Union Flag

[LowlandLucky]

For once i am shocked into silence, just read that there are calls for Morrisons supermarket to be boycotted because the have products in Union flag packaging. It would seem somewimps people are so pathetic that the feel "intimidated" by our countries flag. FFS what a bloody feeble nation Britain has become, it is not as though we wrap goods in a Swastika. If the Union flag is so scary bugger off and live somewhere else, just make sure their flag is not a naughty one.

There used to be an understanding at uk level to tread carefully to avoid inciting sectarianism but they dgaf anymore

This is because the people in charge are genuinely too stupid and ignorant to grasp the nuance and understand the consequences of their reckless disregard.

[quote worriedatthemoment]@alibongo5 just googled it and yes they were in first briefing[/quote]
|I have not idea what you mean about first briefing. Whatever. It's not a British thing to have flags waving except at Jubilees, football, Olympics etc.

@alibongo5 at the first covid briefing
You can google why they are now using them more but we are standing alone for the first time in years so its not really a surprise and doing what many other countries do , like I said its been mentioned as to why
The supermarkets are doing so people can recognise the produce so its separate as they know many like to buy local or support uk produce when possible
If it sells food thats all they will care about

The supermarkets are doing so people can recognise the produce so its separate as they know many like to buy local or support uk produce when possible

None of which was any different back before the government compelled the use of the union flag in place of national flags.

If you think this is just about clearer packaging, then you are horribly naive.

@LowlandLucky

SwedishEdith I don't care if you are British or Swedish, if the Union flag offends then leave. I have lived in many country's in the world, i never got upset by their flags or customs. I live here in the U.K but my family were not born here but this is my home and the flag of this country doesn't intimidate me.

I don't care if you are British or Swedish, if the Union flag offends then leave

Trust me - over half of Scotland think this is a really really good idea and we're working on it.

I started out reading this thread feeling quite protective of our Union flag, but then a PP brought to my attention that it doesn't include Wales. I find this wrong on so many levels. I vote add the Welsh in and rebrand. A new flag for a modern UK, putting the past where it belongs.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX i never recall seeing national flags ever

@TheSandman what about the other half ?

@amusedtodeath1 pointless though as if one leaves needs to be done again

@XDownwiththissortofthingX i def have never seen any food labelled as english

I started out reading this thread feeling quite protective of our Union flag, but then a PP brought to my attention that it doesn't include Wales. I find this wrong on so many levels. I vote add the Welsh in and rebrand. A new flag for a modern UK, putting the past where it belongs

I'd suggest holding off for a bit, because before much longer there isn't going to be a 'United Kingdom', so any flag for whatever remains will only require three colours, none of them blue.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX i def have never seen any food labelled as english

Possibly because for most intents and purposes, the English market would regard the St George's flag and the union flag as interchangeable, therefore there has never been any need to put a distinctly 'English' flag on anything.

Saltires were common on Scots produce until very recently. Now, 'Scottish' smoked salmon and such is exported with a union flag on it as 'UK Smoked Salmon', leaving the intended market totally nonplussed, and providing yet another handy way for Anglocentric politicians to totally downplay the economic contribution of non-English parts of the UK.

There was an uproar a few years ago in Scotland when one or more supermarkets replaced the Saltire badge on produce with the Union flag. This was painted in the media and by some politicians as identity politics, but it was also a practical issue. Agriculture in Scotland is fully devolved, with its own clear set of standards - just for example, Scotland adopted the EU best practices for organic farming while the rest of the UK did not. And many people prefer to buy local products, for environmental and other reasons. Adding the Union flag didn’t have any clear benefit to shoppers, but removing the Saltire had clear disadvantages. And yes, the producer and location is also marked on the packaging, but if you’re in a hurry, in a busy shop, wrangling children, visually impaired, low literacy, or just not a dab hand with geography it makes extra, unnecessary work and of course people are going to question and potentially resent the change.

What about the people whose country you invaded and they have no choice but to look at that flag? To them it is a reminder of oppression

@LowlandLucky are you the type of person who has Union Jack tea towels and bunting for special union days?
The Union Jack is not my flag as I don’t believe in the Union. Hope that helps.

On yourself @TheSandman

@Malvarrosa

There was an uproar a few years ago in Scotland when one or more supermarkets replaced the Saltire badge on produce with the Union flag. This was painted in the media and by some politicians as identity politics, but it was also a practical issue. Agriculture in Scotland is fully devolved, with its own clear set of standards - just for example, Scotland adopted the EU best practices for organic farming while the rest of the UK did not. And many people prefer to buy local products, for environmental and other reasons. Adding the Union flag didn’t have any clear benefit to shoppers, but removing the Saltire had clear disadvantages. And yes, the producer and location is also marked on the packaging, but if you’re in a hurry, in a busy shop, wrangling children, visually impaired, low literacy, or just not a dab hand with geography it makes extra, unnecessary work and of course people are going to question and potentially resent the change.

Absolutely, not just organic farming but GM crops are banned in Scotland too.

Agricultural products labelled UK instead of Welsh, Scottish or English is a very interesting subject, possibly for a host of reasons. Farming in England is changing and being amped up in a way that might put consumers off. When there was concern about US food imports the media seemed oblivious to US companies buying up farms in England and the potential modelling of American style intensive, super farms. Legislation has already passed to ensure subsidies are phased out for fragile areas of farming in England and a focus on production and profit.

[quote worriedatthemoment]@XDownwiththissortofthingX we didn't do any of the other things you mention on our own either
And please don't insult all those that lost their lives fighting in world war 11 etc many of them very young men , of course we fought to protect ourselves as well but a combination helped defeat it and many sacrificed their lives [/quote]
World War 11? This must be that new history they have these days...

Pasting British bananas on Tesco fruit is merely a symptom of the lack of integrity, the hood winking and the jingoism. The union flags are about selling Brexit as a positive when all the evidence ithat it is calamitous.

@LemonRoses what are you blithering in about? Some joker has doctored a packet of carrots (comparing it with the "Spanish" carrots it appears to be the very same photo) to make it look like it contains bananas and you are claiming that it's a government conspiracy?

If it's always been a thing in a country fair enough but in this country it never has been and is really really cringy

There are many things that are happening today that are not 'natural' and seem very 'cringy' and we have to put up with them all the same (think protests, etc, etc). So it's perfectly ok if people all of a sudden decide that they feel like flagging their own country's flag.

I am sure that was made in reply to "shop British" group

The 'shop British group' that some sneer at, are British people who want to support their own country. They are not going to be made to feel ashamed for that.

If you lived in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you might find the flag has many unwelcome or complex connotations

Exactly.
Likewise, now Johnson is doing a Trump and insisting the Union Flag is displayed behind every Tory, it's likely to alienate people further - the Tory flag.

Seriously - like the 'enforced' mourning and high jacking of every TV and media platform on the death of a 99 year old man, and the sanitising of his openly racist rankings wherever he went, Britain is getting more and more like North Korea or a commie state.

If you want to show 'reduced air miles' and 'buy local', maybe just put the individual nations flag on - Welsh Lamb, Scottish Raspberries, English apples, Irish butter etc

I don't care if you are British or Swedish, if the Union flag offends then leave

Trust me - over half of Scotland think this is a really really good idea and we're working on it

😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

This thread has most definitely shown that, if you try hard enough, you can get yourself all angry and frothy about just about anything at all.

@mustlovegin

I am sure that was made in reply to "shop British" group

The 'shop British group' that some sneer at, are British people who want to support their own country. They are not going to be made to feel ashamed for that.

There are people supporting local industries (don't most of us try to shop local produce nowadays?) and then there is... People throwing away their crockery because it's not British made (the waste) people moaning about garlic origin (seasons exist) and moaning that stuff in pound shop is from china (um, hello)

Many people in there are genuinely just into buying local, lots of us are. I buy stuff from small businesses from around the uk. But it was latched on by people with very nasty undertones and unrealistic "expectations" like tomatoes mass grown in the UK in December to feed everyone or telling people to stop shopping in Lidl since it's German.