BNP Wants 42 day limit abolished

[max_tranmere]

Sam. I never said there were less Christmas parties, I said they can't be called Christmas parties but have to be called something else.

[Pervert]

And the point remains: if there is no Christian aspect to the party, what does it matter what you call it?

[max_tranmere]

caractus. The flag of St George has been flown a lot more in recent years but mainly when we qualify for the football. People want to further define and assert the Welsh and Scottish identities and care not much about the English one. Welsh and Scots each have devolved assemblies, and everyone who sits on them has to come from that particular place - where as anybody can run England. Only Scots are permitted to sit in Holyrood, only Scots can be 'the Scotland correspondent' on Sky, BBC, or ITN news. Same with Wales.

The Scottish Secretary in Westminster has to be a Scot, yet the PM who has more power over England than he does any other part of the UK doesn't have to be English. Eid and Diwali in London are enourmous - large parks and Trafalgar Square too are taken over for them. For St Patrick's Day here entire streets are closed off and endless floats go past and there is a huge celebration. St George's Day is barely marked. This is all bound to happen and it is happening for one reason only - the Left are back in power. We had Livingstone running London for 8 years and New Labour (although some of the elements of it arent 'New Labour' at all) running the country for that last 11 years.

[max_tranmere]

caractus. Because it is the tradition. I am not remotely religeous, I don't even believe in god yet I celebrate Christmas and if I got married I would probably get married in a church. These things are tradtions of people here in the UK. And to stop calling Christmas parties Christmas parties is further eroding the traditions of the country and its people.

[Pervert]

Nothing to do with the left, Max. If there is a groundswell of support for people who want to celebrate on England's patron saint day, then there will be a celebration. It needs to be done in a non-political way, with no chance of it being hijacked by those with their own agenda---and no reason for those who fear the symbol of St George's flag to hold a demonstration.

As for your other points, an Englishman could be first minister in Scotland---but he'd need to be resident here and represent a Scottish constituency. Yes, you have Scots in the UK cabinet---but that's because devolved government has no say on Treasury, defence or foreign affairs issues. For what it's worth, I do believe that Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs should not vote on issues in the UK parliament that will not directly affect their constituents: health, education, for example.

[Sam Slater]

Apologies, you didn't. You did, however, mention that less Christmas lights are being put up around the country so as not to offend minorities and so the general argument, from me, stands.

[Pervert]

As long as the parties go on, I don't care what they are called, Max. But I could see how attaching the name of the birth festival of the main figure of their religion might offend Christians.

Since holidays come from holy days (though when banks became a religion I do not know), as an atheist I should be working when others are off. Oh, sorry, I am

[Steve R]

To all concerned:

It should be 'fewer Christmas parties', not 'less Christmas parties'.

[Pretty_Joe]

Interesting reading guys.

[randyandy]

I was at an International Development meeting two weeks ago. The guest speaker was Shahid Malik.

During the meeting Malik offered what he thought was an interesting antidote.

He stated that while on a radio show a member of the public phoned in to ask why can't we have a day equivalent to St Patrick's for the Irish etc, in terms of the huge 'celebrations'.

Malik asked the caller what do you want to celebrate and after some quietness said something on the lines of what the Irish have etc.

The assumption being to Malik there was nothing English to celebrate, proved by the caller not being able to offer anything.

Sadly this antidote filled the room with laughter but when I wrote to Malik giving a list of what could be celebrated and why it often couldn't be celebrated I didn't get a reply.

That for me is dangerous and can offer some excuse for why the BNP feel the need to exist.

Having said that the website and polite face of the BNP is a fraction of what they truly represent and there is absolutely no place or justification to hate someone if it is based of the colour on their skin.