Bnp

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

2 pints of lager and a packet of crisps........

The crap sitcom or the actual items?

[etccarmageddon]

indian take aways perhaps - oooops the BNP aint gonna like that one!

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Bifta

The crap sitcom or the actual items?

The actual items

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

indian take aways perhaps - oooops the BNP aint gonna like that one!

The irony is they probably love curries!


As for british culture, isn't that just disliking the French?

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

The actual items

Well I'm sure the perceived creeping evil of Islam has a way to go yet before Walkers or Golden Wonder start forcing solely poppadoms instead of crisps down people's throats.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Towny

I think when the BNP says 'British Culture', what they are actually expressing is a very narrow-minded kind of English nationalism. At least, I don't hear much about the BNP gaining support in Wales or Scotland...

You have to be very careful here. The BNP is a British Organisation with offices in Scotland and Wales. Whether you meant to or not, to imply that the BNP is and English thing is wrong.

There may be less support in Scotland and Wales as they have their own National Parties (SNP and Plaid Cymru) - and I am in no way suggesting they are like the BNP.

Originally Posted by Pierre

You have to be very careful here. The BNP is a British Organisation with offices in Scotland and Wales. Whether you meant to or not, to imply that the BNP is and English thing is wrong.

There may be less support in Scotland and Wales as they have their own National Parties (SNP and Plaid Cymru) - and I am in no way suggesting they are like the BNP.

What I am trying to say is that, regardless of what the BNP calls itself, its varying level of support in the UK suggests that what it actually is, is a group of narrow-minded English nationalists, not British. The distinction is important, as the English are alone among the nations of the UK in failing to hold in their heads a clear distinction between Britain and England, and between the Union Flag and the George Cross (for example, while the George Cross has become more widely used in recent years, I predict there will still be a large number of Union Flags waved by England fans at the forthcoming Euro 2004 tournament).

I deliberately used the phrase 'a very narrow-minded kind of English nationalism' as opposed to 'an English National Party' as I do not want to suggest that the BNP is to England what PC or the SNP are to Wales and Scotland.

[Pierre]

I understand what you're saying, although thanks mainly to football the St George Cross is making a comeback.

The problem I have is when people make inference about the BNP > England. People become uneasy about displaying the English flag.

Walking around with a St George Flag or displaying one in your window and your branded a racist or a football thug.

Walk around with a St Andrews Cross and your a patriotic Scotsman.

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by Pierre

Walking around with a St George Flag or displaying one in your window and your branded a racist or a football thug.

Walk around with a St Andrews Cross and your a patriotic Scotsman.

Yeah, I really hate that - why should we feel ashamed of our flag (or the union jack for that matter) , when every other country is able to display their flag and feel proud of it - regardless of what has happened in their past.

We need to 'take back' our flag - so once again we can be proud of it, and not feel like it's a dirty secret that no one is supposed to know about.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Bifta

Well I'm sure the perceived creeping evil of Islam has a way to go yet before Walkers or Golden Wonder start forcing solely poppadoms instead of crisps down people's throats.

I was being ironic.....

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

<snip>(or the union jack for that matter) <snip>

The Union Jack is only a Jack when it is on a boat, otherwise it is a Union Flag
The Union Jack is only a Jack when it is on a boat, otherwise it is a Union Flag
The Union Jack is only a Jack when it is on a boat, otherwise it is a Union Flag

Unless Mr_love_monkey you live on a boat when I apologise unreservedly.

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

We need to 'take back' our flag - so once again we can be proud of it, and not feel like it's a dirty secret that no one is supposed to know about.

Thats better.

Originally Posted by towny

<snip>The distinction is important, as the English are alone among the nations of the UK in failing to hold in their heads a clear distinction between Britain and England, and between the Union Flag and the George Cross <snip>

I deliberately used the phrase 'a very narrow-minded kind of English nationalism' as opposed to 'an English National Party' as I do not want to suggest that the BNP is to England what PC or the SNP are to Wales and Scotland.

But England is also the only nation in the UK that does not have it's own parliament. We have to share ours with the Welsh, Scottish and Irish, and obtusely enough the Government has most of it's power as a result of Scottish MPs who can ignore the laws they pass down here and pass different ones in Scotland anyway, the University tuition fees is a good example of this.

Originally Posted by SMHarman

But England is also the only nation in the UK that does not have it's own parliament. We have to share ours with the Welsh, Scottish and Irish, and obtusely enough the Government has most of it's power as a result of Scottish MPs who can ignore the laws they pass down here and pass different ones in Scotland anyway, the University tuition fees is a good example of this.

The Palace of Westminster is the English Parliament. It doesn't function properly as one thanks to the mess B. Liar and friends made of the devolution process, but that is not the same thing as England not having a Parliament.

It's worth noting that of all the main UK political parties, only Labour has been able to achieve a majority in Scotland in recent history. So if you want a Parliament in Westminster that is dominated by the English, vote Tory. (Don't bother with the Lib Dems, contrary to their own fervent belief they are a wasted vote).

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

Unless Mr_love_monkey you live on a boat when I apologise unreservedly.

All aboard the HMS LoveMonkey......

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

We need to 'take back' our flag - so once again we can be proud of it, and not feel like it's a dirty secret that no one is supposed to know about.

Absolutely!
Everyone should feel proud to fly the flag.
Make it mean something good rather than something racist.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by towny

The Palace of Westminster is the English Parliament. It doesn't function properly as one thanks to the mess B. Liar and friends made of the devolution process, but that is not the same thing as England not having a Parliament.

Symantics, we have a building for it, but not an English parliament inside. Inside is a UK parliament. Perhaps if we did they could reconstruct Hadrians wall and keep Mr. Brown where he came from too. The SNP might even agree to this proposal

Originally Posted by towny

It's worth noting that of all the main UK political parties, only Labour has been able to achieve a majority in Scotland in recent history. So if you want a Parliament in Westminster that is dominated by the English, vote Tory. (Don't bother with the Lib Dems, contrary to their own fervent belief they are a wasted vote).

I'd have to agree with you on the Lib Dems, though I got the sharp rebuttle in town last week when I asked whether a vote for UKIP was a wasted vote and they then spent the next 10 minutes explaining the wonders of PR to me. Now if only the UK (or English) electoral process was like that. Now if the US one was like that Bush would not have got in either, theirs is all in the "key states".