AIBU to ask about this whole ‘painting flags on roundabouts’ thing?

Have you not seen the reels with the English flag being daubed all over restaurants and shops owned by “foreigners” . Accompanied by racial abuse and slurs to passers by. Harmless it is not.

Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-financial-interests/parliamentary-commissioner-for-standards/

I saw on Facebook one solution to the flags "problem": take them down yourself, sell them for a small sum on eBay, and laugh as the £££ come rolling in. There's massive demand for them right now. I might try doing this myself: there are plenty of flags to choose from.

Also for those who say "but the flag is patriotic!", many of the flags were probably made in China. 😆Thanks to Farage's idol Thatcher, nothing is "made in England" any more.

And yes @FatherFrosty , Reform cannot indeed do anything they have promised. It's always the problem when idealists and populists like Johnson and Farage promise miracles, and the moon on a stick: cold hard reality gets in the way. This is why I think it's a good thing we have a few Reform councillors in now: it's an opportunity for Reform to show their truly useless colours, and nail them to the mast good and proper.

One really good way to make sure that people feel poorer and to fuel the racism is to put taxes up constantly. The poorer everyone feels the more resentment creeps in - particularly in the class that used to be the liberal elite.

I did start writing an email about it to the standards committee, but I don’t know if that’s the right department or not. Pushing that through would at least help, especially as we approach the next election

This BBC article explains it well:https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx271162ee3o.amp
The underlying issue is that although the flag has been weaponised by a movement with clear links to the National Front and the BNP, many ‘ordinary’ people are genuinely angry that successive governments haven’t got a grip on illegal migration. in The Times it says that 7/10 members of the general public hold this opinion of the present government and the cost of living crisis is another factor in causing people to want to find a scapegoat.

It’s because he’s an mp so it legitimises these views.
they think it makes it ok to use their outside voices with these views Instead of keeping them in their heads. Someone in power is saying it so it must be true and ok

🤣🤣🤣🤣

It certainly would. Sometimes you wouldn't know any other political issue exists. Some MPs are inflaming tensions for their own benefit eg Jenrick.

Starmer needs to take control because Farage has now gone full on tin foil hat and people actually believe him.

That’s reassuring! Maybe they’ve realised reform actually can’t do anything they’ve promised

If an MP or councillor makes a comment on their own social media it doesn’t have to adhere to any standards. It’s just their opinion.
MPs held a vote a few years ago not to hold personal views accountable and to the same standard

That would help with some of the councillor and MP views we’ve seen encouraging and validating this sort of view and behaviour.

I think though it IS the mood of the nation. Everyone is talking about immigration. I have found no-one in favour. No-one. It is a super hot topic all round. Its not far right. Look at the voting intentions published frequently. Reform would sweep the floor in an election now.

Could you explain how the government are meant to deal with a problem whipped up by agitators and the far right? If they pander to them, they are buying into the narrative and pushing them further right.

A racial slur...used almost exclusively by white people, against other white people.

Pull the other one.

Racists are thick. Women who are worried about their children with gangs of young men hanging around are not. Unfortunately when the working people are ignored by governments they eventually take action even if it is pretty pathetic. I think as a couple of posters have said there may not be many vocal protesters but there are definitely people who silently agree. There needs to be positive and constructive action in response to the concerns of local communities in order to sort out this mess. If not we are in danger of serious unrest and a bunch of idiots taking over as the next government.

Nope but we don't seem to have the flag shite springing up - possibly because they know they can't afford to repaint!

Racists are thick as pigshit.

Any racists here want to argue with me ?

This post has been doing the rounds on Facebook where it appears someone has painted the danish flag by mistake

Maybe the counter movement could be Palestinian and rainbow flags everywhere?

People have always whinged. Social media amplifies the voices of the minority and those of questionable mental health.

There should be a counter movement to all this. Don't get me wrong, I love the St George's flag cos I'm English but by buggery I hate it being used by morons like this.

It's not happening where I live but if it were or decides to appear then I'd be out with my posca pens & my kids getting all kinds of creative. It depresses me that this isn't happening en masse tbh. It doesn't have to be twee slogans, or anything, cos it's a really complex subject but just jazz em up with some flowers & nice things.

There are approximately 70m people in the UK and a few hundred intimidating asylum seekers outside hotels or littering with flags. Hardly the majority getting involved.