Flying the flag

Lillie

vegansrock

I guess a typical “English” celebration would be binge drinking.

Only as portrayed by some press reorts. Not true.

You must be a real bundle of fun in real life vegansrock.

Do you ever have a joke with anyone?

We could skip the pub and have a nice cream tea instead if you want. You could even leave out the cream. I wouldn't mind.

"See the attached picture for what kind of ridiculous things can happen when you try to use the Union Flag and Britishness to sell products."
What's wrong with that, Alegrias1? Last I heard, Scotland is still part of Great Britain.

Roll away, Alegrias1

If that's the motive, so be it.

I don't really see what the problem is.

Also it appears Nicola has had the saltire during Covid messages to the nation

It's OK to be wrong sometimes.

Having your national flag flying in your garden or on your bookshelf is a fine thing and is miles away from a political party trying to associate itself with Britishness, which is clearly done to differentiate it from all other parties and present a particular "face" to the populace. Or more likely the rest of the world. Its all about motive.

That is the point I was trying to make but you've put it better and more clearly than me Alegrias!

Unfortunately what I said got turned on its head.

Alegrias1 If the Government of the day ( whichever party it happens to be) give interviews with the Union Flag in the background I cannot see the problem, after all they are representing the UK.

In the present climate of Covid and rolling worldwide news it makes them easily identifiable as a U.K. MP as I doubt we all know the face of every elected member of the House of Commons (or Lords)

As I posted upthread, the EU flag is usually prominent in any interview with a MEP or commissioner. I am really struggling to understand the derision and verging on hatred and fear that some folks have of the flag of the UK.

MerylStreep

Polarbear
When I do fly my flag ( and bunting to match) I actually don’t give a t#@@ what other people think. I know I’m not a supporter of the BNP and that’s all that counts,

Must get the bunting out too, I forgot that!

I think mostly the people objecting to the Union Flag being displayed when MPs are giving interviews on TV are Remainers, Labour, Lib Dem supporters or SNP supporters who hold a grudge.

Ohh, a lovely Sunday morning pile-on, how nice.

OK to be wrong sometimes, sure; is it OK to not understand the difference between an address to the nation and an interview with the press on Zoom?

As for thinking its OK to market haggis as a "British" product.....aye, OK! The company is in Glenrothes, BTW, if you want to buy one.

I don't deride anybody's flag. I deride the politicians who think they are fooling anybody by having a flagpole in the living rooms of their own houses.

Right, I'm off to nurture my grudge....

Today 09:33 vegansrock

I guess a typical “English” celebration would be binge drinking

Of course that’s what the English are known for on these islands. Obviously you’d never see the Scots getting blind drunk or the Irish!!

Is it the flag itself though? A few years back there was a huge fashion trend to have it plastered on everything, so much so you'd have been hard pressed to buy a soft furnishing without it on.

The objection is because the sudden appearance of them everywhere is tapping into a remembered fear - which I think is what growstuff was trying to show. We all know that flags in and of themselves are harmless - as a symbol they have historically been adopted as a rallying point. If you fly a flag you're showing an allegiance. It's fine to have an allegiance to your country and to be proud of being British/English/Welsh/Scottish/Irish/Cornish - nothing wrong with it at all. But an allegiance to a cause is a different beast.

But to pretend that flags mean nothing else but patriotism and pride is a bit baffling coming from a bunch of intelligent, mature people who presumably studied history in school and understood it.

My neighbour was told by the council to take down his England and Union Flag down as it is deemed racist
I suggested he put up bunting of the same nature and if the council said anything it`s for a party, it`s still up.

What is a flag, in the end?

Blossoming

What is a flag, in the end?

Or an earlier version of a windsock???

Politicians at home with the flag in the background is pure virtue signaling, a deliberate tactic to show them in a better light.

Blossoming

What is a flag, in the end?

If only it were.

Firecracker123

I think mostly the people objecting to the Union Flag being displayed when MPs are giving interviews on TV are Remainers, Labour, Lib Dem supporters or SNP supporters who hold a grudge.

Well, the amusing thing is, Firecracker, that these groups make up the larger part of the UK electorate.

So we win, I think

Can anybody honestly say that they have a full size flag in their sitting room? Somehow I doubt it and I suspect that those politicians (the cabinet in particular) who display a flag have it tucked away behind the sofa to bring out when needed.

GrannyGravy13

Have just watched an interview with Commissioner Maered McGuinness (sp) who was sporting a very large EU flag, is that acceptable?

She was in her office.

MaizieD sorry to point it out but you didn’t win which is why the UK has a Conservative majority of 80 and it’s no longer in the EU.

POTUS Trump and his supporters have been using that argument we lost but we really won

Dinahmo these MP’s are working from home, making their home workplaces like their official office is not a crime.

Many zoom conferences are carried out with artificial backgrounds thanks to today’s technology, having this Country’s flag in the background is no different.

GrannyGravy13

MaizieD sorry to point it out but you didn’t win which is why the UK has a Conservative majority of 80 and it’s no longer in the EU.

POTUS Trump and his supporters have been using that argument we lost but we really won

How many more times do you need to be told that the 80 seat majority does not represent the majority of the voters. The Tories had 43.6% of the popular vote. In my book tht is not a majority.

GrannyGravy13

MaizieD sorry to point it out but you didn’t win which is why the UK has a Conservative majority of 80 and it’s no longer in the EU.

POTUS Trump and his supporters have been using that argument we lost but we really won

Conservative vote in 2019: 43.6%
Votes for Labour, SNP and Lib Dems: 47.6%

Sorry to point it out to you, but more people voted for somebody else rather than their Conservative candidate. So yes, that means the "the larger part of the electorate"

They still managed to get a majority in Parliament though, due to our voting system.

Crossed posts Dinahmo!

The PC Brigade have us apologising for any show of being British. Fly the flag and be proud of it.

varian

Does the display of union jacks by politicians making video calls from their homes not just appear ridiculous, but a tad sinister?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/19/flag-of-convenience-why-ministers-cant-get-enough-of-the-union-jack

I haven't read all 10 pages so apologies if I am repeating something others have said.

It does seem over the top and may, therefore, come under the heading of the tropes of "Powerful and continuing Nationalism" which is one of the 14 characteristics of fascist regimes suggested by historian Laurence W. Britt*.

Looking at those photographs they do look like they might be associated with some rather extreme revolutionary regime.

I agree with Maizie's tongue in cheek comment that hints that the greater number of people don't want this sort of signalling, Firecrackers in-depth research seems to say it is so.

*http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27/076.html