Dr. Johnson wasn’t always right, but he was absolutely right when he made his famous statement that “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel”. He was abolsutely right because, back in April 1775, he wasn’t referring to patriotism per se. He was referring to the ‘patriotism’ of Pitt the Elder, the first Earl of Chatham, and his supporters whom he termed “the self-professed patriots”. Johnson admired what he called ‘true patriotism” but he loathed Pitt and abhorred those who used the flag and other national symbols as a symbol of their attachment and devotion to their country. Plus ça change.
We have an outbreak, a plague even, of flag waving. It has been primarily the work of Reform, but we have suffered from Starmer and McSweeney aping Farage to the extent that we have heard Starmer and Yvette Cooper boasting about the number of union flags on display in their respective homes.
Reform has not been quite so desperate to prove their patriotism. They have used an assortment of flags to demonstrate their opposition to refugees. They have graffitied the cross of St George (the patron saint of Palestine)on roundabouts and bus stops. They have flown it and the union flag from lamp posts and rooftops.
That’s all pretty pathetic by Labour standards.
Starmer boasts that he is the Labour leader “who put the Union Jack on our Labour Party membership cards” thus provoking a mass exodus of members, including me. He went on, “I always sit in front of a Union Jack, and I’ve been doing it for years”.
Even such commitment is not enough for the Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary at the time. “We actually have Union Jack bunting on our garden shed at the moment, I’ve got St George’s flags, I’ve got St George’s bunting, I’ve got Union Jack flags and tablecloths … we’ve got the lot.”
We have an outbreak, a plague even, of flag waving. It has been primarily the work of Reform, but we have suffered from Starmer and McSweeney aping Farage to the extent that we have heard Starmer and Yvette Cooper boasting about the number of union flags on display in their respective homes.
Reform has not been quite so desperate to prove their patriotism. They have used an assortment of flags to demonstrate their opposition to refugees. They have graffitied the cross of St George (the patron saint of Palestine)on roundabouts and bus stops. They have flown it and the union flag from lamp posts and rooftops.
That’s all pretty pathetic by Labour standards.
Starmer boasts that he is the Labour leader “who put the Union Jack on our Labour Party membership cards” thus provoking a mass exodus of members, including me. He went on, “I always sit in front of a Union Jack, and I’ve been doing it for years”.
Even such commitment is not enough for the Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary at the time. “We actually have Union Jack bunting on our garden shed at the moment, I’ve got St George’s flags, I’ve got St George’s bunting, I’ve got Union Jack flags and tablecloths … we’ve got the lot.”
You might think that this is one of those absurd national debates between two irrelevant parties. But it has now reached Warwick.
Reform won the County Council elections earlier this year, but the MP remains the Labour Matt Western. Reform have introduced a new policy about flags. Only the Union Jack (UK), St George’s Cross (England) and the Bear and Ragged Staff (Warwickshire) may be flown at the Country Council HQ.
Which means the removal of the Ukrainian flag and its replacement with the Bear and Ragged Staff. Matt is not happy.
“Ukraine is still at war. Russia started it”, he said, justifying his insistence that the flag of Ukraine should be reinstated.
So there you go. That’s where we stand at the moment. I shall be pressing for the raising of the red flag at the earliest opportunity.
Today from the every smith vaults: Wednesday was a busy day. To Symphony Hall to hear a magnificent performance by the CBSO of Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony (2pm), before a magnificent 4-0 victory by Coventry over Millwall (7.45pm) before the Red Sox just failed to beat the Evil Empire 3-4 at Yankee Stadium. I'be been playing the Shostakovich all morning of course - "An artist's response to unjust criticism"!
Reform won the County Council elections earlier this year, but the MP remains the Labour Matt Western. Reform have introduced a new policy about flags. Only the Union Jack (UK), St George’s Cross (England) and the Bear and Ragged Staff (Warwickshire) may be flown at the Country Council HQ.
Which means the removal of the Ukrainian flag and its replacement with the Bear and Ragged Staff. Matt is not happy.
“Ukraine is still at war. Russia started it”, he said, justifying his insistence that the flag of Ukraine should be reinstated.
So there you go. That’s where we stand at the moment. I shall be pressing for the raising of the red flag at the earliest opportunity.
Today from the every smith vaults: Wednesday was a busy day. To Symphony Hall to hear a magnificent performance by the CBSO of Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony (2pm), before a magnificent 4-0 victory by Coventry over Millwall (7.45pm) before the Red Sox just failed to beat the Evil Empire 3-4 at Yankee Stadium. I'be been playing the Shostakovich all morning of course - "An artist's response to unjust criticism"!
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