Reform are spending £75,000 putting up Union flags in Nottingham

seasider

I live in a tourist area . We have a Reform councillor. In his area lots of flags have appeared but they have been placed around tourist attractions. This gives the impression we are a racist town and this is not my view so I strongly object. We have lots of British Asian/black visitors who were born and work in the UK . I don’t want them or anyone else to feel unwelcome. I do support controlled immigration though.

I expect the black and Asian visitors who were born here and work here consider themselves part of England and the UK and are happy to see flags, why not?

Oreo

MaizieD hate symbols? No that would be hamas flags or swastikas and most def not the flag of St George or our Union flag.

Abso-flipping-lutely 👍

But look how the swastika was taken over by the Nazis having initially been, I believe, a symbol of peace ( happy to be corrected on that).

I have a book, printed before Hitler, with that sun sign on tbe front cover.
My offspring have looked askance at it.
The original meaning of a symbol can so easily be lost, when the 'intent' changes.
Don't let that happen to tbe national, or any flag.

Yes. Imo that’s what’s happening to our national flag and I don’t like it .

It is apparently happening to our national flag(s) because some people are silly enough to choose to believe it, or more likely, perpetuate the myth because it is anti-Reform.

Bluebell.. Don't you understand it's because of people like you saying our flags shouldn't be displayed is also a problem. We live in a democracy and it's not been banned so unfortunately for you you will just have to accept it. It's coming up to Armistice day and I'll fly the Union flag if I want to because it's a free country. How you perceived it is not my problem.

eazybee

I saw two small union flags hanging outside windows at the top of a four storey building this morning. They cheered me up.
At the bottom was an Indian restaurant; don't know if there was any connection.

Yes of course it was a message the flag hanger here has purposely hung them outside Chinese and Indian restaurants
(the same time as the Indian restaurants windows were all smashed) and any Asian corner shops

It doesn’t cheer me up it makes me want to cry

Dorisdodar

Bluebell.. Don't you understand it's because of people like you saying our flags shouldn't be displayed is also a problem. We live in a democracy and it's not been banned so unfortunately for you you will just have to accept it. It's coming up to Armistice day and I'll fly the Union flag if I want to because it's a free country. How you perceived it is not my problem.

No one’s saying they shouldn’t be displayed. But it needs to be for the right reason.

Dorisdodar

Bluebell.. Don't you understand it's because of people like you saying our flags shouldn't be displayed is also a problem. We live in a democracy and it's not been banned so unfortunately for you you will just have to accept it. It's coming up to Armistice day and I'll fly the Union flag if I want to because it's a free country. How you perceived it is not my problem.

No I ll never accept racism Dorisdodah

We have a group of Armistice flags flying around our Cenotaph so we can still celebrate the day without flying a union flag

Of course we should be able to fly a countries flag if we so want to but because Farage/ Robinson and others have hijacked it, for now it is a flag with a message and the message is something I will fight against all my life as I always have They are clever they have used something that they know will divide the people even more

It has been hijacked before by the Far right National Front in the 70 s we fought it then and we will fight it again until I stop breathing

Yes they did " taken down until it can be reclaimed".

Perhaps everyone who wishes to fly a Union flag for the right reasons should try to buy one with a disclaimer printed in the corner.

Perhaps there could be a way to check people's thoughts, I am sure a system could be developed.

😁

I'm not sure. The way they get misinterpreted on Gransnet is worrying.

GrannyGravy13

Oreo

MaizieD hate symbols? No that would be hamas flags or swastikas and most def not the flag of St George or our Union flag.

Abso-flipping-lutely 👍

In your opinions. Not mine.

And if you can't see the difference between 'normal' national flag flying and the flags being thrust in our faces by right wing xenophobes I an very surprised.

And if posters thing every flag flown is a symbol of hatred and xenophobia that is very worrying.

With it being Armistice day so I will expect to see the normal amount of the Union Jacks (not the English flag, because those in our forces who fell in war were not exclusively English) being flown all over the place. I'll be pragmatic enough to assume that they are all been flown for remembrance. Not a problem.

Surely it’s about proportionality. Buying and flying a flag on traditional days and occasions wouldn’t be thought of as exceptional by anybody I wouldn’t think. If you decide now to erect a flag on your property and fly it every day people will assume you support Reform’s ideology.

Has anyone actually seen bios of the men behind the flag flying?
That could tell you their intent.

Going to check that out.

Allira

And if posters thing every flag flown is a symbol of hatred and xenophobia that is very worrying.

Well, I certainly don't think that the hundreds being flown in my area, which all appeared on more or less the same day, were the result of a highly uncharacteristic burst of patriotism...

Casdon

Surely it’s about proportionality. Buying and flying a flag on traditional days and occasions wouldn’t be thought of as exceptional by anybody I wouldn’t think. If you decide now to erect a flag on your property and fly it every day people will assume you support Reform’s ideology.

You know the saying ‘assuming makes an ass of you and me’?

People will judge though, that’s life..

Casdon

Surely it’s about proportionality. Buying and flying a flag on traditional days and occasions wouldn’t be thought of as exceptional by anybody I wouldn’t think. If you decide now to erect a flag on your property and fly it every day people will assume you support Reform’s ideology.

We had a neighbour who had a flagpole in his garden, completed with a large Union flag.

That was in the days well before UKIP, Brexit, Reform, or anything similar.
He was just patriotic.

A friend has one too but he's not a Reform voter, the flag has been flying there outside his house for very many years.

Should he take it down?

Casdon

People will judge though, that’s life..

Oh don't they just.

Evident on here!!