I thought it was illegal anyway

Seems moves are afoot to attempt to block interpreters from being placed in polling stations because there are indications that they have been abusing their position in not just telling people who can't speak English how to vote, but who to vote for.
Telegraph.

The “integrity of the ballot box” is under threat because councils are allowing interpreters in polling stations, a minister has said.
Voters who do not speak English are at risk of being pressured or influenced by translators, undermining local democracy, Brandon Lewis said.
It follows allegations of “remarkable swings” to Labour in recent elections in Tower Hamlets, East London, in cases where it is claimed Bengali interpreters wrongly directed people on how to vote.
Mr Lewis, the local government minister, said council officials, the police and the public are unable to scrutinise the electoral process if officials are speaking to voters in a foreign language.
He told the Commons: “In light of previous instances of electoral fraud, including impersonation in polling stations, postal voting irregularities and allegations of improper influence, Ministers in this department have concerns about the practice of allowing foreign language translators or interpreters inside polling stations.
Cllr Peter Golds, the leader of the Conservative group, claimed a council-employed translator had instructed Bengali women to support Ken Livingstone in the 2008 mayoral election and had checked ballot papers after they had voted to ensure it was “correct”.
Certain wards saw “remarkable swings” where translators were employed, Cllr Golds alleged in a letter to the Electoral Commission sent earlier this month. There is no suggestion Mr Livingstone was aware of any wrong-doing.

Why am I not surprised by the fact that it was Labour who benefited?
I was under the impression (apparently wrongly) that the only people allowed in a polling station were the presiding officers and police and that no one else including party workers were allowed. So having an interpreter available seems like a breach of the law anyway, particularly in the light of quis custodiet ipsos custodes (who guards the guardians) when the presiding officers and the police have no idea what is being said to the voter.
Like the millions spent wasted on foreign language translation in this country, this is a practice that need to be stopped, if you don't know enough of the language to be able to interpret how to vote that's your lookout and there ought to be no one available save those who are legally obliged to be there in a polling station. After all, there's the suspicion that if you can't interpret the polling form, you won't know who your candidates were anyway.
As English is the recognised language of this country, then it should be the only language permitted on official forms and for official business. You want to speak Urdu or Gujarati in your own home, fine, but when dealing with the rest of the country you speak the language that the country speaks.
Otherwise there is the suspicion that by pandering to your laziness, the above happens.

Let's see if he actually does.

One of the biggest costs to the country today is translation services both at local and national level. It literally costs millions more to print pamphlets in various languages other than English (Yes there's a case for Welsh in Wales and Scot's Gael in Scotland) There's also the cost of providing state funded translators to those who use the benefits and health systems too.
Oddly enough if you tried this in France you'd have to deal with everything in French, no exceptions, so Cameron is looking at the problem here...
Mail.

David Cameron plans to strip welfare handouts from immigrants who cannot speak English.
In a radical bid to slash Britain’s benefits bill, the Prime Minister intends to stop printing welfare paperwork in foreign languages and prevent claimants using taxpayer-funded translators at benefits offices.
The move – which would also hit British residents who cannot speak English – was due to be announced tomorrow, but has been delayed following a row with Nick Clegg.
Tories hope that axeing foreign-language versions of documents explaining how to claim benefits would make it harder for immigrants such as newly arrived Romanians and Bulgarians to cash in on the UK’s benefits system, encourage others already here to learn English – and save money spent on translators.
Referring to the controversial Channel 4 programme, one Conservative aide said: ‘The Benefits Street culture must end. Period.’

OK, it's been announced, let's see if he can carry it through, it does seem unlikely considering the Lib Dem part of the coagulation will probably oppose it along with the leftard drones of the Labour Party. After all, they see benefits for all as a right for all, not as a safety net for those who either were born here or have contributed via taxation to the system.
It should never have been the responsibility of the taxpayer to fund translators and translations, that should have been the job of those trying to use the system, you either spoke English or brought someone along (paid by yourself) to translate for you. It would also have been an incentive to learn the language of the country you were living in as well.
Anyway, this might be a start to saving millions, I have my doubts that it's anything but a media headline grab, but at least they are thinking along the right lines.

This wouldn't happen anywhere else

Local councils and government along with the state waste millions on translation services for people who really ought to be speaking the recognised language of the country. Whilst a case can be made for providing Welsh translations in Wales and Scots Gaelic in Scotland, there's no excuse for it in England. Not that you can tell that to the councillors in the islamic republic of Tower Hamlets...
Express.

Controversial Tower Hamlets council, which has one of the largest migrant communities in Britain, made the announcement last night after a Bangladeshi man started addressing councillors in Bengali.
The man, who had been listed to ask a question about a local issue in east London, walked to the podium and microphone and spoke for several seconds in Bengali before the Speaker, Lesley Pavitt, asked him to stop.
She said he must speak in English, but he replied that he struggled with the language.
He told the 51 councillors, of whom 30 are of Bangladeshi origin and Bengali speakers, that he should be allowed to continue in his mother tongue.
But a senior council official replied that had he given the town hall enough notice, an official interpreter would have been booked.
The official said he could delay his question until next month’s meeting when a professional would attend.

Oddly enough the people in Tower Hamlets will have to pay for this professional, not the guy asking the question in a tongue which is foreign to this country. Welcome to the lunacy which is multiculturalism in the UK though where every person who does not have a grasp of English needs to have a (free) translator provided for them at our expense.
What should have happened at the meeting was that the guy asking the question be charged for the privilege of asking it in Bengali. If his English isn't good enough, he should have brought along someone whose English was, not be told that he would get his own free professional at ratepayers cost.
Btw this is the same Tower Hamlets council who gives £185,000 a year in grants to community groups who provide free Bengali “mother tongue” classes for children after school... rather than English lessons, you know the language of the country they live in. If their parents want them to speak Bengali, that's their problem, not the problem of a council you'd think?
This is why I believe that the end result of multiculturalism so beloved of leftards will inevitably lead to civil war.

Observations

I'm back, stepdaughter is now ok and the grandkids have exhausted me.
I did note a few things whilst on my travels down to Devon and back, they may be specific to me, but I thought I'd get them down whilst I'm recovering...

In no specific order of importance...

• In the case of drivers who have suffered the equivalent of a full frontal lobotomy, why do they all gravitate to either a black VW Polo (if young) or a silver merc (if an old/middle age fart)?
• When travelling on a single carriageway (max mph) why do some folk happily tootle along at 50 to 55 mph with a large entourage behind them (cursing like as not) then when hitting a dual carriageway stretch immediately floor it to 70+ mph only to return to 50 to 55 mph when the dual carriageway ends and no one can get past?
• Why do Devonians put jam on their cream tea scones first then the cream and Cornish people put the cream on first? Is it just to be different?
• I did wonder at a host of missing cat posters in the Bideford/Clovelly area in which I was staying, at least until I spotted this...

Yes, it's an eagle owl!

• Gliding across the field from where I was staying and it all became clear, I suspect the local falconry establishment have much to hide...
•  Devonians love playing with the English language to fool pretty much everyone, after all who but the English would come up with the spelling of the village of Woolfardisworthy only to pronounce it Woolsery.

Normal service will probably restart tomorrow.

And this is news???

Apparently there's some concern about the English actually believing themselves to be... well, English. Apparently the English are supposed to consider themselves as British, rather than English as it gives the UK government a tea towel of legitimacy with regards to the Scots, Welsh and Irish having their own parliaments/assemblies. The fact that the English alone of the indigenous peoples of Europe do not have their own parliament seems to have escaped the people concerned who appears would rather we simply went away and became British again...
Express.

MORE than a third of people living in the UK identify themselves as English, rather than British, a new report has revealed.
The landmark report has found that the numbers in England voluntarily describing themselves as British is the lowest of any survey since 1996.
The news came as plans emerged allowing England’s MPs a veto on issues not affecting Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
35 per cent of those living in Britain place their English identity before any sense of Britishness, the report has said, while just one-in-ten claims “to be more British than English”.
“Englishness is emerging more clearly as a result of devolution elsewhere in the UK,” says Welsh academic, Richard Wyn Jones, the co-author of England and its Two Unions, the report published by the Institute of Public Policy Research.
“What has emerged is a different kind of Anglo-British identity in which the ‘Anglo’ component is increasingly considered the primary source of identity,” the report said.

You can almost feel the collective horror of the liberal leftist ruling classes as they suddenly believe themselves assailed by the horribly racist English  For indeed that is what it is to be English in their eyes and why they spent the last 70 years trying to stamp it out.
Even minor reforms such as giving English MP's the power of veto over any legislation regarding England alone does not seem to have stemmed the tide as more and more of the indigenous population regard themselves as something the political classes regard as rather beyond the pale.
You can often see the surprise when you confront a liberal/leftist with the details that the only British thing about you is your passport and you'd change that if you could. The fact that most have no problems with the other countries of the UK saying the same rather shows them up as the narrow minded bigots that they are.
I expect Englishness and the belief that people are English first and foremost to grow amongst the indigenous population of England. It's a form of rebellion and frankly more than overdue.

One nation, one language

It has always struck me as odd and costly that local councils, public services and national government bureaus translate documents into various different languages for the people who live here in England (Scotland and Wales, different rules apply) Seems I'm not the only one who thinks this, though i suspect eric Pickles will find himself ignored by local government, it seems to be a habit of theirs.
Telegraph.

Councils must stop spending tens of millions of pounds pointlessly translating leaflets and documents into foreign languages, Eric Pickles has said.
The Communities and Local Government secretary said translating documents was a “very expensive and poor use of taxpayers’ money”. Mr Pickles told MPs in the House of Commons he was concerned that the costs were being driven by human rights and equality laws and actually served to divide communities rather than unite them. Independent figures show that local authorities spend nearly £20million a year translating documents into a variety of different languages. Mr Pickles issued a Written Ministerial Statement urging councils to stop spending the money on the translation services. The statement replaced existing guidance on translation services, issued by former Communities secretary Hazel Blears in December 2007. Mr Pickles said: “Some local authorities translate a range of documents and other materials into languages spoken by their residents, and provide interpretation services.
“Whilst there may be rare occasions in which this is entirely necessary – for instance in emergency situations.
“I am concerned that such services are in many cases being provided unnecessarily because of a misinterpretation of equality or human rights legislation.”

Ah yes, it's a human right innit.
Thing is if you live in England you should at least make the effort to speak English and we should be like France where if you want something from the state local or national you do it in French, or you get an interpreter at your own expense.
And that's the rub isn't it, translation services don't come at the expense of those who need them, they come from the pockets of the taxpayer both local and national. To me (and probably you) it's quite simple, to those in charge and have budgets to maintain it's a necessity, though they'll never convince anyone other than their own feckless types that it is.
What we have are ghettoised areas where instead of having to integrate, the state has made it unnecessary for them. So naturally they don't, after all if we went to a foreign country to settle and they insisted in dealing with us in English we'd never integrate, we'd have no reason too.
Translation services should only be provided by the state in the case of an emergency. All others, you want it in Urdu, Gujarati, Polska, Arabic, you pay for it yourself.
Simple really.

 

Some good ideas

One of my greatest bugbears is translation services. Most local councils provide such services with many documents being translated in all sorts of foreign languages from Gujarati, to Polish, Chinese (few kinds) to Lithuanian. All in a country in which English is the dominant language and should be the main media of communication. Scotland and Wales have their own native language minorities so they can provide other documents in those, but in England, the only language on any official public service document should be English...
Express.

COMMUNITIES Secretary Eric ­Pickles has drawn up a list of money saving tips for town halls as he prepares to confront councils over spending.
Authorities should stop translating documents into foreign languages, “cancel away-day trips in posh hotels,” cut out first class travel and close subsidised staff canteens, according to his “Fifty Ways To Save” guide.
He also wants them to find innovative new ways of raising money, including renting out advertising space, leasing out art works, putting “pop up” shops in empty council offices and opening coffee shops in local libraries.
The Communities Secretary has published the guide as he prepares to do battle over this week’s ­local ­government settlement. Labour-run councils fired the first salvo by warning ­that another council tax freeze and further cuts would hit frontline services.

Some of those cuts and savings could be well applied to national public services too. There simply is no need to provide half of what councils and governments do. It is not the job of the councils (or government) to provide language translation services for anyone, they can't speak English, it's their problem, not ours, they provide their own translator at their cost, not mine or yours. Same with councils providing support for any 'ethnic' groups or other minorities, their problems are their own and self help builds communities far better than everything being handed to you on a plate. We don't need Gay pride funding, support for mosques, gender awareness campaigns, diversity co-ordinators not if it's coming from our pockets. They can pay for such jamborees themselves out of their own pockets and collections and see how far that goes.
For years government at both local and national level have been taking the piss with our money, spending it on their own pet projects designed more it seems to ensure votes rather than actual quality services. It's funny how they always threaten the frontline services when the money tree looks like being threatened too.
Someone needs to take a chainsaw to what the actual duties of local and national government is expected to provide, then and only then do I suspect we'll get back on the road to economic reality...

Racism

Not normally a subject spoken about when talking about white on white, though in the UK it's apparently ok if the people being discriminated against are the majority. Not that those who commit this type of discrimination or racism consider it to be racist of course, they cannot countenance that their behaviour might be wrong...
Telegraph.

Anti-English rhetoric is at risk of “creeping” into Scottish society after police reported a record number of racist attacks against white Britons, it was claimed last night.
Police recorded 1,295 racist incidents in 2011/12 where the victim was white and British. The total is up a quarter on the previous year and 57 per cent more than in 2004/05.
The category includes both attacks on English people and incidents where the victim is Scottish and the perpetrator is from an ethnic minority.
But the vast majority of perpetrators were also white, suggesting that many cases involved racism against the English.
SNP ministers said they were “very disappointed” by the figures but opposition parties said racist attacks against English people should be treated with the same seriousness as those directed at ethnic minorities.
The overall number of racist attacks increased by 10 per cent last year, with the largest number of incidents directed against the Pakistani community.

Thing is the Scottish Nation (though not individual Scots as such) have a history of anti-English violence along with a history of sectarianism which has often been excused as apparently the English 'ruled' them from Westminster and because the English were 'occupiers' that somehow justified bigotry, hatred and discrimination. Recent cases include the 'brave' Scot who attacked an English schoolboy for wearing an England top. Along with a woman beaten up simply because she was English. All condemned of course yet a symptom of a deep malaise or perhaps an inferiority complex in Scotland itself after all defining yourself by who you hate does not seem to be terribly healthy, yet I cannot recall any other nation selling 'anyone but...' tee shirts. No, I'm not talking about incidents where people have made light-hearted comments about English people, this is obviously going beyond that, there's nothing wrong with banter and the English are no strangers to it. But you don't hear of cases where people of known Scottish origin are beaten up in England simply because they are Scottish, do you?
The Scots will soon vote on going their own way, I wish them every success in this, perhaps it will help some of them at least 'grow up' Though I have my doubts...

The death of multicultural Labour?

Having finally gotten around to looking over the Millipede E speech at the Labour party conference one could not help but wondering just what 'One Nation' actually meant and did it (presumably) mean something completely different to me than it did to Millipede and the Labourites.
You see in our United Kingdom the clue is actually in the name, 'United' as in several united nations or kingdoms. That's why you're liable to find as with the Scots and Welsh being Scottish and Welsh, the English are increasingly English and not British. Yes there was some level of increased patriotism over 'Team GB' in the Olympics, but they're gone and the Cross of St George will re-emerge as the banner under which the English identify, much as politicians including those on the left hate the idea.
However as for the blog title whilst one nation for me means integrating the immigrants into the indigenous culture, I rather suspect that for Labour it means something else entirely. To Scottish Labour it will be a rallying cry against independence no doubt, but that's not why Millipede did it, a useful adjunct perhaps, but not an intentional one.

No, what Millipede and the rest of the comrades want is the subsuming of all cultures and nations into the 'British' one size fits all identity, particularly for the part of the UK which is England and which has taken the brunt of Labours disastrous immigration policies. Whereas in the past the left have hated nationalism and patriotism they've had to contend with the unpleasant facts that a lot of people in England were reverting back to their roots and not seeing anything remotely useful about the term 'British' particularly as it appears to have been hijacked by the multiculturalists as a prenom to other nations. Whenever I see the term British tacked onto someone's description say 'British Pakistani' then I automatically filter out the 'British' bit as they clearly do not consider themselves to be part of our 'One Nation' no matter how much the Millipede might like it to be so.
I suspect 'One Nation' is just a front for Labour to hide their multicultural agenda and innate hatred of the English, the 'One Nation' being British which isn't the same thing to me at all. I believe Labour will be perfectly happy for the English to remain or be forced to be British whilst everyone else can be their own (minority) nation within 'One Nation'
Btw, did anyone else feel nauseous at Millipede's remark that somehow he as a millionaire could feel our pain over the recession?

That's what they want...

You know, I really think that politicians are only open to the suggestion of some sort of referendum on a subject that they know the side they back will win. It's human nature really and it's not the sort of area in which they'd be prepared to gamble, unlike a trip to the bookies. However some Conservative MP's really don't get it about any sort of EU referendum...
Mail.

Britain was left out in the cold yesterday as EU leaders signed a controversial treaty which critics say could herald the dawn of a two-tier Europe.
Furious Tory MPs last night argued Britain would be pushed to the margins of European decision-making and renewed their calls for a referendum on whether we should now leave the EU.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the new Fiscal Compact – a desperate attempt to save the single currency – as a ‘great leap’ and a ‘milestone’ towards stability and political union.

Do they really imagine that EUphile Cameron will actually allow a referendum on something unless he knows he's going to win? The EU, financial problems notwithstanding, will literally spend billions to make sure one of its net contributors stays in the EU, they've done it in Ireland, they did it in Croatia and if we give them an answer they don't like they make sure it's done again and again till we vote right, for a given value of right, meaning their way and no others.
Why don't they just exercise the power we gave them in our name and say, enough is enough, here's two years notice to sort things out and for us to negotiate an entry into EFTA. That way they still get to trade with us and we can watch the rioting as they go into revolution as their masses tear down the system they built despite the wishes of their people.
I rather suspect though any calls for a referendum are simply false flag operations, the Tories, like Labour and the Lib Dems are in thrall to the EU state and have no intentions of ever leaving, indeed any attempts to leave or go against EU wishes and you end up with a new Gauleiter, as Greece found out.
Yet we (though not me personally) keep voting for the bastards and then keep wondering why they keep selling us down the river.
If our politicians had our best interests at heart they'd take us out, that they haven't tells us all we need to know.
To finish, allow me to present a video by ArtCo he doesn't blog on a regular basis, but when he does the result is stunning...

Of Roses Rape and Revolution

 

Oil on Hardboard (yes I know, skint again)

44" by 36"

Took a few months as I was in a bit of pain at the time. Anyway hope you enjoy.

Questionable costs

Translation services, that which are used by public services (and charged to us) are coming under increasing scrutiny as the real cost of them comes to light. After all no other country is insane enough to translate anything from its native languages without charging those who want it or requiring them to do their own translation. Try getting the French local or national government to translate anything for you into English and you'll see what I mean, they simply don't do that, you're in France, learn French.
Express.

COUNCILS are spending more than £1.1million a month helping residents who do not speak English, new figures reveal.
Taxpayers in England have had to foot a bill of £27million for translation and interpreting over the last two years – a staggering £37,000 a day
The total covers face-to-face interpreters, document translation and telephone assistance and comes as councils across the country are being forced to lay off tens of thousands of staff and cut back vital local services.
Some areas are seeing their bills soaring despite official guidance calling on local authorities to find ways of helping people learn English.
Figures provided by 354 local authorities in England show that over two years the bill for interpreting and translating was £26.5million.
Kent is the highest spending single authority in the country with a two-year bill of £1.9million.
However, the combined cost for the multi-cultural London boroughs is at least £10.3million.

These are totally unnecessary costs, if people want or need an interpreter, the cost should come out of their own pocket. The only areas I can see such services not doing so would be for emergency medical treatment and law enforcement where the police need to interview someone. Other than that, it's an unnecessary expense to the taxpayer and ought to be removed from any public service budget, if people come to England/UK then they should learn the language or if they wont learn the language then they pick up the tab for a translator. Personally I wouldn't dream of emigrating somewhere and not making a hell of an effort to fit in with local customs, this would include becoming fluent in the local tongue. The only alternative translations should be Welsh and Gaelic in the UK and then only in areas where they are spoken, I see no reason for Kent to provide a Welsh or Gaelic translation on any documents for anyone, though I would not charge a Welsh or Scots Gael for a translation service if required, being a native UK tongue, it would have to be asked for, but that's ok.
All in all I'm with Nick de Bois, Conservative MP for Enfield North,

I would argue that even if we were not living in tough economic times, the use of taxpayers’ money in this way is very questionable indeed. 

This is an area where taxpayers should not be paying the bill and should never be picking up the bill save in exceptional circumstances. It's not our problem and local government and public services were very wrong to make it theirs.

English Heroes #9

An occasional series recording Englishmen, women and children who have done great things for themselves or others and reflected well on the country of their birth.

Step forward Private Daniel Hellings (19) from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, of the Mercian Regiment.

Telegraph.

He was on patrol with Afghan soldiers in Helmand, southern Afghanistan, on September 7 last year when a bomb went off in the 10ft-wide alleyway in a village near their base.

Two troops were injured in the initial blast, one blinded and the second with severe leg wounds, and a third was wounded when he triggered another bomb just yards from Pte Hellings.

Pte Hellings was ordered to withdraw from the alley by his commander but the young soldier realised there was no time to find an alternative route to recover the casualties and volunteered to return to the task.

With his metal detector rendered all but useless because so much metallic debris lay on the ground, he carried out an hour-long fingertip search for further IEDs. 

One hidden bomb he found had wires stretching the width of the alley, which would normally have prevented him going any further. But Pte Hellings knew that his injured comrades would almost certainly die if he waited for a bomb disposal team.

He disregarded the danger to himself and continued clearing the ground around the IEDs so he could reach the three casualties, giving them life-saving first aid and helping to evacuate them.

Pte Hellings, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, of the Mercian Regiment, was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

His citation said he "demonstrated a level of courage and ability far beyond that which could be expected of his age, rank and experience".

 A brave man and an example to those who put down the youth of today as being feckless wasters.
Daniel Hellings this blog salutes you, this country needs more fine people like you who are prepared to put your life on the line for your friends and country, you are a true Englishman.

Single nation my....

What is it with idiots in government who are trying to persuade us that there is a British nation? Usually it's aimed at the English as they pretty much know what the response from the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish will be though they are now finding it harder and harder to persuade the English that they are anything other than English.

Telegraph.

Britons need to see themselves as a single nation, says Security Minister.

It is not enough for Muslims to “rub along” without breaking the law, they must be persuaded that their long-term future lies in Britain, the Security Minister has said.

OK, first things first, Muslims see themselves as Muslims first and last, it's part of the problem they have in integrating. Asian Muslims especially given the tribal nature of their ethnic groups also have a very difficult job in seeing beyond the boundaries of their family/tribe to the good of the nation in general, it's called amoral familism and it's a cancer which can drag a nation down into a multitude of warring factions, it's highly prevalent in the Muslim world and it's something they've been allowed to get away with over here in the name of multiculturalism.

Baroness Neville-Jones told the Daily Telegraph that that at the same time the government need to persuade the majority of the population that the UK is a single nation.

I'm English, not British, the only thing British about me is my passport and I'd change that if I could. Sots, Welsh and Northern Irish (to some extent) are the same. We no longer like to be called British, because we aren't.

“I think it’s a common experience now that we know less about each other than we used to and I think there’s a very strong feeling that we need to understand each other and we need to be working together as a nation,” Lady Neville-Jones added.

“[We are] trying to convince minorities in this country that they actually do have a long term future here and that it’s their country as much as anybody else’s,” she said in an interview.

It is also important to “convince the majority population we are a single nation,” she added.

 We know less than we used too because previous governments allowed certain (religious) groups to keep themselves separate and not integrate. They also refuse to interact now as they believe we should integrate with them and not vice versa. If they wont integrate I'm sorry but they don't have a long term future here, because eventually they'll push too hard with something like Shariah law and they'll be expelled and because they wont integrate we'll know exactly where to find them.

Lady Neville-Jones will also say that those on the “right-wing extremist fringe” who argue that the West and Islam are “eternally irreconcilable” have “more in common with the Islamist extremists than they might like to think.”

So the right blow up tubes, fly planes into buildings, bomb buses, try to drive cars packed with explosives wrapped in nails into airports, burn poppies and abuse our soldiers for simply doing their jobs?
Somehow I don't think so.

She will also say that individuals who are on the path to radicalisation do not exist in a vacuum.

“They live in neighbourhoods, they meet friends and family, they use shops and businesses, and they come into contact with local public sector workers such as teachers, nurses or community police officers who may be well placed, especially if trained, to notice changes in behaviour,” she will say in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Hasn't worked too well so far, the Swedish bomber came from Luton, was (supposedly) expelled from his mosque for being a radical and even his Mrs didn't notice anything out of the ordinary other than he hated the country that had given him a home, but that it seems is normal for Islamists, many of whom have families that fled Islamic oppression and poverty only to end up with it following them and trying to turn the nations of the west into the same kind of intolerant shitholes they tried to escape.

So no, were not a single British nation, we might have technically been before devolution, but now we're a lot of nations trying to get on together with a major exception of one group who can't it seems get on with anyone, not even itself. The solution is obvious, but I doubt anyone in government will have the balls to express it. They integrate fully with us or they are asked politely to leave, we can tag on an "or else" if they won't politely leave.

My flag is a flag not a religious symbol!

The Cross of St George is the flag of my country, it has a long history dating all the way back to 275/303 AD. It's known as the symbol that the crusaders wore over their armour, though that isn't as important to the English, well the Christian English at least. It's important to us because it's our flag and St George is our Saint, even though he has little to do (if anything) in our country. The earliest mention of him being by the Venerable Bede way back in 701 AD mentioned as a martyr only. The real significance of the flag comes when it was adopted by England and the City of London in 1190 for their ships entering the Mediterranean to benefit from the protection of the Genoese fleet during the Crusades and the English Monarch paid an annual tribute to the Doge of Genoa for this privilege. In England the Synod of Oxford, 1222 declared St. George's Day a feast day in the kingdom of England. Edward III put his Order of the Garter under the banner of St. George, probably in 1348. The chronicler Froissart observed the English invoking St. George as a battle cry on several occasions during the Hundred Years' War and so the Cross of St George was recognised as the flag of this land, not because of the crusades, but because it prevented our ships being plundered by the Genoese and so became recognised as the symbol of England.
However there are certain British who have a problem with this, despite it being part of the union flag.

Reading Chronicle.

THE English Defence League staged a protest in Reading today (Thursday) in support of a man arrested after hanging a St George’s flag outside a mosque.

Around 20 members of the controversial campaign group came from across the South East to demonstrate outside Reading Magistrates’ Court monitored by a heavy police presence.

Among them was co-founder Tommy Robinson, who told The Chronicle: “Our argument is with militant Islam. What’s far right about protecting women’s rights and gay people’s rights? The problem is the teachers of Islam, it’s got nothing to do with your colour. It all comes back to the Koran.”

Inside the court 37-year-old Tilehurst man Ronald Peterson was on trial for religiously aggravated harassment. The court heard he went to the partially built mosque in Oxford Road, west Reading, on May 30 to protest over the way its planning application was handled by the borough council.

Peterson, with two other men, draped the St George’s flag on a fence, posed for pictures and chanted “E, E, E.D.L” and “England”.

Witness Urfan Azad, 32, told the court he was in the nearby Reading Tea House and went outside after hearing the chanting.

He said he dialled 999 because he was concerned the situation could escalate, and added: “My concern was the flag needed to be taken off the fence because it might be seen by Muslims as a religious symbol. I felt upset about the whole incident. I’m British myself, I was born in Reading. It’s made me feel a bit socially excluded.”

Police arrived on the scene within minutes and, without warning him or giving him a chance to move on, arrested Peterson on the spot. Sgt Lee Barnham said he spoke to Mr Azad, and added: “He was offended by the use of what he considered to be a religious cross against the site of worship.

“It was clear he was upset and felt intimidated. I was satisfied an offence under the public order act had been committed.”

Peterson, who described the mosque as an “eyesore” and “monstrosity”, told the court he was unhappy because it had not been built in the required time but instead had planning permission re-granted and was given council funding.

Peterson denied being a racist but said he had a problem with the ideology of Islam. He added: “Go and see countries that are run by that ideology, it’s oppressive.”

District Judge Andrew Vickers reserved his verdict and the case was adjourned until January 13.

Yes, that's right, a certain type of British hates our flag and feels socially excluded from the rest of us. he also thinks that Muslim's (for he is a Muslim himself) might see it as a religious symbol, which as you can tell from the short history I've mentioned, it isn't. Nor do the police come out of this with any great merit, they could have asked the guy to take the flag down (though why should he, it isn't a crime) instead they locked him up without warning. But this shows that the cops are willing to charge someone for others being upset about their own mistaken perspectives. Azad's insinuating that anyone who flies the flag of England is perpetuating a particular religious angle, this really should have been laughed out of court as otherwise this leaves the judge on a very prickly fence any other outcome would put the cross of St George at risk and alienating a very large percentage of the country who support their football team for one.

Of course you can go vice versa too with this whole religious offence malarkey.

So this:
"Witness Urfan Azad, 32, told the court he was in the nearby Reading Tea House and went outside after hearing the chanting. He said he dialled 999 because he was concerned the situation could escalate, and added: “My concern was the flag needed to be taken off the fence because it might be seen by Muslims as a religious symbol. I felt upset about the whole incident. I’m British myself, I was born in Reading. It’s made me feel a bit socially excluded." 

Can be changed to this:
"Witness John Smith, 32, told the court he was in the nearby Reading Tea House and went outside after hearing the chanting. He said he dialled 999 because he was concerned the situation could escalate, and added: “My concern was the Mosque needed to be taken down because it might be seen by non-Muslims as a religious symbol. I felt upset about the whole incident. I’m British myself, I was born in Reading. It’s made me feel a bit socially excluded."


It strikes me that the police are over compensating for previous neglect and it is time all hate crime procedure was put in perspective in relation to crime as a whole and that flying the flag of your country in your country can never ever be seen as a hate crime. Mr Azad should himself have been arrested for wasting police time.

I'm sorry? Whose World Cup?

Ye Gods is there no end to the inanity amongst the political classes that Britain and England are one and the same? This is seriously insulting both to those who believe themselves to be English as well as to the Scot, Welsh and Northern Irish who though British themselves prefer the country of their birth to be the country of recognition when addressing them as a whole.

Hansard.

Q2. [16431] Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry) (Con): As vice-chairman of the parliamentary football club and a qualified football referee, I am well aware that there are just 50 days left before FIFA makes its momentous decision on the location of the 2018 World cup. Will the Prime Minister join me in supporting the English bid, which is in the interests not only of football, but of the entire country?

The Prime Minister: I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I am sure the whole country, and indeed everyone in the House, will want to get behind our bid for the 2018 World cup. I think we can launch and run an incredible World cup. We have the best fans, the best teams and the best stadiums, but above all this country has the biggest enthusiasm for football. We can make it a success for Britain and for the world.

I'm fairly sure that not everyone in the country wants to get behind the English bid, they aren't English after all, indeed a lot of the people living in England don't regard themselves as English having been told by the previous government that they are allowed to be British/any other nation and not have to mix or be a part of society.
It's also highly noticeable that Cameron seems to be suffering from Brown's disease i.e. the inexplicable inability to say the words England or English, seeming to prefer Britain or British, something that a lot of the political class suffer from. Whereas a lot of the English think the only British thing about them these days is the wording on their passports, pretty much the same as the other nations in the United Kingdom.
I'm just sick and tired of being treated as an interchangeable Britisher, I'm not, that ended back in 1997 with devolution, though the roots possibly go back to the European Championships of 1996 with the adopting of the Flag of St George again as the true symbol of England rather than the butchers apron.
The English nationalists though still have a lot of work to do to disentangle the English from the taint of Britishness, too many of us still believe that English and British are interchangeable, that has to be countered at every turn until we get our own parliament and can run our own lives free from the British in Westminster and hopefully the EU in Brussels.

Expecting England to pay

Seems the devolved nations of the UK have decided to oppose the current UK government plans for spending cuts as "too fast and too deep" No doubt an English Parliament might have said the same thing, though as said parliament would likely be Tory dominated, perhaps not. Problem being of course, who represents England? Nobody as far as I can see, we're the forgotten nation of the Union beset by other nationalities with their own parliaments and subsumed under the all encompassing term of "British" we even get criticised by our own "Brits" when we dare to fly our own flag and support our team as apparently it's racist except when its anyone else flying their flag and supporting their team of course.

BBC.

The first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have issued a joint declaration attacking the UK government's spending plans.

The leaders of the three devolved administrations said the coalition's cuts are "too fast and too deep" and may put the economic recovery at risk.

Alex Salmond, Carwyn Jones and Peter Robinson want cuts phased in over a longer period.

The prime minister said that approach would worsen the debt problems.

In his speech to the Tory conference on Wednesday, David Cameron said only Labour opposed to the UK government's deficit reduction plans.

But the rainbow alliance of parties which run the three devolved administrations, which includes the SNP and DUP, says frontloading spending cuts over the next two years is "entirely the wrong approach for the economy" and risks stalling any recovery.

They say: "The devolved administrations believe that the proposed approach to public spending reductions by the UK government runs the risk of delivering significant economic and social harm and urge the UK government to reconsider its proposals."

 In other words they see the bribes to keep them sweet drying up as the government struggle to get spending under control and reduce the sheer amount of debt and waste the previous administration left them with.
Personally I believe the UK government will ignore them, that means they can play the victim of "English" hostility to the outer regions and use it to pick up votes. Though I doubt they'll call for independence, that would leave them high and dry save possibly for Scotland with its oil, but as they'd be trying to get into the EU, I doubt they'd keep their oil for long.

Sooner this unequal union breathes its last the better as far as I'm concerned. I see no reason at all for the leaders of the devolved parliaments representing only 5% of the electorate to be telling the UK government what it can and can't do. Bit like the tail wagging the dog, but under Labour they did, Labour need the votes of their nations to keep a majority in Parliament because without them the Tories would dominate an English parliament.
So, Alex Salmond, Carwyn Jones and Peter Robinson, you get to share our (the English) pain and hand it down to your own people. Don't look for sympathy, you wont find it here, not any more, we're going to do our part, time you did yours.

And so the truth slowly emerges

As I indicated in this blogpost here, the truth about the EDL's involvement in Bradford is slowly emerging, though again not before the initial damage is done.

BBC.

Two men are facing charges, three have been fined and eight people have been bailed after two rival demonstrations in West Yorkshire.

The right-wing English Defence League (EDL) and its Unite Against Fascism (UAF) opponents held separate protests in Bradford on Saturday.

Fourteen protesters were arrested after several skirmishes broke out.

Police said a 37-year-old Bradford man and a 23-year-old Walsall man had been charged over the incidents.

The Bradford man is charged with possessing an offensive weapon and has been bailed to appear at the city's magistrates' court on 8 September.

The Walsall man has been charged with a public order offence and has been bailed to appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court on 6 December.

Six men - five from Bradford and one from Wakefield - and two youths from Bradford have been released on bail while inquiries continue.

They were arrested on suspicion of offences including wounding, violent disorder and criminal damage.

A 42-year-old Wolverhampton man, a 23-year-old man from Birmingham and a 24-year-old man from Halifax were released from custody after being issued with fixed penalty notices for disorder.

A 32-year-old Bradford man was arrested on suspicion of assault and later released without charge.

The cost of policing the demonstrations is expected to be "several hundred thousand pounds", police said on Sunday.

Hundreds of officers from West Yorkshire Police were supported by colleagues from 13 other forces during the operation to keep the groups apart.

Police contained several hundred EDL supporters behind a temporary barricade in the city's Urban Gardens as about 300 people gathered for an event hosted by UAF about half a mile away at the Crown Court Plaza.

Now I'll admit it's entirely possible that the Bradford men were members of the EDL, I do think it a bit unlikely though. Though out of 14 arrests, 9 appear to have been locals and it's entirely possible that those from out of the area weren't from the EDL either. So I'm going out on a bit of a limb here and saying that the violence at the EDL demo was almost entirely that of the counter-protesters. Not that you'll have gotten that impression from reading the MSM or the police reports, though it does confirm to an extent that what I watched from the live feeds was what was really going on.
Even then in this report, you can see some damage limitation going on with the last paragraph, "several hundred EDL supporters behind a temporary barricade in the city's Urban Gardens as about 300 people gathered for an event hosted by UAF" Several hundred? the initial police figures released were 700, however a quick bit of checking shows this figure to have been released before 15 coaches of EDL supporters turned up, well before their static demo started. Nor is there any explanation as to why the counter protesters were allowed to come so close to the EDL demo (a stones throw away, or perhaps a smoke bomb throw away). Note the usual "Far Right" disclaimer thrown in by the BBC too as this is the MSM and state code for extremists.
Unfortunately as I said the damage is done now and these reports will not be the ones remembered save by a few of us who are interested in what really happened. The initial reports alluding to the fact that it was the EDL who were responsible will be the ones that the general public will remember, reinforcing the states position that they are football hooligans, I have to admit though that in many of the comments on the demo in the MSM, members of the public don't seem to be being fooled quite as much as the state would like, though naturally these people are derided as EDL clones.
Still, the truth will out and sooner or later a reckoning will come where the evidence against the UAF and its pro Islamist allies becomes overwhelming and no amount of cover up will be able to hide the truth. As Delingpole has skewered the global warmists, the EDL need a journalist who is interested in the truth about what is actually going on, I hope they find one soon.

Static

Travelling to work today at 5:30, I thought I saw a football supporter, draped in the flag of St George cape like on his shoulders and seemingly waiting for a lift. Thinking back on the sight, I suspect now that he was a member of the EDL and waiting for a lift up To Bradford where they are holding a demonstration today.
They were going to hold a march, but in true anti democratic form, Theresa May decided that the EDL posed too much of a risk of violence despite the fact that most of the violence comes from the middle class pseudo fascists of the UAF and militant Muslims who seem to believe that the more violent they are the better their point of zero tolerance for any view other than their own will be made, not that the EDL are saints of course, just not the aggressors in most of their past demo's.
The West Yorkshire Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison seems to have bowed to public pressure from the people living there as he was seeking a ban after considering the "understandable concerns of the community". Not it seems because he felt he couldn't protect said community, nor the march, but because he is being political in a way that his job should not permit when it comes to freedom of assembly and expression. Yes the people there might fear the consequences of the EDL holding a march in Bradford, however as I said above the real fear is that the opponents of the EDL will riot, not the EDL itself. This is, so I believe the real reason that the march was banned, the puppets and pets of state control have grown beyond the means of the state to control them, particularly under a ConDem government, though Labour itself seems to have little or no control over the vile and fascistic UAF Brownshirts either, even though they were a creation of the left.
So, the EDL have decided to go to Bradford and hold a static demonstration, something they are allowed to do (expect new laws soon banning this) the UAF are holding a counter demo along with various other groups opposed to freedom of opinion in England. I hope it passes peacefully, though somehow I doubt it will, the left have shown themselves not to be above planting agent-provocateurs in amongst the EDL ranks and are somewhat limited in their textbook responses to any situation being either shut them up or fight them (the more sophisticated types prefer to keep us down by excessive taxation, but you wouldn't catch any of them dead in the UAF). The Muslim youths I think will riot as they see it as their right to attack anyone who looks at Islam in a funny way, the police will no doubt try to keep both sides apart and blame the EDL for all the trouble, problem being the truth usually gets out (similar in a way to the so called peace fleet off Israel) where the left will claim it was the EDL until the facts prove otherwise and the left frantically change the subject.
There are some who believe that with the possible collapse of the BNP that the EDL are being groomed as the next bête noire of the chattering classes. Though admittedly the EDL's apolitical stance and genuine working class roots are making this difficult, the EDL are small c conservatives of a type who merely wish to make it known that a foreign creed (Shariah) and foreign intolerance will be countered by some of the people who live in England who do not care for barbarism or calls for them to change into something that we are not and hopefully never will be. It's interesting that it is the internationalists and Islamists who truly practice intolerance and who would attempt to prevent freedom of speech and expression on the part of the English and more interesting still that they are resorting to ever more extreme methods to try and stop this.
When they first started out, the EDL came to my attention though I doubted that they'd make much headway and I certainly didn't agree with everything that they stood for. Then I watched in amazement as the state and its hired thugs tried everything they could to stifle, smear and attack them. A quick bit of checking on their website showed them to be nothing like their portrayal in the media and on certain left of centre blogs. Gaps in the MSM reports on the marches were soon filled by accounts of what really happened and their treatment by the state and its media organs. Yes they have a problem with some of their members being racist (or tribalist) but football fans often enough are, but their concerns are genuine and haven't been debated or addressed by politicians here or anywhere. Their support is growing too as the states ability to control the media grows weaker with the rise of the internet and independent bloggers, plus people will often tend towards supporting the underdog and there is no doubt who the underdogs in today's society are, that would be the English, hated by the left and the political classes as well as the rest of the British State for simply having the temerity to be English and want what everyone else seems to get... respect. respect for their nation, respect for their past, respect for their views as politically incorrect as they may be.
The EDL are just another manifestation of this disrespect from the British state, the CEP are another, there are others, all marginalised by a state which attempts to portray the English as violent and which has attempted in the past to break our country up into regions and sublimate our national identity in that of the British one, yet sees our "British" neighbours as Scots, Welsh and Irish. They see English nationalism as a threat to the UK state, after all there are potentially 55 million of us and we dwarf the other nations of the UK population wise, there are more people living in London than there are in the whole of Scotland. So if the English decided they were going their own way, they couldn't really be stopped, which is why organisations like the EDL need to be stopped and organisations like the CEP marginalised and ignored by the British state and its EU overlords.
The next 10 years will be interesting, English nationalism whether the overt type or in the background will I believe continue to grow, if only because it is opposed every step of the way even at its most harmless in morris dancing or football supporting. Sooner rather than later it will cross to the mainstream and we'll demand respect rather than gratefully accepting the crumbs under the table, the longer however the state opposes us and the more extreme the methods used, the more extreme the version of nationalism will emerge, hopefully it will be a civic nationalism, however the way the state is treating the EDL makes me fear that it wont, still at least the EDL are currently civic style nationalists, they'll let anyone join, I hope it remains that way.

Update...
Well the demo went ahead and the usual headlines were up in the BBC.

Bottles, stones and a smoke bomb were thrown during demonstrations by a right-wing campaign group and their opponents in Bradford.
EDL supporters began throwing bottles, cans and stones over the barricade towards opponents gathered opposite Urban Gardens, shortly after 1400 BST.
A smoke bomb was also thrown over the temporary 8ft-high wall separating the two groups, landing on the ground and exploding by uniformed police officers.

And the Daily Mail.

EDL supporters began throwing bottles, cans and stones over the barricade towards opponents gathered opposite the Urban Gardens.
A smoke bomb was also thrown over the temporary 8ft high wall separating the two groups, landing on the ground and exploding by uniformed police officers.

Do not believe the reports, anyone watching the live feed can tell you that it was (as usual) the UAF and their supporters throwing the missiles and the smoke bomb, the MSM appear to be doing their usual stitch up job.

Sweeping statements

We can all make sweeping statements, mostly along the lines of exaggerating personal beliefs and extending them beyond our own little world and onto the national consciousness as a whole. This is normally fine for individuals and only occasionally leads to clashes with those who hold opposing views. Nowhere is this more apparent than the views people hold on the Israeli Arab/Moslem situation, despite it being basically none of our business other than possibly selling or trading with the nations and groups involved. It does become a problem however when politicians become involved. Cameron's comments in Turkey about the Gazan prison camp (manifestly untrue, but a dearly held belief by many) have drawn a reply from Shimon Peres which is also manifestly untrue, though as with Cameron's statement also contains elements of the truth exaggerated to the extent of Peres' own beliefs.

Telegraph.

Israel's president has accused the English of being anti-semitic and claimed that MPs pander to Muslim voters.

Some of us no doubt are anti-semitic, elements of both right and leftist thinking have a tendency to see the Palestinians/Arabs/Moslems as underdogs and Israel as the problem, this particular type of thinking goes on in the Foreign Office to a large extent, though many in England hold similar views, particularly those of the left.

Shimon Peres said England was "deeply pro-Arab ... and anti-Israeli", adding: "They always worked against us."

*He added: "There is in England a saying that an anti-Semite is someone who hates the Jews more than is necessary."

No England is not deeply pro Arab, we more or less allowed the state of Israel to come into being, however recently our politicians and Foreign Office have appeared to criticise Israel more than those who oppose them, though the reasons are more to do with real-politik than any desire to undermine the Israeli state.
As far as I'm aware though there is no English saying of "an anti-Semite is someone who hates the Jews more than is necessary." It's certainly a new one on me and I doubt it's Scottish or Welsh either just in case Mr Peres can't tell the difference between England and the UK.

"There are several million Muslim voters, and for many members of parliament, that's the difference between getting elected and not getting elected," he said.

"And in England there has always been something deeply pro-Arab, of course, not among all Englishmen, and anti-Israeli, in the establishment.

 This is possibly true and militant Islam is the most potentially dangerous threat to our security and we do appear through various government initiatives to allow a possible 5th column to live amongst us. Though most English I've found are more pro Israeli because of this, though of course I can't speak for all the English. Certainly elements of the establishment seem more prepared to pander to the militant Moslem extremists even to the extent of putting their supposed needs way above that the general population. This has backfired to a certain extent by a rise in support of groups like the EDL and to a certain extent the BNP, though they are a far more fair weather friend having only recently realised the greater threat of Islamic fundamentalism.
Not that anyone listening to the BBC for their views on England would grasp this as the BBC appear to be anti-Israeli to the core and balance in that conflict is unremittingly pro Arab. Perhaps this is where Mr Peres gains his mistaken views from.

Yes it was a sweeping statement from Shimon Peres, but there was and is an element of truth in it. It was a good counter to Prison Camp Cameron though and no more than Cameron deserved. There certainly are elements in English and UK society who would like little more than to see Israel driven into the sea and expunged from the Earth. They do however remain in a minority and mostly on the extreme left and religious fundamentalist Islamic groups. They do represent a danger via the BBC as their views are the ones most likely to be heard rather than the average Englishman's, even if we did air a view that the problems stem from both sides or that the Palestinians may be at fault we're inevitably howled down as being racist/islamophobic and the usual lies and half truths are dredged up to support such claims.
Personally I'm of the view that we should just tell both sides to get on with it and we'll negotiate with the eventual winners. But then that's just me, I suspect wiser heads wont do this, simply because they expect such a conflict to expand across the globe, or in certain cases suspect the Arabs would lose.

* The saying "An anti-Semite is someone who hates the Jews more than is necessary" originates not in England but from Joseph Eötvösz, a Hungarian nobleman in 1920. H/T An Englishman's Castle

Right, we've reclaimed the flag, now lets go for the anthem.

One of the more pleasant aspects of "world cup fever" has been the almost total resurgence in the use of the Cross of St George to support the England team, even if a lot of them look a bit odd with "England" printed across them. Still in one sense that's what football fans do, you see it on the banners at the matches with various home towns or teams written on them. Still looks a bit odd and makes me wonder just how intellectually challenged some fans are though. It's also good that the flag itself despite attempts by various left wing groups and the odd newspaper to associate it with what they term the "far right" and anyone with any sense terms the racist left (check the BNP manifesto, it reads like old Labour) The clue is in the name British National Party, so guess which flag they use? Although the party itself is predominantly English, it is a unionist party and most football fans wont have much if anything to do with them, they just want to support their team and despite the attempts by the MSM tabloids, most English don't hate foreigners although at times the choice of songs they sing can be either amusing or embarrassing, still mocking the opposition is something all fans do.
So, now we have our flag, how about an anthem, recently the Commonwealth Games Council for England conducted a poll of members of the public which decided the anthem for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The three options were "God Save The Queen", "Jerusalem" and "Land of Hope and Glory". Jerusalem was the clear winner with 52% of the vote. Seems like a good choice though trying to get England football fans to sing it might be more tricky, rugby and cricket fans perhaps not so. Still I'm sure it can be done if the will is there and I believe it is fast approaching, it's even getting a mention in the UK Parliament.

BBC.

Parliament should debate the case for an "English national anthem" that fans can sing at sporting events like the World Cup, a Lib Dem MP has said.

Greg Mulholland said it was "frustrating" to hear fans sing God Save The Queen in South Africa as it was the anthem for the United Kingdom.

He told MPs there should be a "properly established" anthem for English teams.

For the first time, Jerusalem will be played to celebrate English winners at this year's Commonwealth Games.

The anthem was chosen for medal ceremonies at the event in Delhi - ahead of the God Save The Queen and Land of Hope and Glory - after a public vote backed by Commonwealth Games England.

Historic decision

Mr Mulholland raised the issue during Business Questions in Parliament, where the government sets out future business for the weeks ahead and MPs can call for debates on chosen subjects.

He has raised the issue before, claiming that English fans are at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in Wales and Scotland.

While Wales has its own national anthem, Scottish football and rugby fans have sung the unofficial Flower of Scotland since the 1990s and this was chosen for the Scottish team at the Commonwealth Games following a similar public vote.

Mr Mulholland told MPs "it was wonderful to see the Cross of St George flying" after England's victory over Slovenia, which booked the team's place in the last 16 of the competition.

But he added: "However, it is still frustrating to see England singing the wrong anthem, the anthem of the United Kingdom.

"Following the historic decision to use Jerusalem at the Commonwealth Games, can we now have a debate about properly establishing an English national anthem for when England compete as opposed to the UK."

In response, Leader of the House of Commons Sir George Young said he had raised an "important issue".

Decisions on which anthems should be played are taken by national sporting associations.

So, it's up to the sporting associations and that's where we need to apply pressure against a no doubt "British" rearguard action. Again it is a fight that I believe can be won and certainly needs to be won, with removal of various "UK" ties the English and England can prosper and a true national identity can emerge distinct from and different too the British one, hopefully without the jingoistic overtones and often overt racism of a past imperial age.
I believe a new and refreshing flowering of English identity is on the cards, hopefully without the idiotic tabloid racism and without ties to the British past, as I've said before Britain and Britishness are tainted good in the eyes of the world, which isn't to say that there wasn't some good done in the name of Britain (slavery for one). Those times are past now and it's time and past time that England takes its place in the 21st century.