Mailwatch(ed) Forum

davidjay wrote: ↑Sun Sep 07, 2025 7:27 pm

Youngian wrote: ↑Sun Sep 07, 2025 5:46 pm I drove across Norfolk from near Yarmouth and didn't spot any flag shagger activity in the towns I went through. Deep Tory but maybe not deeply Reform outside Yarmouth. How much of this campaign is very well financed and organised astroturfing?

Quite a bit, I would imagine. I know that every time an organiser is interviewed, racism doesn't take much scratching to surface.

I have politely and with genuine interest asked supporters what this flag panto is in aid of but haven't had an answer yet. I know why people marching in Glasgow or Cardiff on a Saturday afternoon are flag waving, they wish their countries to become sovereign states.
Billy Bragg asked this on Newsnight because all he heard supporters say 'we're not racist.' Bragg noted St George's flags were being waved everywhere during for the women's European cup winners. But no one felt they had to say 'we're not racist.'

An acquaintance (a fellow dog walker I regularly bump into in the park) told of a conversation she had about her neighbour's new flag.
In summary it went something like:
"What's the flag for?"
"To show I'm a patriot, all patriots fly flags"
"I see. What's changed to make you become a patriot?"
"What do you mean, I've always been a patriot?"
"But last week you had no flag."
"I know what you're trying to do but I'm not a racist"

'Don't you dare ask about this thing I'm publicly demonstrating.'