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Is a St George cross an underlying sign of passive racism?

330 replies

ThatCyanJoker · 28/04/2026 19:04

Walked past the house of a relatively new friend today and was surprised to see they’ve put up a huge flagpole, complete with St George cross flag flying high. I am generally patriotic , and put out the bunting for notable occasions without a second thought. I would probably be pleased had it been a Union Jack, but the St George has an undertone of racism to me, unless it’s flown for the football World Cup or something.
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Allthesnowallthetime · 30/04/2026 20:27

@CurlewKate yes I was unaware. Am in Scotland and we just don't see it.

Apologies if I caused offence.

Swiftie1878 · 30/04/2026 08:56

It was St George’s Day last week, and England are in the upcoming World Cup.

CreativeGreen · 30/04/2026 08:40

SuitcaseAndSecrets · 29/04/2026 21:29

From CHAT GPT.

No, displaying the St George's Cross on your house is not inherently racist.
It’s the national flag of England, and many people use it to show support during events like football tournaments, national celebrations, or simply to express English identity.

case closed then 😂

CornishDaughteroftheDawn · 29/04/2026 21:33

Bunnyfuller1 · 29/04/2026 11:01

You cannot claim asylum from the UK until you are on UK land. Brexit created the boats, by removing the agreements we had with the EU for sending many back to the first safe country. The UK actively voted themselves OUT of that, and there is now nothing saying anything about settling in the first safe country. It’s also unfair to expect say, Turkey (who take around 100 times more asylum seekers than the UK) to have all because they’re the first ‘safe’ country.

@2dogsandabudgie unskilled roles are actually the ones that are the ones the UK struggles to fill actually. How many white British young people do you see working in the car washes? Or packing factories? Or cleaning in hospital?

How many white British young people do you see working in the car washes? Or packing factories? Or cleaning in hospital?

Car washes are often run by gangs using highly exploitative practices. Last time I was in a factory, there were plenty of white people working, ditto hospital. I’m not sure why you are implying that white peoples don’t work?

We have 5 million unemployed, our benefits bill now outstrips income tax revenue for the first time ever and it’s not sustainable.

Government figures show that white British have the lowest unemployment rates.

1. Main facts and figures
the overall unemployment rate in 2022 was 4%
3% of white people were unemployed in 2022, compared with 6% of people from all other ethnic groups combined
people from the combined Bangladeshi and Pakistani (9%), Asian ‘other’ (7%) and black (7%) ethnic groups had the highest unemployment rates out of all ethnic groups
white people had the lowest unemployment rates out of all ethnic groups (3%)
the unemployment rate for men and women was the same (4%)
in every ethnic group, 16 to 24 year olds were more likely to be unemployed than any other age group
out of all regions, Yorkshire and the Humber had the highest unemployment rates for people from the mixed (15%), ‘other’ (15%), and combined Pakistani and Bangladeshi (12%) ethnic groups

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment/latest/

www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2024/05/exploitation-in-the-hand-car-wash-sector

Unemployment

In 2022, people from the combined Bangladeshi and Pakistani (9%) ethnic group had the highest unemployment rate out of all ethnic groups.

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment/latest

SuitcaseAndSecrets · 29/04/2026 21:29

From CHAT GPT.

No, displaying the St George's Cross on your house is not inherently racist.
It’s the national flag of England, and many people use it to show support during events like football tournaments, national celebrations, or simply to express English identity.

CornishDaughteroftheDawn · 29/04/2026 21:22

2dogsandabudgie · 29/04/2026 10:35

The most important point here is that nobody needs to make the crossing in a small boat. Once migrants/asylum seekers have reached Europe they are safe.

They come to the UK because they want to not because they need to flee France. There is a big difference.

That doesn't mean that we shouldn't take our fair share of people who are genuinely fleeing but nobody needs to make that crossing.

The only people who really benefit are the traffickers. Can't believe people are ok with this.

Quite. So many people seem to be happy to hand wave human trafficking on a grand scale. Then we gave a small but worrying number of criminal fugitives who entered other European countries, committed terrible crimes, then entered our country. Is it fair to say that not all asylum seekers are innocent victims?

From the article below:

Many fugitives have fled here from Germany, where migrant crime gangs established after Angela Merkel opened its borders to about 1.2 million refugees in 2015 and 2016, an investigation by this website has found.
Germany is now seeking so many foreign migrants from the UK that it is responsible for more than a quarter of all extradition requests made to us by EU countries.
Many of the migrant suspects left Germany within days of a serious offence being committed there, before making their way to the French coast and on to the UK,
^^
In one shocking case, wanted Lebanese crime gang member Mohammed Roumieh, who had 15 serious convictions in Germany, was given asylum, a taxpayer-funded home, and placed on benefits here after he gave a false name to immigration officials when he arrived in November 2024.
He was only arrested after his true identity was discovered four months later.
In another case, it took so long to order the extradition of Afghan migrant Abdul Wali Ahmadzai, who was wanted in Germany in connection with a 2017 sex atack on a 14-year-old girl, after he claimed asylum, that he commited a sexual assault in a Swansea park last year.

www.essexnewsandinvestigations.com/single-post/special-investigation-fugitive-migrants-wanted-over-murders-and-rapes-using-channel-crossings-to

CornishDaughteroftheDawn · 29/04/2026 20:58

Bunnyfuller1 · 29/04/2026 08:45

For those concerned that our borders need control, can I ask how this can be achieved when Brexit took away the most effective way to triage those wishing to come to the UK? How would someone fleeing Iran, or Syria, for example, home bombed, personal belongings under the rubble - how would they claim asylum in the UK?

And how does flying a flag say ‘control our borders’ - against what? Our border points are the same as other countries, passport control etc. What’s wrong with those?

Obviously Brexit has contributed to our current issues - I didn’t vote for it. There were all sorts of other problems being caused by our membership of the EU but we are where we are.

The off shore processing as a deterrent was a Tory plan that could well have reduced the number of economic migrants claiming to be asylum seekers in reduced the £billions we are currently spending. Thanks to recent BBC investigations, we hear about a serious issue of fraudulent claims lying about domestic violence or sexual orientation to exploit our immigration routes. This needs urgently dealing with.

Our border points are the same as other countries, passport control etc. What’s wrong with those?

It’s not the ‘border points’ that are so much the problem as the rest of the borders where people are just walking in, many of whom have ditched their documentation, off their small boats. That combined with the questionable claims from people that entered on student visas that then decide to claim asylum, and the asylum fraud I mentioned above, all add up to an almost total lack of control of our borders.

It is a basic responsibility for any government. I am just amazed at anyone still claiming that there isn’t a problem.

2dogsandabudgie · 29/04/2026 15:13

Bunnyfuller1 · 29/04/2026 11:01

You cannot claim asylum from the UK until you are on UK land. Brexit created the boats, by removing the agreements we had with the EU for sending many back to the first safe country. The UK actively voted themselves OUT of that, and there is now nothing saying anything about settling in the first safe country. It’s also unfair to expect say, Turkey (who take around 100 times more asylum seekers than the UK) to have all because they’re the first ‘safe’ country.

@2dogsandabudgie unskilled roles are actually the ones that are the ones the UK struggles to fill actually. How many white British young people do you see working in the car washes? Or packing factories? Or cleaning in hospital?

Brexit didn't create the boat crossings. We used to be part of the Dublin Agreement where we could return people but you'll find that under that agreement very few were actually returned. Before the boats people came over in the back of lorries until 2 tragedies changed all that. In 2019 39 Vietnamese people died in the back of a lorry in Essex and 58 Chinese people died in the back of a lorry in Dover in 2000. This caused a crackdown on people smuggling via lorries and rightly so, so the traffickers looked for other means.

With regard to unskilled labour we need to look at why our young people aren't doing them. In my town there are numerous car washes all run by immigrants, all cash in hand. Why is that, do you think that is to avoid paying tax. I suspect many of these employees are working for someone else who is exploiting them paying them less than the minimum wage. The British economy definitely won't be benefitting. The same with numerous nail bars.

Dollymylove · 29/04/2026 14:03

cotswoldsgal1234 · 29/04/2026 04:59

Don’t be so ridiculous. Why is displaying our own flag being racist? So every human being in any country who flies their flag is a racist?

No just England but despite what vile horrible people the English seem to be, every fucker and his dog wants to be here dont they!!

Arlanymor · 29/04/2026 14:00

AnythingButThis · 29/04/2026 13:58

In that case I clearly wasn’t referring to you,
and I am not going to start picking out posts and users.

Because no one has denied that the flag has been used and abused by racist pigs on this thread. Not a single person.

AnythingButThis · 29/04/2026 13:58

Arlanymor · 29/04/2026 13:34

But who is not acknowledging it? I have on this thread. Repeatedly. Doesn't mean I think everyone who flies one is a racist.

In that case I clearly wasn’t referring to you,
and I am not going to start picking out posts and users.

CreativeGreen · 29/04/2026 13:51

A swastika isn't antisemitic - it originally meant something like 'well-being'. A swastika is just a swastika. That's it. But if you saw one on a house, would you think 'good on them for reclaiming the swastika?' or, 'we cannot possibly know their reasons for putting a swastika up'?

At the very least, even if you thought maybe they did just think a sign meaning 'well-being' was nice, you'd perhaps reflect that they were being obtuse and insensitive not to realise it would be virtually certain to make certain groups feel out of place and unwelcome.... wouldn't you? At the absolute best, they're ill-informed, insensitive, thick, or uncaring, surely?

CreativeGreen · 29/04/2026 13:48

AngryHerring · 29/04/2026 13:42

it is the flag of England. That is it.

And if people would insist on that and use it more and more and more then the racists would find something else to represent their shite views and leave the flag alone.

We need to see more of them, not fewer. Much much more.

We saw fucking loads of them up and down roads from August until it got a bit dark and nippy for the racists to keep putting them up. Do you think that helped?

KnowledgeableAvocado · 29/04/2026 13:47

ThatCyanJoker · 28/04/2026 19:04

Walked past the house of a relatively new friend today and was surprised to see they’ve put up a huge flagpole, complete with St George cross flag flying high. I am generally patriotic , and put out the bunting for notable occasions without a second thought. I would probably be pleased had it been a Union Jack, but the St George has an undertone of racism to me, unless it’s flown for the football World Cup or something.
AIBU to reconsider friendship?

You are clearly the racist.

AngryHerring · 29/04/2026 13:42

it is the flag of England. That is it.

And if people would insist on that and use it more and more and more then the racists would find something else to represent their shite views and leave the flag alone.

We need to see more of them, not fewer. Much much more.

Eightdayz · 29/04/2026 13:42

Very goady opener....

Not one reply....

Fuck right off OP

MabelRoyds · 29/04/2026 13:42

There are some toxic mindsets that would like to poison the flag by pretending it’s racist. It isn’t. À flag can’t be racist.

also, nobody can read the minds of those flying à flag, if people make an assumption of racism .. which is quite a leap… that’s a reflection of toxic mindset.

thepariscrimefiles · 29/04/2026 13:40

Winteriscoming80 · 29/04/2026 07:38

I’m sick of people saying it racist,it’s a sign of being a Christian country!im proud of my country and for being a Christian,dont like it then leave!

The views held by the groups that are erecting these flags are as far from Jesus Christ's teachings as is humanly possible.

The UK is not a theocracy so non-Christians, including Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and atheists have as much right to be here as you do.

AngryHerring · 29/04/2026 13:36

CreativeGreen · 29/04/2026 13:30

that's not remotely Occam's Razor.

the simplest answer is absolutely occam's razor.

Arlanymor · 29/04/2026 13:35

My dad is going to have a good old chuckle at the weekend when he asks how my week has been and I say: "Spent some time defending the rights of the English to fly their own flag without kowtowing to racist connotations."

Arlanymor · 29/04/2026 13:34

AnythingButThis · 29/04/2026 13:30

So is racism and the stooges that are perpetuating it across the country at the moment.
it has always been co-opted by the far right, to not acknowledge it is to pretend an innocence it is hard to believe.

But who is not acknowledging it? I have on this thread. Repeatedly. Doesn't mean I think everyone who flies one is a racist.

Arlanymor · 29/04/2026 13:33

CreativeGreen · 29/04/2026 13:28

This 'Reform hijacked the flag' doesn't really make sense. It's not as though the flag wasn't really quite regularly flown by racists before last August (and generating the exact same debates: I remember this around the World Cup in the early 2000s!). Reform and Fly the Colours and similar put the flag up because of what it symbolized already: they didn't make it a racist act, they did it because it is one.

Oh it's been an issue for at least 20 years and Reform weren't around then. Interestingly, Reform haven't used a Welsh flag - either of them - on their manifesto for the Senedd elections... it's because they have been repeatedly challenged on the fact that they almost didn't even bother having a 'Welsh' party because they arrogantly thought they would just steamroller in, so it would be a bit rich to abuse the flag for their own purposes. They do have the obligatory daffodils... but no Welsh flags! (I have to read their shit for work unfortunately!) See - you can push back!

AnythingButThis · 29/04/2026 13:30

So is racism and the stooges that are perpetuating it across the country at the moment.
it has always been co-opted by the far right, to not acknowledge it is to pretend an innocence it is hard to believe.

CreativeGreen · 29/04/2026 13:30

AngryHerring · 29/04/2026 13:29

apply occam's razor: it is the flag of the country you are in. That is all.

that's not remotely Occam's Razor.

AngryHerring · 29/04/2026 13:29

apply occam's razor: it is the flag of the country you are in. That is all.

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