How brainless to sing the red flag.....

I have no problem about the song being sung at labour conferences, but seriously doubt the wisdom of singing it in parliament at this moment, when polarised parties are the stuff of nightmares and have given us a nutter for a PM.

I am no Tory supporter, nor Labour, but I would like to see some sort of political sense being exercised - the priority at the moment is to get rid of BJ and his cronies and to seek the middle ground and polite and reasoned debate to get us out of this mess. I think that if Labour aligns itself too closely with the hard left it will shoot itself in the foot.

One of the reasons we are in this mess is because of the absence of a credible opposition, which has always been the purpose of the party system. Labour have sadly lost their credibility and need to tread with care to get it back.

Completely agree lois - and Bread of Heaven, Land of Hope and Glory, Scotland the Brave, When Irish Eyes Are Smiling!!

Parliament is for the country not just the Labour Party

Parliament used to be for the country. It is very difficult to see it as such nowadays, if a PM elected by a tiny number of people is willing to prorogue it at a time of national crisis.

I vote Labour and always have done; I sing the Red Flag too. I suspect that I am too left wing for many people who post on here and other sites I visit, but I don't consider any of this to be a hanging offence. You are entitled to vote any way you wish; that to me is democracy. I consider lots of things to be disgraceful, but singing the Red Flag is not one of them. If you want to sing Rule Britannia that is ok by me, so is Jerusalem ( although I am not religious) .Flower of Scotland? Fine by me. Danny Boy? Absolutely, love that one! And so on.

Why are you getting worked up by it?

I always sang The Red Flag at labour conferences and other
Labour Party meetings.

Parliament is for the country not just the Labour Party

Dear me, I've just seen the footage....a rag tag bunch. All of them.

Ah Grandad, I have a feeling you won't be listened to. This is one of those threads that is determined only to make people feel better about themselves because they are not "those" people. The will be no attempt to understand. No reasoning going on. Just an "our lots better than your lot" thread. Plus, perhaps, a little of "the world's going to hell in a handicart because people don't behave as we did". They don't want your reasoned augment, or your (or anyone else's) explanation. They just want to tell one another they are right.

The one's singing The Red Flag were the politicians [along with many from other parties] that did actually want to carry on working to sort out the crisis we're in so it seems wrong that the media should pick them out as troublemakers when they're trying to uphold democracy. They are being forced to not do the job they get paid for and shouldn't get the blame for it. But it was still unwise to sing it imo.

Anniebach Quote [ It was a disgrace ]End Quote

Anniebach, you have often claimed on this forum that you were a member of the Labour Party for over fifty years and during that period often attended the annual delegate conference.

In the above Anniebach, you will know that the red flag is always sung at the end of business on the concluding day. Everyone attending is expected to join in, with the words being displayed in recent years on the large screens set at both sides of the platform.

The singing of what is the "anthem of the Labour Movement in Britain" is nothing more than a symbolic and traditional act which takes place on that last day following presentations to those who are retiring from long years of service in the party and broader movement. That singing is as much a tribute to them as to the above-mentioned tradition and symbolism.

So, are you stating Anniebach that when you attended these conferences you never joined in the tributes to those revered members by singing the anthem with all the others in attendance?

I am not a member of the Labour Party but in years past have attended many Delegate Conferences speaking on workplace/industrial safety at fringe meetings. If I have been there on the final morning of the conference I have always gone into the main venue to see those presentations and join in the singing of the Red Flag as a tribute to those members which I always found very enjoyable, poignant and moving.

I also believe that with Parliament being forced into suspension by a dictatorial Prime Minister and his anarchist adviser, that was precisely the right time for that anthem to be sung in defence of the United Kingdoms parliamentary democracy.

Id rather all these overpaid politicians were trying to sort this whole mess out. Rather than singing at all. So glad they all can sing, I see nothing in this whole damned mess to sing about!

How can .labour MP’s singing The Red Flag in Parliament be
misconstrued?

I do think it is associated with far left-wing, communist views; and sending that signal out to the electorate will most assuredly lose them votes.

It is so sad to see the political system crumbling - British democracy has been held up as a beacon round the world. And now we have our very own Trump.

Perhaps it would have been better if they all chose to sing the National Anthem

Unfortunately anything the Labour Party says/does these days is misconstrued by the media; they have to be extra careful [and I'm saying that as a LibDem voter].

I must be in the minority then, because to me that song is associated with the labour party - harking back to communism seems odd as the principal cultural reference.

I can't agree that brainpower is lacking, given that Johnson and Cummings are being outmanoeuvred at he moment...

To outsiders it is sung by the Communist party so not really the brightest of moves.

Brainpower is sadly lacking in all parties right now.

shows that even in Burns' life WM and their domination wasn't what we wanted

How is it disgraceful for the Labour Party to sing what has been their anthem since the founding of the party? What an odd thing to say.

SNP didn't sing Flower of Scotland ,they sang Rabbie Burns ' Scots Wae Hae

Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,
Scots, wham Bruce has aften led;
Welcome to your gory bed,
Or to victory!

Now's the day, and now's the hour;
See the front o' battle lour;
See approach proud Edward's power—
Chains and slavery!

Wha will be a traitor knave?
Wha can fill a coward's grave!
Wha sae base as be a slave?
Let him turn and flee!

Thanks Doodledog; I stayed up for most of parliament last night but, annoyingly missed the very end. I was disgusted by Johnsons behaviour on the front bench [along with Nicky Morgan who I used to have some respect for]. My reply to the OP, before reading your comment was that there was a lot of loud, nasty behaviour in parliament last night, most of it coming from the Conservative front bench, and it was stupid of the Labour Party MP's to do something that they should have realised the media would pick up on. Holding up signs saying 'silenced' would have got the message across much better if they'd just stuck to that. One thing I am furious about is that several MP's asked that JRM should make an apology in parliament to the doctor he was so rude about the other day. To my knowledge, although he has made an unofficial apology that hasn't happened and, because of the proroguing of parliament will now not happen at all. It's now 'yesterday's news' but I won't forget it and neither imo will the medical profession. I'm not surprised about the BBC News .

Sorry Doodledog we crossed posts. I was referring to the Labour Party and their choice of song. Surely they could have come up with something else ?

No problem - I do that all the time

Like what, though? The Red Flag is a song about the people and their struggles to get rights and decent treatment. It has become associated with the USSR and similar types of communism; but if you listen to the words, it's not about that at all.

Foot. Shoot. Themselves.

Rearrange as appropriate

The Welsh MP’s did not sing an anthem , they sang a hymn

Hence the inverted commas.

Sorry Doodledog we crossed posts. I was referring to the Labour Party and their choice of song. Surely they could have come up with something else ?