Thread 30 Starmer - Magic Roundabouts

[DuncinToffee]

Pull up a chair for some friendly chit chat about politics and beyond

Taxes optional but greatly appreciated.

Previous thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5395939-thread-29-starmer-paint-your-bandwagon?page=1

The flag thing on your house is an interesting one. My sister to live next to a bloke with a flag pole who put the St George’s Cross up. He also had naval flags. A lesbian couple moved in on the other side and put up a rainbow flag.

I think overall people with these performative needs don’t make good neighbours. My sister thought both of them were ridiculous.

It has been highlighted (quietly) that the biggest obstacle to Reform advancing any more is .... Nigel Farage. Weirdly he lacks whatever Trump had (or didn't have) and voters just hit a point.

It's axiomatic that some Brexiteers were sincere (not that we've ever seen any here) and they might be holding back. I can't see the polling being commissioned for that - or if it is, it being uncompromised.

I did say earlier that I thought he’d peaked too soon …

You did! What has he got left in the hat?

Lots of stuff - capital punishment. Village stocks for truants

The last remaining brain cell & once that goes hopefully he will self combust.

Guardian readers to wear identification badges

Local FB full of glee that there are England flags all along my road. I am on holiday atm and if there’s one on the lamp post next to my house when I get back it is most definitely coming down. So sad to see how many racists I live among

We've got exactly one flag in our street. Bloke has a flagpole in his garden. And on Boris' liberation day, he plastered his house with Union flags and Union flag bunting. Safe to say he's a bit of a twat.

There was only one half way up a lamp post when we left last week. I’m honestly sickened to think that someone cares enough and is carried away enough to “raise the colours” along our road. Making it look like we all share the nationalism. Not in my name, dickheads.

As it seems folk have twigged very quickly, the rather cowardly anonymous nature of the stunt has rather backfired as it allows innocent interpretations to drown out the more racists ones, forcing racists into a rather uncomfortable position of having to agree through gritted teeth.

I'd love to hear of someone actually responding in print "No you muppet, these flags are saying *** out" or something similar. As of yet, I wait in vain.

But knowing they want to does rather pass the time.

E2A: I guess there is space in the world for someone to setup a business painting flags on peoples houses. Then whenever someone on FB posts about how wonderful it is, offer to paint their house for free. And if they decline, point out they aren't a real patriot.

You know, I had to get to be this age to finally understand Pete Townshends line about

"'Coz the banners they all flown in the last war"

Actually it’s notable that people are using lampposts rather than their own houses. It occupies more “public space” as you note @Saucery

As a display of genuine individual patriotism it is suspect. It isn’t intended that way

We have two flags flying, the union flag (military family, the flag symbolises their pride in having served) and a Ukraine flag. We've also been known to fly the Welsh dragon and the george cross depending on our sporting fixtures.

One of my neighbours goes between the pride flag, the union flag and the Jolly Roger.

I have nothing against flags. I don't like the reason that people are flying flags at the moment and we have considered taking ours down. If anyone puts one on the lamppost outside my house though, it's coming down.

Anyway. My tax is from our trip to Buck place.

It's cowardice and intended to menace.

Well it is cowardice I agree. I don’t agree with flag flying but on your own property well you can. Whether you should is another matter.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gzk1p90q1o

I am old. And it really isn't my British. I never grew up with it. And it's something that yes - I really do notice abroad. I always find it a tad insecure. I mean surely you know where you fucking live.

Also, if you had any sense of your own history (and I find flag shaggers really eally don't) then you would understand that being proud of your country (which I am) is nuanced, and comes with a sense of the good, the bad and the ugly.

However if you fly your flag all the time, how can you mark a special occasion ?

Anyone read the book about the woman who went to live in Denmark? A Year of Living Danishly, iirc. She is absolutely terrified into Danish flag flying and correct bin etiquette within about 10 minutes of arrival!

Danish tv dramas always have flags at birthdays

Really. How disappointing. I didn’t grow up with flag flying. It is performance, and government can get on with it, not me

I fear often that I am the wrong kind of MN. I'd feel much more threatened/ bothered/ intimidated/ performance bullied by an England flag next door than a Pride flag.

Do you watch The Sommerdahl Murders, too???

Please tell me someone else does??

No sorry, what channel is it on?

I was more thinking The Killing, absolutely loved Sara Lund

I can't remember many flags growing up, only on special occassions and on proper flagpoles.

We did use flags (plus added school bags) celebrating passing exams

Oh, this is ITVX, I think or maybe C4. It's like Midsommer Murders in Denmark (In fact it was inspired by it because apparently Danes love it). It's very silly. You know all those really cool Scandi programmes that make you think all Nordic TV is really so cool? Yeah, it's not that.

And, bewilderingly, it has one of the main guys from Borgen in it as the titular Sommerdahl.

I, too, loved The Killing. DH occasionally still mentions Nanna Birk Larsen.