Sadiq Khan dismisses David Kurten AM's call to remove the EU flag from City Hall

UKIP London AM, David Kurten, has called on Sadiq Khan to respect and honour the decision to leave the EU and remove the EU ring of stars flag from City Hall.

The Mayor of London has so far rejected calls to remove the EU logo from City Hall and said that he will continue to fly it after we have left.

Our city will continue to look outwards and trade and engage with the entire world - including the European Union - and we will continue to fly the EU flag outside City Hall.

London's largest export market is the US, just like the UK as a whole. But Mayor Khan doesn't propose to fly the American flag from City Hall.

I believe it also sends an important message to the almost one million Europeans living in London, who make a huge contribution to our city.

Kurten is calling for the EU logo to be replaced with the Cross of St George. English people are still the largest ethnic group in London although, of course, no longer the majority. How about flying the English flag to send an important message to the 4m English people living in London who make a huge contribution to the city?

UKIP MEPs turn their backs on the EU flag and anthem

Whilst MEPs from across the continent stood in reverential silence facing the EU flag while a live orchestra played the EU's national anthem, UKIP MEPs stood with their backs turned in an act of defiance against the corrupt, illegitimate federal superstate.

Conservative MEPs merely sat in silence wishing they had the balls (and permission from Dave) to do something that people would notice.

Letter to Eric Pickles

As reported yesterday, the EU Commission intends to force the British Department for English Culture, English Media and English Sport to fly the EU logo all year round from its headquarters at Eland House.

We have helpfully sent Eric Pickles a solution that doesn't involve the futile act of openly defying the EU Commission (the EU always wins) or the obvious solution of doing what most people want and getting the hell out of the EU.

Dear Mr Pickles,

I read with interest your apparent outrage that the EU Commission is intending to force you to fly their logo over Eland House because your department spends taxpayers' money that is laundered through the EU in the guise of development funding.  I have a solution that doesn't involve leaving the EU or openly defying the EU Commission which, of course, your leader won't allow you to do.

Your department issues the guidance on the flying of flags from public buildings and said guidance includes respecting the order of precedence of flags.  In this order of precedence, the Royal Standard is first, followed by the union flag and then our national flags.  Eland House has two flag poles so the answer is to fly both the British and English flags, leaving no room for the EU logo which falls much further down the order of precedence, below the armed services' ensigns, the UN flag and the Commonwealth flag.

As a happy co-incidence, this would also serve to remind those working in Eland House that they are part of a British government department that, thanks to devolution, has jurisdiction only over England and would also inform voters in England of the same.  It is entirely appropriate that public buildings fly the English flag in England just as they fly the Scottish and Welsh flags in Scotland and Wales and it would leave no room for the EU logo in most cases.  All it takes is a change to your department's guidelines on flag flying that all public buildings in England or that are de facto devolved English departments (such as the Student Loan Company in Glasgow) that have a second flag pole should fly the English flag alongside the union flag and you can keep face without having to attempt to defy the EU Commission with all the embarrassing backtracking required when they slap you down.

Kind Regards,

Stuart Parr
Bloggers4UKIP

Pickles told to fly flag over DCMS offices

The EU Commission has drawn up a proposal to force any organisation handling development money laundered through the EU to fly the EU flag permanently.

The rule change is an enhancement of existing rules that require said organisations to put the EU logo on all their stationary and on plaques to tell the world that the EU has graciously and beneficently given us back a fraction of the £50m a day we give them and all they've modestly asked for in return for such a selfless and generous act is to have their logo displayed everywhere.

Eric Pickles has criticised the plan because it means that the EU flag will gave to be flown over the offices of the British Department for English Media, English Culture and English Sport all year round rather than just for "Europe Week".  Eland House has two flag poles so there's no excuse for not flying the EU logo alongside the union flag but there is a quite simple answer, other than leaving the obvious one of leaving the EU: the English flag comes above the EU logo in the order of precedence and as culture, media and sport are devolved, Eric Pickles' department is a de facto English department and it would be entirely appropriate to fly it above his offices.

All it takes is a simple change to the flag flying rules his department issues saying the English flag should be flown over British government departments that are de facto devolved English departments and the EU Commission will have failed to get the EU logo over Eland House.  It would also have the beneficial effect of reminding Mr Pickles which country he works for and informing the electorate which British government departments are devolved.

Killing three birds with one stone, that's an efficiency Eric Pickles must surely approve of?  We'll write to him and suggest it, I'm sure he'll be terribly grateful.

MEPs want EU flag all over sporting events

Over my dead body!

The EU is trying again to get its logo put on football shirts and other sporting outfits and to have the EU logo flown at sporting events.

MEPs voted 5 to 1 in favour of having the "European flag" on the clothing of sportsmen next to their national flag and flown over major sporting events such as the Olympics.  All Lib Dem MEPs voted in favour of the idea which even the europhile Labour and Tory MEPs thought was a step too far and opposed.

UKIP MEP, Paul Nuttall, said:

It is nothing more than sheer EU propaganda and vanity. The EU has never been so unpopular and yet here you are, wanting to stamp your ugly flag on sporting stars in the vein hope you can force people to love you.

EU threatens fines for public bodies that don't fly their flag

The EU has decreed that any public body spending "EU money" must fly the EU ring of stars logo all of next week to "celebrate" EU day and threatened fines to any public body that doesn't comply.

They have even been told them they have to take pictures of the blue and yellow rag on their building and send them to the EU to prove they've been flying it to avoid the fines.

So what does the useless British government have to say about this?  The ConDem government that says it's going to get tough on EU power grabs?

Not only is it unacceptable to threaten to fine people for not flying a flag, this is unnecessary and pointless red tape. The European Union should be focusing on ensuring that taxpayers are receiving value for money, and clamping down on fraud and corruption in EU-funded projects

So they're going to tell the EU to bugger off, right?

It is understood ministers will not defy the edict because breaching the regulations could lead to taxpayers’ cash being wasted on paying Brussels fines.

That's a no then.  The EU only has the power to fine us because the British government allows it to.  If Pickles, Cameron or any other quisling MP had any balls they'd tell the EU to take a running jump but of course they won't because the Conservatives are a pro-EU party.  David Cameron has publicly stated on more than one occasion that he believes the EU and our membership of the EU is a good thing.

I guess now we know why the flag flying rules were changed a couple of years ago to put the EU logo on an equal footing with national flags.  It was described as a "tidying up exercise" to "simplify" the rules so that people could fly national flags whenever they wanted to.  Flying national flags was already allowed but to fly the EU rag needed planning permission and a number of councils and even the EU Commission in London were found to have flown the ring of stars logo without planning permission and forced to remove them while they applied.  Now the law has been changed to give the EU rag the same status as national flags, there is no excuse for not flying it from public buildings when the EU demands it with menaces.

I have written to the leader of my local council today to ask that they make a stand against the EU supreme soviet.  I know it will probably lead to the council being fined but I'd rather my council tax was spent on a legal challenge to the fine than see that hateful rag replace the Cross of St George on the council offices.