Palestinian Flag Flys Over Tower Hamlets.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2710998/Tower-Hamlets-Mayor-Lutfur-Rahman-orders-Palestinian-flag-fly-town-hall-solidarity-Gaza.html

[ToraToraTora]

he says it is in support of a ceasefire, pity Hamas do not share that ideal.

[New Judge]

Another good reason why local authorities should be disbanded and their functions passed to executives acting under devolved powers from Westminster.

[sandyRoe]

Nearly 1400 lives snuffed out by Israeli violence. Flying a flag to show support for the beleagured people of Giza seems the least they might do.

[Old_Geezer]

I don't believe it is a town hall's remit to show support or otherwise on international issues. But I don't think the answer is pulling power back away from the locals either. The framework should clearly show what the authority's sphere of influence should be. Authorities should be more connected to their constituents' requirements within their remit.

[Ric.ror]

Its not just Tower Hamlets

[Gromit]

// local authorities should be disbanded and their functions passed to executives acting under devolved powers from Westminster. //

Yes, let's attack Local democracy everywhere because some crackpots have put a flag up. Why not go the full hog and have a Military Junta run the country?

[ludwig]

What an ar5eh0le. He obviously thinks the town hall is his own personal castle.

He should fly the flag above his private residence if he wants to make this kind of statement.

[Ric.ror]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-28499908

[dannyk13]

And Bradford is flying it over City Hall.

[bazwillrun]

"Why not go the full hog and have a Military Junta "

at least theyd sort out scumbags like Rahman though !

[sandyRoe]

Will there be affluent suburbs starting to fly the Israeli flag to show where their support lies?

[Ric.ror]

I suspect the reason has something to do with a general election in less than a year

Probably the same reason David Cameron wrote to me yesterday!!!!

[Gromit]

YadbYadUK, a campaign that tracks anti-Semitism online tweeted that the flag was was

// an “incitement and danger to the Jewish community”. //

The Police have now had the flag removed on anti-Semitism grounds.

[Ric.ror]

Will there be affluent suburbs starting to fly the Israeli flag to show where their support lies?

I think there was one last weekend in Leeds

[Zeuhl]

/Why not go the full hog and have a Military Junta

at least theyd sort out scumbags like Rahman though !/

And make the trains run on-time presumably

what more could we want for our society?

well worth giving up our freedoms and democratic rights for LOL

[sandyRoe]

Will the Israeli flag in Leeds be removed by the police? It would surely cause distress and be intimidating to any Muslims living in the locality.

[Gromit]

Looking at the photo in your link, the flag is not Flying Over Tower Hamlets.

The flag was near the ground floor entrance, about 10 feet from the ground. The building is four storeys tall.

[New Judge]

It's not just because of this, Gromit. I have long since believed that local government is a totally unnecessary institution which seems to serve only to siphon a wedge of cash from each council taxpayer to be used to administer functions which could easily be provided by central government. If you search through some of my posts on AB you will find I have said so a number of times in the past.

The "local democracy" which you trumpet is a sham. Many important local matters which effect council taxpayers are not decided in town halls but either in Whitehall or Brussels/Strasbourg. In addition we have situations like that in Tower Hamlets with an elected mayor treating his bailiwick like his own personal fiefdom with the needs and requirements of his electors taking a very poor second.

Then we have Bradford jumping onto the bandwagon with its leader ridiculously pronouncing that it is not taking sides in the conflict. I wonder, had Barnet council raised the Israeli flag, whether a similar view would have been so readily accepted.

Local government should not have access to international flags to fly from its buildings. They should empty the dustbins, sweep the streets and run their schools (though why such an important matter as education should be left to local authorities has puzzled me since I was old enough to think). The entire institution of local government is an outdated expensive anachronism and this episode demonstrates perfectly what a waste of money it is.

[anotheoldgit]

Ric.ror

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-28499908

/// Mr Green told BBC Radio Leeds: "The flag is not being raised in support of one side of the conflict, i.e. Hamas or the Israeli army. ///

/// "The flag is being flown in recognition of the suffering and deaths of hundreds of people in Gaza. ///

Ah those double descriptions once again, People in Gaza/Hamas, Israelis/Jews, Muslims/Islamics etc.

[ToraToraTora]

bang on judge, we have approx 60 councillors, with their snouts in the trough, all they do in manufacture things to have meetings about and then claim exes, I know several of them personally and they are a complete shower. Abolish the whole sorry lot and have a governement appointed excutive of a dozen properly qualified experts to run the whole thing.