Latest news with #UnionFlag
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Pensioners sent angry letter for flying Union Flag in ‘insulting' way
A pair of pensioners who flew their Union Flag upside down have been branded 'insulting' in an anonymous letter posted through their door. Betty and Maurice Curtis, both aged 96, said they have flown the flag on a 15ft pole in the back garden of their home in Weymouth, Dorset, for years without any trouble. But they were left shocked when someone slipped the abusive note through their letterbox. The type letter read: 'To whom it should concern. Is it in ignorance or arrogance that you persist in flying the 'Union Jack' upside down? 'To do so, other than in genuine need to send an 'S-O-S', is an insult! 'For your education, please refer to the illustration below, which shows the correct way to display the flag of the union.' There is then an image of a Union Flag with the message: 'Prevalent part of white uppermost diagonal should be atop the red diagonal.' The couple, who have been married for 75 years, said it was a 'genuine mistake' and that they 'didn't know'. The couple added that they are big fans of the Royal family and have their anniversary card from King Charles proudly displayed on their lounge table. They have no idea who the author of the 'horrible' letter is, but have ruled out all the neighbours in their cul-de-sac who they know well. 'A genuine mistake' Mrs Curtis said it could have been an ex-services person who saw the flag while riding on a bus or train. She said: 'I know the person could have served in the services, but there is no need for that. 'They could have just knocked on the door, and we would have changed it around straight away. Why can't people just be nice? 'It's a real job for Maurice to get up and change the flags sometimes, especially when it's windy. 'We don't know who it could be. Our neighbours are all lovely so it may even have been someone passing on the main street or bus, but to take the time and trouble to come up the drive is horrible. 'It was a genuine mistake. We didn't know and we didn't persist. We all make mistakes; haven't they ever done so?' The couple, who met when Mrs Curtis was evacuated from London to Weymouth during the Second World War, frequently hang flags for various occasions such as national holidays and birthdays, and have done so for a number of years.
South Wales Argus
24-05-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
Great British Burger: Newport locals remember the eatery
Readers took to Facebook to share their fond memories of the popular eatery, which closed its doors decades ago, but is still remembered for its sit-down service and famous red signage with a Union Flag. Unlike today's fast food chains, meals were served on plates, and the menu included unique treats such as the cheese-egg burger, frankfurter benders, and fruit cocktail sundaes. Many readers reminisced about their favourite dishes. One person said: "Ah Great British Burger. "My favourite place. "Loved the banana boat dessert and obviously the cooked food. "I was gutted when I went back into town one day and it was gone. "I thought why I didn't get it as it was popular. "The same as I think it was called Ferrari's or similar name bakery opposite cash generator. "To me their corned beef pasties were nicer than Greggs." Another said: "Oh that's a blast from the past! "Went there when I was a kid, the pancakes and syrup were a once a year treat!" The restaurant's legacy also lives on through those who worked there. Michelle Vittle Draper remembered: "My first Saturday job as a waitress loved working there. "Wimpy was where Burger King is." Alison Baxter added: "It was my first part time job too. "Great memories." Others simply missed the food, with Linda Watkins stating: "Loved it in there lovely burgers," and Annmarie Carne recalling: "They did amazing doughnuts!" With the weather looking promising for the weekend, some locals may be inspired to recreate their own burger memories, though, as Justin Williams put it, "So much better back at Newport now vape shops no one goes in barbers and charity shops."
09-05-2025
- General
Beacon lights up Pembroke Castle for VE80 tribute
Civic leaders and townsfolk join commemorative event marking 80 years since Victory in Europe A COMMEMORATIVE beacon was lit at Pembroke Castle on Wednesday evening (May 8) as the town joined nationwide celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Led by the Mayor of Pembroke, Cllr Aden Brinn, the event saw members of the public, dressed officials, and standard bearers gather on the historic castle grounds to pay tribute to those who served and sacrificed during the Second World War. The ceremony began beside the Henry VII Tower, where the Union Flag and the Welsh Dragon were proudly displayed. Cllr Brinn addressed the crowd from the ancient stone steps, reflecting on the significance of VE Day and the enduring gratitude owed to the wartime generation. As dusk fell, dozens of attendees raised their phone torches in a moment of silent remembrance before the beacon was formally lit. Against the backdrop of a clear Pembrokeshire sky, the flame blazed into the night, joining a chain of beacons across the UK and Europe. Also present were town councillors and representatives from local veterans' organisations. The event was accompanied by a moment of music and reflection, and concluded with applause from the gathered crowd. VE Day, first marked on May 8, 1945, commemorates the formal acceptance of Nazi Germany's surrender, signalling the end of World War II in Europe. This year's 80th anniversary has seen special events held in towns and cities across the country. (Image: Martin Cavaney)
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Free speech under Reform didn't last long': Why the party's ban on ‘woke' flags risks backfiring
Flush from their barnstorming performance in last week's council elections, Reform UK have announced that their latest flagship policy will be… flags. On Monday, Zia Yusuf, the party's chairman, announced that in the local authorities under Reform control, only the St George's Cross, the Union Flag and county flags could be flown on public buildings. After a backlash, the party confirmed that county flags would be allowed, too, at official buildings in the the 10 regions it won control of on Thursday: Durham, Kent, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Doncaster, North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire. 'No other flags will be permitted to be flown on its flag-poles, balconies, reception desks or council-chamber wall,' Yusuf wrote in a post on X. Yet the response from Telegraph readers suggests that in mixing seemingly authoritarian strictures with healthy patriotism, Reform may be making a mistake. Taking pride in your national flag is one thing – surveys have repeatedly shown that voters have a strong positive impression of the Union Flag and, to a lesser extent, the St George's cross – but banning others is another. The policy would see the Ukrainian flag, which has flown in many official buildings in solidarity since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022, taken down, along with flags celebrating Pride, the Armed Forces and other interest groups. Opposition MPs from across the political spectrum were swift to criticise the plans. Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover & Deal, wrote that it was 'shameful' and 'sickening' and accused Reform of being 'Putin's Puppets'. The Liberal Democrats accused Reform of 'meaningless virtue-signalling', which must have stung: they know what they are talking about. Mark Francois, the shadow armed forces minister, said that 'flags were important symbols and should be respected as such' and that the policy 'hadn't been thought through.' 'Common sense coming to a Town near you' Ben Page, the chief executive of polling company Ipsos, says that despite the outcry, which has seen some accuse Reform of indulging in the kind of cancel culture it regularly accuses the Left of spearheading, the party's new policy may be sound politics. 'Reform's policy probably doesn't do them any harm,' he says. 'Most people in Britain see flying the Union Jack as a healthy sign of patriotism. The minority who disagree will never vote for Reform anyway.' The reader response to The Telegraph's report on Reform's plans suggests Page might have a point. At the time of writing, it has attracted more than 5,000 online comments. They suggest there is plenty of support for flying the Union Flag and St George's Cross. 'Common sense coming to a Town near you,' wrote Walt Longmire. 'If the national flag of the country you live in offends you, perhaps you are living in the wrong country,' commented Don Murray. 'THANK GOODNESS,' wrote Lynda King. 'I pay taxes and council tax and object to public property being used by militant minorities for political ends.' 'I'm not convinced this has anything to do with banning 'Woke' flags per se, it's more a statement that Reform represent British values and won't let minority groups and causes infiltrate public bodies,' argued James Gregory. 'Supporting woke ideals is fine for individuals. Nothing wrong with freedom of expression, opinion and speech. Expecting public bodies and institutions to fly flags is just not on.' Eilvin Reece commented: 'I fully support Ukraine. But there is no need to fly its flag from our national buildings.' 'Why do councils think voters and ratepayers want them to spend their money on fatuous stunts e.g. flying the Ukraine flag?' wondered Gareth Davies. 'Fix the roads, collect the bins and plant some trees. Otherwise shut up.' Others, such as Gary Jeffrey, took a more moderate view. 'Not sure an outright ban is needed,' he wrote, 'but a decree that any flag flown must be accompanied by a more prominent British national flag would be welcome and promote the message that we are an inclusive nation.' Labour voters more likely to unfavourably view the St George's Cross If polling is to be believed, the past decade or so has been a curious time for flag sentiment. The image of the Union Flag was boosted by the London Olympics, when Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah, clad in Stella McCartney flag kits and gold medals, made getting behind the flag less Promsy and more contemporary. While the Welsh dragon and Scottish saltire were embraced, the St George's Cross was increasingly associated with football hooliganism and the far-Right. According to Ipsos polling, in 2013, 53 per cent of Britons saw flying the St George's Cross 'on a normal day of the year' – i.e. not during a major football tournament – as a 'healthy expression of English national pride'. By 2022 that figure had risen to 56 per cent. But the number seeing it as a 'worrying expression of English nationalism' had also risen from 11 per cent to 17 per cent in the same period. A similar survey by YouGov last April suggested that more than a quarter (27 per cent) of British adults had an unfavourable opinion of flying the St George's Cross, compared to 22 per cent for the Union flag. Among those who voted for Labour in 2019, 44 per cent had an unfavourable view of the St George's Cross, meanwhile. Perhaps mindful of this, Sir Keir Starmer has made an effort to portray Labour as a patriotic party. In April, he became the first Prime Minister to host a St George's Day reception at Downing Street. His party is still haunted by memories of Emily Thornberry's brush with the flag-lovers. In November 2014, Thornberry resigned from Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet after posting a picture of a white van outside a house in Rochester decorated with St George's Cross flags. The image was widely interpreted as snobbery from the MP for Islington South and Finsbury. Last year, a number of Labour MPs complained anonymously about the widespread use of the Union flag on their campaign leaflets. They claimed it might alienate voters from ethnic minorities. 'What a silly start' Reform's flag ban is part of a raft of recent policy announcements from the party focused on cutting back government waste, modelled on the work Elon Musk has done in Donald Trump's department of government efficiency (DOGE). Farage has suggested that council workers in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) roles should start looking for other jobs and said he will set up miniature versions of DOGE for councils. For some readers, having a wide range of flags on official buildings could be divisive in itself, rather than boost inclusivity. 'The varied selection … promotes the differences between people, it creates divisions and leads to sectarian tensions,' wrote David Joy. 'The Union Flag and St George's are flags that bring British people together in Britain and as such should be flown on public buildings.' There was some support for banning specialist flags even from within those communities. 'As a gay man, the only flag flown over councils should be the Union Jack,' wrote Josh Rose. 'We need to stop with divisive pandering and appeasement of communities and instead say that all communities must unite behind a single flag. Unity over division.' Of the Armed Forces flag, Ronald Ayliffe, wrote: 'If sacrificing the AF flag leads to a clean up of the current [confusion around flags], then I am sure most serving soldiers, sailors and airmen would accept that. I am embarrassed to admit that I served for six years and I have no idea what the armed forces flag looks like.' But not everyone was persuaded that flags ought to be Reform's most urgent priority. And some readers suggested Farage, Yusuf and the rest of the party may be making a mistake in banning alternatives. 'Glad that Deform has got its priorities right,' said Albert Taflock sarcastically. 'I suspect we can expect more of this nonsense, instead of actually trying to run a council and improve the lives of their constituents.' Another commentator was equally withering, writing that 'everyone I know has been saying we need the flags sorted out as quickly as possible.' Tim Green said: 'Free speech under Reform didn't last long! What a silly start. Public buildings should fly the Union flag, but there is room for more than one flag pole and banning public support for Ukraine will only serve as a reminder of Farage's warmth to [Vladimir] Putin. The self-conscious imitation of Trump underlines the observation that Reform is just the UK wing of Maga. That's not working out so well for the US economy, constitution or civil society.' 'What will Reform ban next?' wrote Robin Jackons. 'Opposition parties perhaps?' 'A bit Putin-esque' The flag proposal comes as a new report has found that artists have become 'terrified' of voicing political opinions for fear of censure by the Left. The report, by Freedom in the Arts, found that 81 per cent of people working in the industry felt the sharing of controversial opinions on topics risked ostracism – compared with only 35 per cent five years ago. Particularly febrile subjects include Israel and trans rights. In banning individual councils from showing solidarity even with the Armed Forces or Ukraine, some argue that Reform, similarly, are falling into the Left's trap of being intolerant about points of view they disagree with. 'I think this is totally over the top,' wrote Hadley Smith. 'You should be able to fly whatever flag you please. It's clamping down on people's freedoms. It's like saying you can only wear x uniform or only support x party. Getting a bit Putin-esque here.' Jack Hughes argued that 'flags are very emotive things' and councils should be 'allowed to fly flags of their choice,' with 'the exception of flags of our enemies and flags that for some reason show sexual preference.' He added that he worried 'banning the Ukrainian flag will just feed into Labour's false narrative of Farage being soft on Putin.' This may be the main lesson from the charged response to Reform's flag proposals. Farage, Yusuf and other Reform figures pride themselves on returning Britain to 'common sense' government. But common sense is rarely prescriptive, and always subjective. When it comes to flag policy, the answers are blowing in the wind. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Reform to ban councils from flying ‘woke' flags
Reform UK councils will only be allowed to fly the Union Flag and the St George's Cross, the party chairman has said. Zia Yusuf announced on Monday that 'no other flags' would be allowed to be displayed in the local authorities under the party's control. He said that this policy would include 'flag-poles, balconies, reception desks or council-chamber walls'. Reform now controls 10 councils in England, including Kent, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Lancashire after sweeping gains in the local elections last week. But the policy has already come under fire from Labour, who have said that it would mean a ban on the display of Ukrainian flags from public buildings. The announcement comes as Britain begins celebrations of the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Mr Yusuf wrote on X on Monday: 'Reform controlled English councils will move at speed to resolve that the *only* flags permitted to be flown on or in its buildings will be the Union Jack and the St George's flag. 'No other flags will be permitted to be flown on its flag-poles, balconies, reception desks or council-chamber walls.' Under the policy, flags flown by councils for specific days in the year, such as the Pride flag, the Pan African flag or the Armed Forces flag, would not be allowed. The Prime Minister has repeatedly sought to claim Labour is the party of patriotism as part of his strategy to take on the party. He became the first prime minister to host a St George's Day reception in No 10 last month, and has attacked Nigel Farage for his 'fawning over Putin'. Labour will ramp up its attacks on Mr Farage over his previous supportive comments of the Russian president from over a decade ago in which he said he admired Vladimir Putin. 'Shameful to ban Ukraine flag' Mike Tapp, the Labour MP for Dover and Deal, accused Reform of being 'Putin's puppets' over the decision to ban all other flags from being displayed on council buildings. He wrote on X: 'Reform are to ban the flying of Ukrainian flags from public buildings. A gesture of solidarity we see across the whole country. 'Shameful! And as VE Day approaches. Putin's puppets.' Government buildings in Whitehall have displayed the Ukrainian flag in solidarity with Kyiv since Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Critics also condemned the policy as a ban on county flags, but Reform sources insisted that they would still be permitted to be displayed. Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said: 'If Reform UK's chairman gets his way, Reform-run authorities would ban flying the Yorkshire flag – even on Yorkshire Day. Is that really what Reform stand for in Yorkshire? 'We should celebrate our proud identity and culture, not erase it.' Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, said: 'The White Horse has been the symbol of Kent for almost 2,000 years. 'The first king of Kent, Hengest, is said to have used the flag as he and his brother, Horsa, conquered their new kingdom. Denying our flag is denying our history.' Mark Francois, the shadow Armed Forces minister, said: 'Flags are important symbols and should be respected as such. So, does this new policy mean no flying of Ukrainian flags, in solidarity with them? 'Does it mean councils couldn't fly the Armed Forces day flag, either? And what about county flags, too? This sounds like something which just hasn't been thought through.' A Reform UK source said: 'The Tories seem more upset about Reform councils flying the Union Flag than their councils flying the trans flag. 'It sums up the state of the Tory party, the sooner they're consigned the dustbin of history, the better.' The announcement by Mr Yusuf is the latest in a string of policies unveiled by Reform since their triumph in the local elections. Mr Farage has vowed to set up mini-Doge units, modelled after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency in the US, in councils under the party's control. He also suggested that council workers in diversity, equity and inclusion roles should look for other jobs. The party has also pledged to use legal levers to crack down on renewable energy projects being set up in the countryside, as well as the establishment of migrant hotels. A flag row erupted last year over Nike's changes to the St George's Cross on the England football team's kit, with both then-prime minister Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer condemning it. The Football Association defended the multi-coloured cross design which it said was a 'tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team'. A number of Labour MPs last year complained about the widespread use of the Union flag on Labour campaign leaflets, which unnamed MPs were said to claim that it might alienate voters from ethnic minorities.
