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Flying the flag

(538 Posts)
varian Sat 20-Mar-21 13:51:47

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

Kamiso Sun 21-Mar-21 12:46:37

Surely the thought police aren’t now telling people what and when they can display whatever they choose in their own homes?

At least their arrogance will loose them another election!

(Homes came up as onesies! What might be displayed in them would be a very different matter.)

GrannyGravy13 Sun 21-Mar-21 12:49:12

Alegrias1 , Dinahmo I do understand the first past the post electoral system.

Doesn’t matter how many times it gets posted on GN to the contrary, the Conservatives won an eighty seat majority, which means under this system they won.

Alegrias1 Sun 21-Mar-21 12:53:55

MaizieD said that Labour, Lib Dem and SNP supporters make up the larger part of the UK Electorate, which they do. (Not sure about the grudge bit, though, but hay ho grin)

So in arguments about flying flags, if its based on numbers, and if all those people agree about something, we win.

Some folk are obsessed with elections..... hmm

NellG Sun 21-Mar-21 12:54:40

GG13 Wow, I didn't realise you were five and had to be spoken down to like that. ?

GrannyGravy13 Sun 21-Mar-21 12:58:59

NellG

GG13 Wow, I didn't realise you were five and had to be spoken down to like that. ?

Good one ??????

varian Sun 21-Mar-21 13:08:26

GrannyGravy13

Alegrias1 , Dinahmo I do understand the first past the post electoral system.

Doesn’t matter how many times it gets posted on GN to the contrary, the Conservatives won an eighty seat majority, which means under this system they won.

It is entirely untrue to say or suggest that the 80 seat majority was won because the majority support the Conservatives.

The majority of those who voted voted against them.

This is not democracy. The UK is a sham democracy where most people's votes don't count.

No amount of union jacks in living rooms will change that.

PippaZ Sun 21-Mar-21 13:09:23

I would imagine if you were accurate no one would correct you. I would also imagine if you were inaccurate but not throwing you inaccuracies at someone else no one would bother with you either.

PippaZ Sun 21-Mar-21 13:10:16

PippaZ Sun 21-Mar-21 13:09:23 - reply to NellG

Lucca Sun 21-Mar-21 13:15:20

Sarnia

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

Do you fly the flag in Your sitting room?

Gwyneth Sun 21-Mar-21 13:15:46

I have a Union Jack mug should I get rid of it before the ‘thought police’ charge me with being a right wing extremist? ?

tickingbird Sun 21-Mar-21 13:16:21

It’s amazing how certain posters don’t accept democracy when it goes against them. The Tories didn’t win the GE even though they have a huge majority and the leave vote was also flawed and people didn’t realise what they were voting for. Judging by the latest bully boy tactics over the vaccine I’m thankful people ‘didn’t know’ what they were voting for!

Lucca Sun 21-Mar-21 13:16:51

Gwyneth

I have a Union Jack mug should I get rid of it before the ‘thought police’ charge me with being a right wing extremist? ?

No, how does a mug come into it ?

I thought we were talking about a large flag in the home

GrannyGravy13 Sun 21-Mar-21 13:21:48

Good try, but however you dress it up under the current electoral system The Conservatives are in power with an eighty seat majority...

NellG Sun 21-Mar-21 13:24:06

I'd imagine it's easier to stand corrected if you've been spoken to as an equal with a different opinion and politics. Rather than 'corrected' as if you are being taught something by someone who has assumed authority over you. But hey, who am I to suggest that we all try and have a bit of decency?

foxie48 Sun 21-Mar-21 13:25:14

Varian says "This is not democracy. The UK is a sham democracy where most people's votes don't count."

Sorry I have to disagree with you on this, of course we are a democracy, it's just not one that is based on proportional representation. We all know how the system works and we don't have the degree of gerrymandering that is common in the US or the attempts at voter suppression. IMO it is undemocratic to question the results of a legally run election, we are beginning to sound like Trump's America, God help us!

Alegrias1 Sun 21-Mar-21 13:26:39

We know GG13 You're the one who brought it up and feels the need to keep talking about it. That's not what we were talking about. Read the posts again?

GagaJo Sun 21-Mar-21 13:30:49

I agree with Varian. The UK isn't a democracy anymore. We are run by unelected SPADS, big business and the media, or at least, by those who from those sectors that the corrupt mess we call government is bribed by.

We only have to look at the way public money was thrown in millions, at friends and contacts of the government throughout the course of this pandemic. Worst death toll in the civilised world, near enough, and yet they are STILL throwing money at mates and we the people are powerless to stop it.

Hardly a democracy.

GagaJo Sun 21-Mar-21 13:31:41

Oh yes. And they pander to us, 'the British' by shoving a flag behind them on zoom calls and broadcasts. If that is patriotism, we might as well give up now.

EMMF1948 Sun 21-Mar-21 13:32:05

varian

It does look as if the Tory Party are trying to misuse the union jack in the same way that the SNP misuse the saltire.

These national flags belong to all of us, not to any political party.

There's nothing stopping other parties from displaying the flag, in other countries it's usual for the leader to display the flag, only here do we seem to be ashamed of it.

GrannyGravy13 Sun 21-Mar-21 13:33:36

Alegrias1

We know GG13 You're the one who brought it up and feels the need to keep talking about it. That's not what we were talking about. Read the posts again?

I suggest you read MaizieD’s post of 12.22

varian Sun 21-Mar-21 13:34:43

No one is questioning the results, except perhaps those who suggest that the Tory party were supported by the majority of voters.

We all know that they have any eighty seat majority and so can do what they like for the next four years so what we have is dictatorship of a minority.

Democracy means rule by the majority NOT any minority.

That is why the UK is not a democracy.

If all Tory voters in the land had a union jack in their living rooms that would not make the UK any more democratic.

Pantglas2 Sun 21-Mar-21 13:38:10

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

Interesting argument Alegrias. Would you also argue with the 1997 result?

foxie48 Sun 21-Mar-21 13:48:41

Just to clarify, we've had lots of times when the winning party has had less than 50% of the votes, therefore by some people's opinion, not democratic. In 1974, Wilson had a 4 seat majority but actually got fewer votes than the Conservatives and at 37% of the votes, it meant 63% of those who voted, voted for another party. I didn't stop him governing for another four years. I think if I looked I could probably find pictures of every PM regardless of political affiliation standing or sitting in front of a Union Jack. When they are in government, like it or not, they are representing every person in Great Britain.

varian Sun 21-Mar-21 13:51:50

There has only been one UK government elected by a majority of votes in the last hundred years (Conservative government elected in 1931).

Every other government has been elected by a minority of voters.

www.statista.com/statistics/717004/general-elections-vote-share-by-party-uk/

varian Sun 21-Mar-21 13:53:00

There have been two coalition governments supported by a majority - the wartime coaltion and the 2010-15 coalition.