According To A Labour Candidate Says "people Who Fly England Flags Are 'simpletons And Casual Racists"

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11528421/Labour-candidate-People-who-fly-England-flags-are-simpletons-and-casual-racists.html

Emily Thornberry sacked last year for holding working-class voters in "contempt" by appearing to mock a family's terrace home draped in England flags. and now a Labour Party candidate wrote a blog posting in which he said anyone who flies an England flag is a "simpleton or casual racist".

Are these unpatriotic Labourites the type of people we want running our country?

[THECORBYLOON]

SVEJK, you wrote "as per usual" not "yes," so maybe my question to you is too difficult for you.

[Svejk]

Shouldn't you be making a beeping noise when back-tracking?

[THECORBYLOON]

BALDRIC the OP asks, "Are these unpatriotic Labourites..." as one of the examples is a Welsmman's comments about folk flying the English flag, I am merely querying why he is thought to be unpatriotic.

[Baldric]

Yeah, to be fair, just noticed that, read his link and not his OP, usually get a less biased opinion that way!

[New Judge]

People in the UK need to make up their minds whether they would like one sovereign state or four. If they choose the former it is about time they ditched the flags of the constituent parts (along with the football teams). Then there would be none of this nonsense. No other single sovereign nation has the luxury of four entries to the World Cup, the European championship or the Commonwealth games.

Of course successive governments have encouraged separatism by the ridiculous devolution arrangements that have been put in place so it is little wonder that many people seem to want to have their cake and eat it.

[THECORBYLOON]

The rules for entry into a particular competition are hardly a justification for how the country should be ruled.

[douglas9401]

Morrisons don't have a team in the Commonwealth Games but they fly their own flags outside their stores.
They also sell cakes and I eat them. :-P

[Svejk]

I've lived in Wales practically all my life. Now and again a chap might come into the pub wearing an England rugby/football shirt and would probably be subjected to a bit of good-natured banter.
Now, if a hate-filled bigot, like this chap, tried to stir up real animosity or suggested smashing the guy's car up, he'd be told to behave,,,,once.

[THECORBYLOON]

I am in no way condoning what was said nine year ago but there is nothing unpatriotic in what he said.

[retrocop]

Svejk
Well said.I am half Welsh.I was born and live in England.I always wear the Welsh Rugby shirt in my local English Pub when Wales are playing any team OTHER than England and then I wear the English shirt with the cross of St George.No Paddy or Jock gives me grief in my country because I chose to wear either an English or Welsh shirt in MY country.We all usually down a few and shake hands after a match and will agree the better team won.I am patriotic because I owe England my lifestyle. I do not consider my neighbour a simpleton if he chooses to fly the Saltire or St Patricks flag. One neighbour is a yank and flys the Stars and stripes every 4th July.I always give him a wave and wish him a happy Independence Day but always follow up with "Why the heck are you here" much to his amusement.
Only a Welsh Labourite bigot could dream this pernicious muck up.

[ichkeria]

It was a silly thing to say and I believe he apologised

[New Judge]

"The rules for entry into a particular competition are hardly a justification for how the country should be ruled. "

I wasn't trying to do that, Corby. I was simply using it as an analogy to demonstrate the ridiculous muddle that the UK has become. It is a single sovereign state, not a federation. There should be one set of laws and conventions that should apply to the entire country equally. There is no more justification to run an "England" national footbal team than there is to run one from Cornwall or Greater Manchester. They are each sub-divsions (to a greater or lesser degree) of the UK.

Running four national football teams, along with two or three legal systems and different mechanisms to distribute the national budget simply generates divison and bad feeling.

[Jackdaw33]

The former USSR only fielded one national team whereas now they canfield 16 as they are all independent countries. i think NJ is correct, logically there should be just one UK team. We might then have a chance of winning something.

[whiskeryron]

It used to be called The UNITED Kingdom. Why any one in his right mind would want to split the country up & at the same time amalgamate with Europe is beyond me.

[ichkeria]

The reason there are 4 home nations in football is to do with the fact that there have always been separate associations. Going right back to the earliest time. it is a bit of an anachronism but I don't think it is a fair way of criticising the UK: it reflects rather on the politics of FIFA etc

[DaisyNonna]

If there is a GB team playing I support it wholeheartedly. If any are playing non UK teams I support them. If Wales plays another UK team I support Wales. Does that make me racist? Nor does it make anyone flying an English flag racist, or simple.
Which particular definition of casual is being implied?

[Jackdaw33]

Yet the Home Internationals no longer exist.

[DaisyNonna]

Rugby?

[Jackdaw33]

Yes, but not Soccer.

[JackDanielsU]

anneasquith

sorry, but flying an English flag from a window looks a bit thuggish to me .

*** except during the football world cup !!!!


So why not St Georges Day, Rugby World Cup, or any other sporting event where England are participating?