Firstly the cross of Saint George is the national flag of England and has different meanings for different people and unlike other parts of Britain the English flag is flown in conjunction with the Union Flag.
To clarify, in Scotland, the Scottish Satire is often flown but rarely if ever in conjunction with the Union Flag, or Union ‘Jack,’ with the exception of Ibrox Park. Many Scots fly the Scottish flag as a demonstration of support for Scottish independence! Welsh people who fly the Welsh Dragon, national flag of Wales, do not usually fly it in conjunction with the Union ‘Jack’. In the Six Counties the situation takes on a different expression. It is either the Irish Tricolour sometimes accompanied by the Starry Plough, or the Union ‘Jack’ often accompanied by ‘loyal Ulster’ flags representing two national identities.
These flag flying activities began in the north of England and midlands, Greater Manchester, the Everton area of Liverpool, and parts of Birmingham. Soon these flags appeared at Canary Wharf in London and has since spread across England as far north as Tyne and Wear. The question is, why has a sudden burst of English patriotic fervour erupted on a scale last seen when England won the World Cup in 1966? On that occasion was it the Union ‘Jack’ mistakenly flown by well-meaning people who believed that to be the English flag! Or, on the other hand, could a more sinister reason be behind this flag waving? Politicians have been lining up to pass an opinion about the flag waving, most claiming it to be patriotic acts by the people attaching these emblems to lampposts! The politician most associated with the Union Flag, and leader of Reform UK, is Nigel Farage. Yet he has been exceptionally quiet on the subject probably because he wants to watch these other politicians he has in the past claimed are unpatriotic line up to prove their patriotism! He must be laughing his balls off watching Keir Starmer bending over backwards to show the people how patriotic he and his government really are.
Keir Starmer recently said; “our flag is devalued” when it is used by racists which has led Labour to commit political suicide by adopting right-wing policies themselves. On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Sunday 7th September, British Defence Secretary, John Healey, indicated the government’s willingness to use “MOD Property to house asylum seekers”. This is almost a carbon copy of Reform UKs idea of setting up camps using “army barracks and RAF huts as holding centres for immigrants” both legal and illegal! Various local authorities have reacted differently to the emergence of these flags on lampposts. Knowsley on Merseyside, North West England, have threatened to remove the flags on the grounds of “health and safety”. However, according to the Liverpool Echo “unacceptable threats have been made to personnel involved in their removal”. The council maintain the hanging of flags from lampposts and bridges are “against the law” and a threat to “health and safety” of the public. Some supporters of the flying flags trend have taken to social media. Their remarks should answer some questions about what this upsurge in tying flags to lampposts is really all about! Anthony Farrell recently stated in a TV interview; “Personally I’ll fly my flag with pride and if people feel that’s racist that’s their call”. Fair enough and if you had left the comment with; “personally I’ll fly my flag with pride” no questions of racism could in all fairness be aimed. But you didn’t. You added the words “and if people feel that’s racist that’s their call”. Nobody apart from you had mentioned race, racism or racist so why introduce it? Sindydoll (sic) 7054 said; “well if they are banning our flags as they find them racist, we find Pakistani and Palestinian flags racist to us British”. Obviously, our ‘Sindy’ is unaware of the genocide happening in Palestine and the flags are in support of the Palestinian people. It is her who made it a ‘racist’ issue! As for her alleged “Pakistani flags” neither the Pakistani or Indian populations of England are known for their flag waving chauvinism! So, that begs the question, where does ‘Sindydoll’ 7054 get this notion of “Pakistani” flags?
@Jason_Myria says again with a hint of ignorance; “ban the British Flag, GB, but celebrate Palestine ISIS flags. What kind of insanity is this?” Once again illiteracy is shown as the Palestinian flags are often flown by British sympathisers with the Palestinian people’s plight in Gaza. Secondly but equally relevant is the Palestinian flag and that of ISIS are poles apart both in colour, meaning and general symbolism. The ISIS flag features a white circle with black Arabic writing on a black general background; the Palestinian flag is a tricolour of three equal horizontal stripes of black, white, and green interposed by a red triangle. As the least agile brains will perceive even in the mind’s eye there is a huge difference between the flag of ISIS and that of Palestine! It appears the politicians, Nigel Farage perhaps exempt, wish to talk up the flags on a positive, whereas many of those who hang the flags do so perhaps with racism in mind. Labour MP, Jo White said; “when people hang flags in our street, they put their hands on hearts”. I think, Jo, this might be a little wishful imagination! Do they sing God Save the King at the same time as hanging the flags with their “hands on hearts”?
In the Six Counties flags have been flown there for many years depicting an identity, an Irish identity or one of “Britishness”. It is the latter who appear to have added the English racist views to their already sectarian position. This does not mean everybody living in loyalist and unionist areas are racists, they are not. There have been a number of racist attacks in Belfast designed to intimidate minority families mainly in loyalist areas. Nuala McAllister of the Alliance Party said:
These flag flying activities began in the north of England and midlands, Greater Manchester, the Everton area of Liverpool, and parts of Birmingham. Soon these flags appeared at Canary Wharf in London and has since spread across England as far north as Tyne and Wear. The question is, why has a sudden burst of English patriotic fervour erupted on a scale last seen when England won the World Cup in 1966? On that occasion was it the Union ‘Jack’ mistakenly flown by well-meaning people who believed that to be the English flag! Or, on the other hand, could a more sinister reason be behind this flag waving? Politicians have been lining up to pass an opinion about the flag waving, most claiming it to be patriotic acts by the people attaching these emblems to lampposts! The politician most associated with the Union Flag, and leader of Reform UK, is Nigel Farage. Yet he has been exceptionally quiet on the subject probably because he wants to watch these other politicians he has in the past claimed are unpatriotic line up to prove their patriotism! He must be laughing his balls off watching Keir Starmer bending over backwards to show the people how patriotic he and his government really are.
Keir Starmer recently said; “our flag is devalued” when it is used by racists which has led Labour to commit political suicide by adopting right-wing policies themselves. On Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Sunday 7th September, British Defence Secretary, John Healey, indicated the government’s willingness to use “MOD Property to house asylum seekers”. This is almost a carbon copy of Reform UKs idea of setting up camps using “army barracks and RAF huts as holding centres for immigrants” both legal and illegal! Various local authorities have reacted differently to the emergence of these flags on lampposts. Knowsley on Merseyside, North West England, have threatened to remove the flags on the grounds of “health and safety”. However, according to the Liverpool Echo “unacceptable threats have been made to personnel involved in their removal”. The council maintain the hanging of flags from lampposts and bridges are “against the law” and a threat to “health and safety” of the public. Some supporters of the flying flags trend have taken to social media. Their remarks should answer some questions about what this upsurge in tying flags to lampposts is really all about! Anthony Farrell recently stated in a TV interview; “Personally I’ll fly my flag with pride and if people feel that’s racist that’s their call”. Fair enough and if you had left the comment with; “personally I’ll fly my flag with pride” no questions of racism could in all fairness be aimed. But you didn’t. You added the words “and if people feel that’s racist that’s their call”. Nobody apart from you had mentioned race, racism or racist so why introduce it? Sindydoll (sic) 7054 said; “well if they are banning our flags as they find them racist, we find Pakistani and Palestinian flags racist to us British”. Obviously, our ‘Sindy’ is unaware of the genocide happening in Palestine and the flags are in support of the Palestinian people. It is her who made it a ‘racist’ issue! As for her alleged “Pakistani flags” neither the Pakistani or Indian populations of England are known for their flag waving chauvinism! So, that begs the question, where does ‘Sindydoll’ 7054 get this notion of “Pakistani” flags?
@Jason_Myria says again with a hint of ignorance; “ban the British Flag, GB, but celebrate Palestine ISIS flags. What kind of insanity is this?” Once again illiteracy is shown as the Palestinian flags are often flown by British sympathisers with the Palestinian people’s plight in Gaza. Secondly but equally relevant is the Palestinian flag and that of ISIS are poles apart both in colour, meaning and general symbolism. The ISIS flag features a white circle with black Arabic writing on a black general background; the Palestinian flag is a tricolour of three equal horizontal stripes of black, white, and green interposed by a red triangle. As the least agile brains will perceive even in the mind’s eye there is a huge difference between the flag of ISIS and that of Palestine! It appears the politicians, Nigel Farage perhaps exempt, wish to talk up the flags on a positive, whereas many of those who hang the flags do so perhaps with racism in mind. Labour MP, Jo White said; “when people hang flags in our street, they put their hands on hearts”. I think, Jo, this might be a little wishful imagination! Do they sing God Save the King at the same time as hanging the flags with their “hands on hearts”?
In the Six Counties flags have been flown there for many years depicting an identity, an Irish identity or one of “Britishness”. It is the latter who appear to have added the English racist views to their already sectarian position. This does not mean everybody living in loyalist and unionist areas are racists, they are not. There have been a number of racist attacks in Belfast designed to intimidate minority families mainly in loyalist areas. Nuala McAllister of the Alliance Party said:
the vast majority of people do not actually want this. They don’t erect flags in their windows but it is happening and it’s sickening.
Sinn Fein MLA, John Finucane, referring to families living in fear and being afraid to venture out said; “the fact we have families barricading their doors should shame us all”. Loyalist paramilitaries are being blamed for these attacks*.
This newly found patriotism has also now spread to the Twenty-Six Counties. The latest round of flag fanaticism appears greatly to have racist undertones? Irish tricolours now appearing across Dublin are similar in nature to the flags in England. On a positive note residents living in the North Strand area have asked to have the flags removed from their lampposts because it is felt they have “hateful intent”. This may well be true and the Irish far-right could be behind this sudden wave in false patriotism. Many of those erecting flags would claim the spirit of the Easter Rising, 1916. If this is the case, I suggest they read the writings of James Connolly and his fight against what today we call racism and xenophobia! Councillor Malachy Steenson, allegedly one time member of the left-wing ‘Official Republican Movement’ who oppose racism which Steenson now appears to support, had this to say. “Anybody opposing the flags should find another country to live in. This is my flag in my country.” How fickle these politicians are when votes are up for grabs!
Some people say the flags in England are not flown with racist intent. Others, a little less apologetic for the far-right, claim they are “reclaiming our country” which in itself suggests it is their country and not that of the ‘newcomers’ from abroad! Others say England “is for the white man” which is of course bullshit. There was once a sick chant of the far-right NF; “There is no black in the union jack, send the bastards back.” How many of these ‘white only’ people would refuse an operation for themselves or their children from a black surgeon? Would these same would-be patriots – which they are not – refuse care from an African nurse? Would they disembark or refuse to board a bus if the driver was Asian? Would they tell a West Indian road-sweeper not to clean their street because they are the wrong colour? The rise of the far-right, epitomised by Reform UK, must not be ignored, and voters in Britain beware Farage. All the major parliamentary parties are running scared of Farage which is why he has said very little on the flag’s topic in England. The British Labour Party once opposed all far-right organisations, they did not, unlike today, see emulating them as an antidote. They kept their emblem the Red Flag and sang their anthem to the same effect.
*Having read Billy Hutchinsons book; My Life in Loyalism he asserts; a person cannot be a “racist” and a “loyalist.” In Billy’s strand of loyalism this may be true, but can the same be said about some of his former comrades in the UVF if these suspicions are correct?
This newly found patriotism has also now spread to the Twenty-Six Counties. The latest round of flag fanaticism appears greatly to have racist undertones? Irish tricolours now appearing across Dublin are similar in nature to the flags in England. On a positive note residents living in the North Strand area have asked to have the flags removed from their lampposts because it is felt they have “hateful intent”. This may well be true and the Irish far-right could be behind this sudden wave in false patriotism. Many of those erecting flags would claim the spirit of the Easter Rising, 1916. If this is the case, I suggest they read the writings of James Connolly and his fight against what today we call racism and xenophobia! Councillor Malachy Steenson, allegedly one time member of the left-wing ‘Official Republican Movement’ who oppose racism which Steenson now appears to support, had this to say. “Anybody opposing the flags should find another country to live in. This is my flag in my country.” How fickle these politicians are when votes are up for grabs!
Some people say the flags in England are not flown with racist intent. Others, a little less apologetic for the far-right, claim they are “reclaiming our country” which in itself suggests it is their country and not that of the ‘newcomers’ from abroad! Others say England “is for the white man” which is of course bullshit. There was once a sick chant of the far-right NF; “There is no black in the union jack, send the bastards back.” How many of these ‘white only’ people would refuse an operation for themselves or their children from a black surgeon? Would these same would-be patriots – which they are not – refuse care from an African nurse? Would they disembark or refuse to board a bus if the driver was Asian? Would they tell a West Indian road-sweeper not to clean their street because they are the wrong colour? The rise of the far-right, epitomised by Reform UK, must not be ignored, and voters in Britain beware Farage. All the major parliamentary parties are running scared of Farage which is why he has said very little on the flag’s topic in England. The British Labour Party once opposed all far-right organisations, they did not, unlike today, see emulating them as an antidote. They kept their emblem the Red Flag and sang their anthem to the same effect.
*Having read Billy Hutchinsons book; My Life in Loyalism he asserts; a person cannot be a “racist” and a “loyalist.” In Billy’s strand of loyalism this may be true, but can the same be said about some of his former comrades in the UVF if these suspicions are correct?
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
The flags frenzy over here makes
ReplyDeleteme very comfortable as just as in NI it is an exercise in mapping out territory and in stating who is not welcome within the boundaries of the territory. But, as John Hume, learnt from his father, "you cannot eat a flag"
Do you mean uncomfortable?
Delete