangerous nationalism etc.
I'm still so cross with this silly ex Minister - photographing someone's home, and publishing the photographs without permission is bad enough, but to do so in such a sneering, patronising, and bigoted manner, good job she's gone!

Unlike say, the US [where flag flying is commonplace in a lot of areas] and I think Sweden too, most countries don't go in for it particularly unless there is a important football match or something similar.That's in people's gardens and on houses BTW, but there is often a flag on municipal buildings.The fightback to reclaim the English flag could start this way, that town halls etc in England fly it alongside the Union flag ,and Scotland Northern Ireland and Wales could do the same with their flags [maybe they already do?]

POGS, I like the points you have made. Unfortunately BNP type far right groups have on occasions hi-jacked the English flag for their own purposes. Having said that, at times the English are pilloried for any sort of patriotism they display when flying the English flag and this certainly doesn't seem to apply to the Welsh or Scots. However basing the English is considered fair game, particularly from the far left, who really don't like anyone arguing with their point of view, except when it becomes apparent they have made a massive blunder.

Emily Thornberry is not alone, several MPs from Labour have made some appalling remarks recently, albeit tongue in cheek, I don't think it was clever to tell Myleene Klass she might like to emigrate simply because she opposes their proposed mansion tax. Similarly left leaning American journalist Bonnie Greer told British Griff Rhys Jones to "piss off" when he voiced his objections and Sol Campbell has similarly been hectored for his opinions on the same matter.

On Question Time last night Yasmin Allibah Brown voiced her concerns about UKIP, possibly as a first generation immigrant she would feel threatened by some of their rhetoric. I would empathise with those feelings if she herself had not once said "I wish you white middle class men would go away and let us walk in" possibly this quote isn't verbatim, but something along those lines and again for all her passion of wanting to have a fairer and more equal society she chooses to send her own children to private schools.

My problem is with this type of so called left wing person is that they simply don't allow any individual to express an opinion that differs from their own sanctimonious view of how things should be. They mock, they insult, they shout people down and finally they tell them, perhaps they would like to leave the country.

I am not a UKIP voter and don't intend to be, my paternal grandfather was an immigrant, my maternal grandparents both had an immigrant parent. My first husband was from overseas, I do not consider myself to be a Little Englander. I, like many others am just sick of this awful political elite, across the spectrum who cannot disguise their disdain and contempt for the increasingly disobedient electorate.

The fightback to reclaim the English flag could start this way, that town halls etc in England fly it alongside the Union flag ,and Scotland Northern Ireland and Wales could do the same with their flags [maybe they already do?]

I like this idea.

I love the way the Americans fly their flag outside their homes, very patriotic, seems a shame we are not able to do the same without being jumped on .
& again

jingl I wonder if you've ever visited Norway where the national flag is very much in evidence? Whenever we go to visit our friends there they literally 'put the flags out' to welcome us. All high days and holidays are celebrated in this way and it's rare to see a municipal building that doesn't have a flag flying.

No. Not been to Norway yet Granny-a. It's on the list.

I suppose they need all they can get to cheer themselves up.

I liked your post Terri, says it all !!

I'm going to run and hide after saying this but there's a caption competition on another forum with regards to the twittered photo. My favourite is one that says 'Farage arrives back at UKIP headquarters'....

TerriBull

If petulant, self-important celebrities announce that they are going to leave Britain, they can hardly be surprised if some people are happy to cheer them on their way. I'm sure the country will somehow survive without them.

Emily Thornberry may well live in a £1-2 million house in Islington but Myleene Klass commented that you can hardly buy a garage for £2million in London, so, as far as I can see, she is equally divorced from the lives of the average working person.

As for the "type of left wing person" with "sanctimonious views" who "mocks", "insults" and "shouts down" - I don't think these qualities are exclusive to those on the left. I recall that the Conservative supporter and ex MP, Matthew Parris, recently made some pretty scornful and insulting remarks about UKIP voters. Jeremy Clarkson has made several mocking and insulting comments about people outside his milieu, including suggesting ("jokingly") that striking public service workers should be shot.