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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be deeply disappointed in John Cleese

999 replies

drspouse · 29/05/2019 23:06

I have no idea if this is typical but he just tweeted that London isn't an English city any more
What is it then pray tell? What's not English about it??

OP posts:
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7
DogInATent · 31/05/2019 09:59

Honestly Sadiq Khan can go fuck himself. He sends out never-ending streams of tweets and videos about people from all over the world who now live and work in London (they NEVER feature native-born Brits)

Sadiq Khan was born in Tooting. So park the "native-born Brits" bullshit. Just admit you don't like his Funny Tinge and be done with it.

IsabellaLinton · 31/05/2019 10:03

The UK is a country of immigrants

This is always repeated but it’s just not true. It demonstrably not true. We’ve always had immigration, as every country has, but it was at low levels. Not until the late twentieth century did we have a high volume of immigration.

BertrandRussell · 31/05/2019 10:10

“Honestly Sadiq Khan can go fuck himself. He sends out never-ending streams of tweets and videos about people from all over the world who now live and work in London (they NEVER feature native-born Brits)”
Well, apart from Sadiq Khan, obviously......

IsabellaLinton · 31/05/2019 10:15

@DogInATent

I don’t like Khan, and it has nothing to do with his skin colour. But I don’t like the videos on his Twitter account either. It seems to suggest that London is a home for anyone and everyone to the exclusion of white British people who’ve made up the majority of its population for most of it’s history. It’s as though there’s something better, more wholesome and attractive about London now it’s not predominantly white. What was so wrong with it in years gone by? I’m not white and yet it makes me uncomfortable too! If there is racism to be seen, I see it on his side.

CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook · 31/05/2019 10:16

It is a shame about the St Georges flag. Nothing would stop me using the England flag - those who don't like it could go fuck themselves, I'm British. But the St Georges is more tricky....I would piss off a lot of people who hold it as only being for those who are 'truly English' as another poster put it, and people from other ethnicities also. Probably be called an Uncle Tom or something, like African Americans do who wear the MAGA hat.

Its a no win situation. Maybe it could be tackled at school level. Reintroduced into assemblies etc, education as to what it means.

BertrandRussell · 31/05/2019 10:22

Just had a look down SJ’s twitter feed. There seem to be plenty of white people rwpresented!

BertrandRussell · 31/05/2019 10:31

Obviously he completely ignored St George’s Day.

Oh, wait. No he didn’t.

Eliza9919 · 31/05/2019 10:32

Honestly Sadiq Khan can go fuck himself. He sends out never-ending streams of tweets and videos about people from all over the world who now live and work in London (they NEVER feature native-born Brits)

I can't stand that man. He just epitomises 'wanker'. I can't wait for the next mayoral election so hopefully he'll be out on his arse.

LaminateAnecdotes · 31/05/2019 10:33

Boadicea / Boudica would be a good Brexit heroine.

Yes. She laid waste to large swathes of the England - murdered thousands of native English people - women children and babies not excepted - and destroyed several towns and villages and crops leading to widespread famine before selfishly topping herself rather than be held to account.

It's harder to think of a more appropriate figurehead.

Also she lost.

Eliza9919 · 31/05/2019 10:33

Its a no win situation. Maybe it could be tackled at school level. Reintroduced into assemblies etc, education as to what it means.

How can we do that when even during football tournaments, people are told they could be arrested for having car flags? Councils' tell people to remove their flags from their windows?

BertrandRussell · 31/05/2019 10:34

I do wonder why people dislike native born Brit Sadiq Khan so much........

BertrandRussell · 31/05/2019 10:35

“How can we do that when even during football tournaments, people are told they could be arrested for having car flags?”

What utter, utter bollocks.

Pointless2 · 31/05/2019 10:39

I do wonder why people dislike native born Brit Sadiq Khan so much........

Yes, me too.

CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook · 31/05/2019 10:42

How can we do that when even during football tournaments, people are told they could be arrested for having car flags? Councils' tell people to remove their flags from their windows

Did not know that. Really?!

joyfullittlehippo · 31/05/2019 10:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook · 31/05/2019 10:43

What makes you say its bollocks Bertrand?

RiversDisguise · 31/05/2019 10:44

Boudica's reasons for the uprising were sound. I won't list them here as some would be upset by them. Tacitus gave her her due and he had no reason to represent her in such a noble light.

Yes, she was defeated by Rome (European Empire). Like, no shit. But might does not make right. And Rome eventually crumbled- like all empires.

joyfullittlehippo · 31/05/2019 10:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LaminateAnecdotes · 31/05/2019 10:46

“How can we do that when even during football tournaments, people are told they could be arrested for having car flags?”

"If you say you're English, you'll be thrown in jail and locked up ...."

RiversDisguise · 31/05/2019 10:47

Joyful... I also had family come over with the Norman Conquest. One signed the Magna Carta. If we're not related, then our forebears certainly caroused and drank wine together. Wink

BertrandRussell · 31/05/2019 10:51

“What makes you say its bollocks Bertrand?“

Because it’s one of those tropes that always comes up. And it’s always bollocks. There are lots of them. Winterval. Red Cross Charity shops not allowed Christmas decorations. Toy farms not being allowed to have pigs. All bollocks.

joyfullittlehippo · 31/05/2019 10:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CatherineOfAragonsPrayerBook · 31/05/2019 10:53

LaminateAnecdotes

That was hilariousGrin

hilbobaggins · 31/05/2019 10:55

What is "English" after all? Our favourite foods have been introduced by immigrants - fish and chips (Jewish refugees), curry (India immigrants).

I feel as if this question (and beyond that - what is British) lies at the heart of some of the problems we’re now facing as a country. For generations now we have not been taught to think positively about our Englishness, and beyond that our Britishness - the heritage of our art, literature, religion, food,
Government, politics, language, theatre, music, and all the other things that make up a culture. Many positive things have come from this country, but it has become fashionable amongst a certain group (intelligentsia, academics, large parts of the media and the liberal left) to denigrate everything about our culture. There is quite a bit of this on this thread. I am hoping that there will be something of a backlash against this - I am an example of someone who has completely changed my perspective over the last 3 years and I think more and more people are waking up to what is happening. Hopefully it’s not too late.

Badbilly · 31/05/2019 11:21

Because it’s one of those tropes that always comes up. And it’s always bollocks. There are lots of them. Winterval. Red Cross Charity shops not allowed Christmas decorations. Toy farms not being allowed to have pigs. All bollocks.

I agree that all the other stuff may be bollocks, but during the World Cup in 2006 several local councils “banned” the displaying of flags. The test case was Peterborough, and the council backed down after national exposure to the ridiculous rule.

In 2012 a new law was passed that liberalised the archaic law about flag flying ( previous to this it was actually illegal to fly the Irish tricolour- but I doubt it was enforced).

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5211952.stm

(Not sure how to do a click link on this phone- hope the above works)