I see this campaign as a positive. It’s the silent or forgotten majority taking back control of the narrative so prevalent on the left, that we are inherently racist and that our culture is something to be ashamed of. People are sick of being denigrated and told to shut up when they have perfectly valid concerns at the many problems they can see around them and which are affecting particularly working class areas. There may be elements of thuggery but the British have never embraced the so called ‘far right’ and have often mocked it( I’m thinking of Jeeves and Wooster for example) so I don’t see that being the dominant force here. It’s time we provided a positive picture of this country’s rich history and culture and gave young people something to be proud of.
Yesterday polish liberal press Gazeta Wyborcza: „In Warsaw hate crimes are rising. We are dealing with the Lucifer effect”. The article suggests that aversion to immigrants from Middle East is hybrid war waged by Russia and all fears about foreign culture and difficult assimilation process are nothing but religious intolerance and social contagion of xenophobia. Number of hate crimes in Warsaw in 2025: 78. Photo attached to the article shows „WHITE FRONT POLAND DIVISION GŁOGÓW” from anti-immigrantion demonstration in Zgorzelec this year.
I realised that when calling for death of Jews is both in good taste and total mainstream in 2025, I don’t care anymore about white nationalism. Focus on whiteness is not my political aesthetic, but at least they advocate for policies vital for our country instead for destruction of Israel and western world as we know. Seriously, the left has lost the moral highground needed to shame me into distancing from such allies.
I have never thought of our flag as anything other than a symbol of our unity - indeed the Union Jack is exactly that: the union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It should be flown everywhere in the UNITED Kingdom. Indeed, as you say "In military terms, it is unthinkable to allow a flag to fall, because that is to suggest surrender or defeat." Parts of our country have fallen to invaders - hence their raising of THEIR flag and the tearing down of ours. What more do we need to know about the failure of incomers to integrate - they are blatantly telling us they have taken over.
The only flags displayed by an elected representative should be the British flag and the flag of the country, e.g. Wales. Showing your allegiance to another country means you're not fit for office. I'm American British. If I were elected to an office, I wouldn't display the American flag.
[disclaimer: I’m polish living in Poland]. I followed news from war in Ukraine day by day for 2,5 years. It changed how I relate to flags, because yes it was marking of territory - where is Ukrainian flag, there is Ukraine. In Poland wide display of Ukrainian flags was sign of true solidarity, because Poland backed Ukraine in multiple ways, hosted millions of Ukrainians and survival of Ukraine is vital to survival of Poland. I started to view polish flag as message that we’re sovereign nation with identity, history and state, which we won’t give back to Russia or nobody again. Eventually in early 2024 I put polish flag on my balcony (didn’t do it with pride flag, Ukrainian flag or any other) and I have it there ever since.
This article comes a week after a ruckus in my lesbian Facebook group because a couple of members posted photos of themselves wearing t-shirts with a picture of a koala holding an Australian flag while holidaying in Canada. Another member was very upset and said so in her comments. She considers the Australian flag to be racist because it incorporates the Union Jack. I questioned whether she would be similarly upset by a Canadian tourist wearing their flag on a t-shirt in Australia. That backfired as I was told that Canada had cleansed their flag of the Union Jack some years back. Seems from a previous comment however that the Maple leaf Canadian 🇨🇦, is still considered problematic by some. Will these silly culture wars ever end?
When, In your wildest dreams would you have thought waving your nations flag in your own country would be considered not only a brave act but an act of defiance against your own government & the King because they favour those from foreign shores over their own People? This surely, is the stuff nightmares are made of
Disinformation!! I have never heard the phrase "I appreciate you" from a waiter in all my years living in many US states! How smarmy can you get?! Must be a fad, hopefully short lived. The US flag is flown a lot in the conservative South and in otherwise liberal New England, as much for its quaint Americana charm as for patriotism. Sort of like putting out pumpkins in the fall. I don't know how the US flag culture war has escaped Andrew so far, but it's here too. Only Progress Pride and BLM flags are flown by the Righteous Elect in my blue area. Yellow Gadsden "Don't Tread On Me," police Blue Line and US Stars and Stripes (carefully positioned over any others for those paying attention) mark the property of the patriotic. The anecdote about Ireland gets to the heart of what flags have always represented: values, conquest and territory. Still being contested in the US too.
It would seem that people forget that the British flag is about the acceptance of difference thus a symbol of PLURALISM hence the Union Jack is emblematic of The United Kingdom of Great Britain whereby it unified Wales 🏴 Scotland 🏴 Ireland 🇮🇪 & England 🏴
There is a Kipling story about a politician visiting a boarding school and making a speech about patriotism whilst waving a Union Jack. Even the young boys found the spectacle distasteful. Love of one's country was something private, profound and sacred. That's still how I feel and assumed that was how my friends and family felt but was shocked to discover they were indifferent to their nationality or else felt 'European.' Obviously it's time for radical action: I intend to don my Tim Brooke-Taylor weskit as the only flag we're waving at the moment is a white one. The obvious musical link would be Flanders & Swann's A Song of Patriotic Prejudice but infinitely finer is their beautiful little cheery-up In the Bath, especially given world events. Updates of the politicians or media mouthpieces might be interesting.
"I can see the one salvation of the poor old human race,
In the bath, in the bath
Let the nations of the world all meet together, face to face,
In the bath, in the bath
With Verwoerd, and Kenyatta, and all those other chaps,
Nkrumah, Nabbaro, then we′ll have some peace perhaps,
Provided Swann and Flanders get the end without the taps!
I'm not sure how you can suggest the US is a unified nation!
The British flag is unfortunately hoisted by some pretty disreputable and aggressive people, as well as those who just see it as patriotic and something that can unify.
I'd rather have fewer flags. They are an excuse to push a point. I don't want to be like the US and have kids in school saluting a flag.
We don't salute the US flag in schools, we pledge allegiance to it, and students are allowed to opt out because freedom of speech is enshrined in our Constitution. I get that it's nationalistic, but there are worse things than reciting "Liberty and Justice for All."🇺🇸
Interesting all flags should be banned - & - therein lies the problem because other flags that are anti British anti pluralism are being given precedence over a flag that is about the acceptance of difference
I see this campaign as a positive. It’s the silent or forgotten majority taking back control of the narrative so prevalent on the left, that we are inherently racist and that our culture is something to be ashamed of. People are sick of being denigrated and told to shut up when they have perfectly valid concerns at the many problems they can see around them and which are affecting particularly working class areas. There may be elements of thuggery but the British have never embraced the so called ‘far right’ and have often mocked it( I’m thinking of Jeeves and Wooster for example) so I don’t see that being the dominant force here. It’s time we provided a positive picture of this country’s rich history and culture and gave young people something to be proud of.
Yesterday polish liberal press Gazeta Wyborcza: „In Warsaw hate crimes are rising. We are dealing with the Lucifer effect”. The article suggests that aversion to immigrants from Middle East is hybrid war waged by Russia and all fears about foreign culture and difficult assimilation process are nothing but religious intolerance and social contagion of xenophobia. Number of hate crimes in Warsaw in 2025: 78. Photo attached to the article shows „WHITE FRONT POLAND DIVISION GŁOGÓW” from anti-immigrantion demonstration in Zgorzelec this year.
I realised that when calling for death of Jews is both in good taste and total mainstream in 2025, I don’t care anymore about white nationalism. Focus on whiteness is not my political aesthetic, but at least they advocate for policies vital for our country instead for destruction of Israel and western world as we know. Seriously, the left has lost the moral highground needed to shame me into distancing from such allies.
I have never thought of our flag as anything other than a symbol of our unity - indeed the Union Jack is exactly that: the union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It should be flown everywhere in the UNITED Kingdom. Indeed, as you say "In military terms, it is unthinkable to allow a flag to fall, because that is to suggest surrender or defeat." Parts of our country have fallen to invaders - hence their raising of THEIR flag and the tearing down of ours. What more do we need to know about the failure of incomers to integrate - they are blatantly telling us they have taken over.
The only flags displayed by an elected representative should be the British flag and the flag of the country, e.g. Wales. Showing your allegiance to another country means you're not fit for office. I'm American British. If I were elected to an office, I wouldn't display the American flag.
[disclaimer: I’m polish living in Poland]. I followed news from war in Ukraine day by day for 2,5 years. It changed how I relate to flags, because yes it was marking of territory - where is Ukrainian flag, there is Ukraine. In Poland wide display of Ukrainian flags was sign of true solidarity, because Poland backed Ukraine in multiple ways, hosted millions of Ukrainians and survival of Ukraine is vital to survival of Poland. I started to view polish flag as message that we’re sovereign nation with identity, history and state, which we won’t give back to Russia or nobody again. Eventually in early 2024 I put polish flag on my balcony (didn’t do it with pride flag, Ukrainian flag or any other) and I have it there ever since.
Before that I viewed polish flag as very important symbol, but too sacred for everyday display. Tho I used to take polish flag to pride parades.
Canada 2022: fly the flag and you are a racist supporter of the Truck Convoy.
Canada 2025: fly the flag and you are a boomer supporter of globalist Mark Carney.
Me: I will keep supporting the flying of the flag as I refuse to play these division games.
US here, and our Stars and Stripes has had similar connotations in the culture wars despite Andrew's rosy analysis. I'm a Nazi now for flying mine.
This article comes a week after a ruckus in my lesbian Facebook group because a couple of members posted photos of themselves wearing t-shirts with a picture of a koala holding an Australian flag while holidaying in Canada. Another member was very upset and said so in her comments. She considers the Australian flag to be racist because it incorporates the Union Jack. I questioned whether she would be similarly upset by a Canadian tourist wearing their flag on a t-shirt in Australia. That backfired as I was told that Canada had cleansed their flag of the Union Jack some years back. Seems from a previous comment however that the Maple leaf Canadian 🇨🇦, is still considered problematic by some. Will these silly culture wars ever end?
As a Scot, the only flag I would fly is the saltire.
When, In your wildest dreams would you have thought waving your nations flag in your own country would be considered not only a brave act but an act of defiance against your own government & the King because they favour those from foreign shores over their own People? This surely, is the stuff nightmares are made of
Disinformation!! I have never heard the phrase "I appreciate you" from a waiter in all my years living in many US states! How smarmy can you get?! Must be a fad, hopefully short lived. The US flag is flown a lot in the conservative South and in otherwise liberal New England, as much for its quaint Americana charm as for patriotism. Sort of like putting out pumpkins in the fall. I don't know how the US flag culture war has escaped Andrew so far, but it's here too. Only Progress Pride and BLM flags are flown by the Righteous Elect in my blue area. Yellow Gadsden "Don't Tread On Me," police Blue Line and US Stars and Stripes (carefully positioned over any others for those paying attention) mark the property of the patriotic. The anecdote about Ireland gets to the heart of what flags have always represented: values, conquest and territory. Still being contested in the US too.
It would seem that people forget that the British flag is about the acceptance of difference thus a symbol of PLURALISM hence the Union Jack is emblematic of The United Kingdom of Great Britain whereby it unified Wales 🏴 Scotland 🏴 Ireland 🇮🇪 & England 🏴
There is a Kipling story about a politician visiting a boarding school and making a speech about patriotism whilst waving a Union Jack. Even the young boys found the spectacle distasteful. Love of one's country was something private, profound and sacred. That's still how I feel and assumed that was how my friends and family felt but was shocked to discover they were indifferent to their nationality or else felt 'European.' Obviously it's time for radical action: I intend to don my Tim Brooke-Taylor weskit as the only flag we're waving at the moment is a white one. The obvious musical link would be Flanders & Swann's A Song of Patriotic Prejudice but infinitely finer is their beautiful little cheery-up In the Bath, especially given world events. Updates of the politicians or media mouthpieces might be interesting.
"I can see the one salvation of the poor old human race,
In the bath, in the bath
Let the nations of the world all meet together, face to face,
In the bath, in the bath
With Verwoerd, and Kenyatta, and all those other chaps,
Nkrumah, Nabbaro, then we′ll have some peace perhaps,
Provided Swann and Flanders get the end without the taps!
In the bath, in the bath!"
I'm not sure how you can suggest the US is a unified nation!
The British flag is unfortunately hoisted by some pretty disreputable and aggressive people, as well as those who just see it as patriotic and something that can unify.
I'd rather have fewer flags. They are an excuse to push a point. I don't want to be like the US and have kids in school saluting a flag.
We don't salute the US flag in schools, we pledge allegiance to it, and students are allowed to opt out because freedom of speech is enshrined in our Constitution. I get that it's nationalistic, but there are worse things than reciting "Liberty and Justice for All."🇺🇸
Unfortunately, kids in school are regularly 'saluting' the Progress Pride flag.
Interesting all flags should be banned - & - therein lies the problem because other flags that are anti British anti pluralism are being given precedence over a flag that is about the acceptance of difference