Comments on: Afraid of our identity?

By: curly

curly — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:13:51 +0000

Oh yes, we get some strange customers in here from time to time Michael.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:01:14 +0000

The deadliest enemy of England is the United Kingdom??!! There’ll be Celts under the bed next.
In the words of the late Bill Hicks:
I hate patriotism. I can’t stand it - it’s a round world last time I checked.

By: Stephen Gash

Stephen Gash — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:56:03 +0000

Who’s afraid of parading their English identity? As far as I can see an already large, and increasing, number of people is all too happy to let the world know they are English.

It is the establishment which is afraid of the English which is why the police pull the plug on St George’s Day parades, as recently happened in Bradford.

Which is why the Church of England is doing all it can to dissociate itself from England (has it anything to do with the C of E being led [don't laugh] by a Welshman, I wonder?)

Which is why the Celtic cabal at Westminster aided by Judas-like English politicians have removed England from the map, ceased to recognise England as a nation and only a collection of regions.

No. The English people will not be cowed, nor will they allow England to be destroyed as a nation.

They’ll see the end of the UK first. The deadliest enemy of England is the United Kingdom.

By: hotspur

hotspur — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:06:19 +0000

We have followed the English flag issue closely for years. The weapon used against English flag wavers by this New Labour government has been the racist cosh.We believe that many people do not fly England’s flag from their homes because they do not need the hassle from councils.Neil Herron and Jim Tague had a big fight with Derwent council over flying the English flag.England is not required by the eu, so euro fanatic LibDem Chris Foote-Wood took it upon himself to try and ban it. The truth was though that a National Flag means a National government for England.A National government for England means the English will become aware of who pays and receives what, including who actually pays the eu the millions.
Happy St George’s Day to all.

By: Man in a Shed

Man in a Shed — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:50:51 +0000

I think the English are the last to wake up from the post imperial dream, to discover themselves occupied by a Celtic socialist hegemony. The British state looks more like an organised occupation of England and attitudes are hardening.

I was back where I grew up in Essex this week and its noticeable the number of crosses of St George in evidence - just as the absence of Union flags is also noticeable. ( I think this can be explained by a combination of devolution and Gordon Brown trying to claim Britishness. Also on taking one of those rail replacement bussed all around the North West recently I was struck by the number of bed rooms, gardens, pubs and clubs that had crosses of St George flying over/in them ).

But also some of the confidence is back in England. The English Democrats are almost running as many candidates as Labour or the Lib Dems in my home town.

English nationalism is stirring, and it may be one of the the key questions to be asked of an incoming Conservative government - or in the nightmare scenario a Celtic minority Lib-Lab government governing England !

For my part I’ll be at the future of England conference organised by the CEP next week.

I have to say I’m thinking my politics through carefully at the moment.

By: Toque

Toque — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:57:41 +0000

We’re afraid of home rule, and seemingly prefer to be ruled as Britain, by Brits, so it’s hardly a surprise that we don’t celebrate St George’s Day that much.

We can only hope that mindset changes while there’s still something left to save.

By: arefe

arefe — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:26:07 +0000

I’m not English but this also rings bell to my own dilemma.I should keep telling that I am not afraid of my identity.

By: \s Wilson

\s Wilson — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:39:17 +0000

Hi Curly, not laying a claim to fame here but it was actually my Nanna at Local Democracy Week in 2006 who asked the Mayor of the time at informal question time in the Council Chamber why the Town Hall doesn’t fly “the flag”. His response was “what flag” and when he realised that he was digging a deeper hole, he came back with the classic “but Middlesbrough Council doesn’t fly the St. George flag or Union Jack either” - much to her bemusement (!).

Thankfully, South Tyneside Council now fly the flag of St. George at South Shields, Jarrow AND Hebburn. And the Mayor of the time was pleased that he had listened to ‘the people of South Tyneside’…

Great - but why even the need to request this in the first place?? Oh, and there is a legal clause written somewhere in our joke of a law system that states that the Union flag may only be flown on ceremonial occasions (probably arising from an EU Directive).

Maybe our country should sit up for a minute and be proud of who we are and what we stand for. Currently living in Scotland, which is very proud of itself, I feel England should follow suit - and why not.

Ok, another rant off my chest for today, thanks.