Number Ten to fly flag of St George's tomorrow...

...alongside the Union Jack.

The Guardian has the story:

"Brown will also fly the Scottish saltire on St Andrew's Day and the Welsh dragon on St David's Day. Northern Ireland does not have an official national flag to fly on St Patrick's Day.  The move follows a review of flag-flying practices ordered by Brown when he became prime minister..."

And this bit's great:

"Downing Street said that, in accordance with protocol, the union flag would fly on the "superior" pole, deemed to be the one closest to Buckingham Palace."

What we'd rather have, Mr Brown, is an answer to the West Lothian Question or a fairer funding deal for England.

Comments

[woodentop]

So Mr Broon thinks that's going to make everything all right then?!

[Michael Davidson]

Erm...hold on a minute - are we Conservatives not supposed to be patriotic?

Let's fully support this. I'd say well done Number 10 for raising our flag of St. George on England's national day.

It may not solve the West Lothian Question, but then again Ken Clarke's meagre proposals won't solve it either.

[Jake]

Actually, this is a major step for Brown who has up till now done his best to eradicate England via regionalisation and can only rarely bring himself to say the word England. He is slowly coming to face reality.

I just hope it is not him but the Tories who seize the baton and come out for an English parliament and self government. Apart from the principle of it, it would also project them clearly into the overwhelming lead they need but do not yet convincingly have.

[Editor]

I agree Michael but I worry that this is a gesture that is meant to be instead of constitutional/ other action - rather than as a complement.

[Pete]

The EU regional agenda is all. England is not even a politically correct word now - it's "the English Regions"

[John Leonard]

Wouldn't it be ironic if Brown saved his hide by offering us a devolved English assembly?

Clarke and Cameron would really look stupid then!

[ChrisD]

Fairer funding for England? I give up!
Why don't you just draw your ideal map making sure to erase all the bits of the UK that you don't like, clearly dumping all the Conservative associations and their hard working members you deem to be of no use, that should leave you with your little bit of England.
This is becoming yet another unfair and purely negative whipped up issue from the same minority that has done us so much damage over the last 20 years. I swear you don't want to see a Conservative government elected throughout the UK, simple because it would mean representing more than just a little coterie of supporters, and we can't have that.

[Thatcherite]

A nice boost for Matt O'Connor's Mayoral campaign as the English Democrats' candidate!

[Scottish Conservative]

another day ending in y, another platform to have a kick at the Scots.

[englandism.com]

To be fair it’s to be fair.

The Conservative party opposed devolution and the outcome of devolution inevitably saw Sinn Fein, Plaid and the SNP enter power in the devolved assemblies. All are characteristically nationalist, one in terms of a united Ireland and all three fight the corner for the corner of the UK that they represent.

Democratic deficit.

Who fights the corner for England? The Welsh NHS identifies England as a foreign state in terms of its advice on free prescriptions and then there is the gloating, relentless, provocation of the SNP intent on achieving independence via the back door of English retaliation. And yet, and yet, England is seen as the threat to the union?

We are asking for representation, not separation. We are requesting that the process of regionalizing England into convenient administrative irrelevance is halted.

To be fair it’s to be fair.

Happy St. George's Day :)

[Bexie]

Perhaps he should fly the OGC flag next to it sideways, to sum up the Scottish relationship with the English in Parliament

[passing leftie]

Finally, we have the Conservative and Disunionist Party.

[englandism.com]

Hi passing leftie

The union bit refers to Irish Home Rule should you wish to look it up.

Or, if your Googling is wonky try:

The name has its origins in the 1912 merger with the Liberal Unionist Party and is an echo of the party's 1886-1921 policy of maintaining the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in opposition to Irish nationalist and republican aspirations.

Happy St.George's Day

[johnC]

'Northern Ireland does not have an official national flag to fly on St Patrick's Day.'

Surely it's time to come up with a new one which would be acceptable to all members of the community ?

[George Hinton]

Thought TfL had told London's cabbies that they cannot fly the St Georges's flag even today. Has Red Ken had to rescind this dictat?

[passing leftie]

Hi passing leftie

The union bit refers to Irish Home Rule should you wish to look it up.

Or, if your Googling is wonky try:

The name has its origins in the 1912 merger with the Liberal Unionist Party and is an echo of the party's 1886-1921 policy of maintaining the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in opposition to Irish nationalist and republican aspirations.

Happy St.George's Day

Thank you for the history lesson. I might be able to teach you something, too.

You see where it says "maintaining the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"? Well, the Great Britain bit includes Wales, England and Scotland as part of a United Kingdom. This aspiration is clearly gone.

[Chris]

Actually it says "maintaining the Union of Great Britain and IRELAND". ALL of Ireland and not just this "Northern Ireland". Obviously Southern Ireland is now independent but how about openly advocating for the reunification of the Irish Republic with the rest of the British Isles? If England, Scotland, Wales and Ulster should be in the Union - and I believe they should - then so should Ireland.