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Llywydd burns Tory MP who moaned about lack of Union Jacks in Senedd debates

05 Jul 2021 4 minute read
Conservative MP Jamie Wallis. BBC Parliament. Right, Elin Jones MS picture by Plaid Cymru.

The Llywydd has burned a Welsh Tory MP who moaned about the lack of Union Jacks during Senedd debates.

Elin Jones poked fun at Jamie Wallis, who represents Bridgend, after he took to the House of Commons to complain about her telling Senedd members to stop displaying flags of any kind when joining discussions on video call.

Wallis has also been ridiculed after going viral on social media for the Union Jack tie and mask combination he wore in the UK Parliament.

He asked the UK Government’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden for his response to the rules in the Senedd.

Elin Jones shared a video of his speech on Twitter, sarcastically saying: “Love this. Such eloquence… such accuracy… such respect.”

She also included the emojis for screaming in fear, laughing, and the Welsh flag.

The Llywydd imposed the order in the Senedd after Tory MSs Janet Finch-Saunders and Laura Anne Jones displayed the British banner.

She said that she’d noticed a “proliferation of flag flying” and even jokingly threatened to fly the flag of the “Independent Tropical Republic of Ceredigion” if it continued.

This move did not go down well with Wallis who insisted people “across Wales are proud” to fly the Union Jack.

He also hit out at a reference by First Minister Mark Drakeford for a reference to the “vacuous symbolism” of “tea-towel waving Tories”.

Dowden responded by claiming that the Union Jack “unites us as a nation” because it “embodies the emblems of four or three countries united under one sovereign”.

‘Mockery’ 

Wallis’ sartorial choice led to mockery on social media after photos of the debate in the House of Commons emerged.

The actor and director David Schneider a shared a photo of Wallis wearing his British flag attire, and sarcastically described him as a “perfectly normal MP”.

The author and journalist Andrew Scott, who goes by the pen name of Otto English said he “genuinely” felt “sorry” for Wallis because his life was “defined by imagined status, empty gestures and naff flags”.

During the debate in the House of Commons, Wallis said: “I want to draw my right honourable friend’s attention to the issue of displaying the Union flag in the Welsh Parliament.

“As many will know, the presiding officer of the Senedd banned the displaying of the Union flag by Conservative members last week, and yesterday the First Minister Mark Drakeford described them as ‘vacuous symbolism by tea-towel [waving] Tories of 2021’.

“Does my right honourable friend agree with me that people across Wales are proud to display the Union Jack because their pride in their country they live in and of what the UK stands for.”

‘Pride’

The Culture Secretary said: “Well of course I share my honourable friend’s pride in the Union flag.

“Of course it unites us as a nation, and a people, and as he well knows the Union flag is the national flag of the United Kingdom and it is so called because it embodies the emblems of four or three countries united under one sovereign.

“The kingdoms of England, Wales, of Scotland and of course of Northern Ireland. I do think it’s quite extraordinary that the First Minister should describe it as vacuous symbolism by tea towel Tories, it really does show how out of touch he is with the people of Wales and the Labour Party is with the wider United Kingdom.”


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Alan Reilly
Alan Reilly
3 years ago

Even Alf Garnett would be ashamed to wear that monstrosity.

Erisian
Erisian
3 years ago

No yellow, no black, no dragon. Explain how it represents our part in the ‘Union’.

Paul Needs
3 years ago
Reply to  Erisian

Simple. Wales was ‘conquered’ by England, and is therefore included in the George Cross element of the Union Flag… well, that’s the theory. So was Ireland, and yet St Patrick’s cross IS included! The excuse given is that when there was political Union between Wales and England (that is when Wales and its identity was forcibly absorbed by England), there was little identity of national flags. BS in my view.. I go with my first response above. However, I totally agree with you. I do not feel included on the Union Flag, and have said so for as long as… Read more »

Chris
Chris
3 years ago
Reply to  Paul Needs

Strictly speaking the first act of Union was when Henri Tiwdr absorbed England into Wales. The second was when his idiot son took it further. So had the Tiwdrs not been so awful, GreatBritainLand would have been a “Welsh” kingdom

Wrexhamian
Wrexhamian
3 years ago

Wallis’ interpretation of contemporary Wales is so out of sync with majority Welsh opinion, it’s almost surreal.

Philip Jones
Philip Jones
3 years ago

How on earth did the voters of Bridgend elect this specimen?

Chris
Chris
3 years ago
Reply to  Philip Jones

They reckoned the town centre was dying because of pedestrianisation and because the Roman senate style post office was knocked down in 1971 and this was apparently Welsh Labour’s fault. Basically a bunch of pro-Brexit selfish shopkeepers who CLAIMED to be (but weren’t) Independent invented an “Independent party” called Change For Bridgend (bit like Britain First) regularly attacked Labour in all its forms and whipped up enough of the local moaners to replace the sitting MP with this amoral pimp.

Last edited 3 years ago by Chris
Suns ine De se ts
Suns ine De se ts
3 years ago

What a shame.

haha.jpg
Locutus
Locutus
3 years ago

Wales needs to boot these morons out ASAP

There’s no respect for Wales and Scotland

Time to end the toxic union

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