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Welsh Tories slam ‘petty nationalism’ council for not flying Union flag above County Hall

22 Nov 2022 2 minute read
Welsh Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister Sam Rowlands has said Carmarthenshire County Council not flying a union flag at county hall is ‘petty nationalism’. Main Picture: Robin Griffiths.

Welsh Conservatives have slammed a council for showing “petty nationalism” in not flying a Union Flag at County Hall.

The Union Flag was raised at Carmarthenshire County Council’s County Hall following the death of Queen Elizabeth on September 8, where it fluttered alongside the Welsh, Carmarthenshire and Ukrainian flags, only to be taken down later.

Former Carmarthenshire councillor Robin Griffiths has previously said he felt aggrieved at the absence of the flag at the council’s headquarters, and was critical of its flag-flying policy.

He was told civic buildings in Llanelli and Ammanford only had three flagpoles – flying the Welsh, Carmarthenshire and Ukrainian flags – and it would be inconsistent if County Hall differed.

Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the council only flew flags of any description on designated days in order not to devalue their significance.

On March 9, it was decided the Ukrainian flag was to fly alongside the Welsh and county flags as a sign of that unity. These three flags have been raised since, with the Union one hoisted on designated days, such as following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Welsh Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister, Sam Rowlands MS said not flying the Union Flag -commonly called the Union Jack – showed “petty nationalism”.

“We should be striving for actions and symbols that unite us, not divide us. Yet this decision is the petty nationalism that divides us.

“Given the fact that there is a bare flagpole in prime position in the town, the councillors of Carmarthen should fly the Union flag with pride and celebrate our partnership of nations.

“It is ironic that they won’t fly the Union flag, but will fly the Ukrainian flag, a nation that we are rightly standing shoulder to shoulder with and delivering record support to as one United Kingdom.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service had asked the council if it wanted to respond further to Mr Griffiths’s concerns but it said it had replied directly to him.


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Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
Y Tywysog Lloegr a Moscow
1 year ago

N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nobody cares about your rubbish flag! Go cry to your king

Rob
Rob
1 year ago

Is this the same Conservative Party that gave us Brexit?
Welsh nationalism bad, British nationalism good.
Instead of blaming people for not liking the Union flag, maybe try to understand as to why.

Riki
Riki
1 year ago
Reply to  Rob

British? English in reality, which is cloaked in the term British.

Gareth
Gareth
1 year ago

People of Cymru slam Tory’s for ” petty colonialism ” and living in the last century.

George Atkinson
George Atkinson
1 year ago

No, the foreign invented union flag that has zero Welsh representation on it is the petty nationalism. This guy is a total farthole.

Cathy Jones
Cathy Jones
1 year ago

Yes….because it certainly isn’t “petty nationalism” to demand that a “Union Flag” be flown is it? It’s not a waste of time over a small matter that isn’t really of any value or consequence to demand that a flag of colonialism is flown over the civic buildings of countries, places and areas that suffered under/still suffer under the consequences of that colonialism…. … You see my comment started off as sarcasm and then at some point it became the opposite of sarcasm and started to indicate that there is no pettiness on either side, on the one side it is… Read more »

Gareth Cemlyn Jones
Gareth Cemlyn Jones
1 year ago

Not sure who are the petty nationalists. Little Englanders perhaps crying for their lost imperialist past ?

DAI Ponty
DAI Ponty
1 year ago

The Union Jack is hated around the World by former countries of the british empire but reall was the English empire it was called the Butchers Apron and for good reason the English did not treat the so called British nations well either ask the Irish Potatoe Famin the Scotish Rebelions and Croftors and us in Wales not our flag

Riki
Riki
1 year ago

Petty? Ah, it’s only petty when Wales or Scotland stands up for themselves. If it’s a country thousands of miles away, they get billions in aid. Weird how that works! Why would Wales fly a flag that’s composed of two Foreign Nations? Union flag has as much justification as flying a Brazilian flag or Chinese flag. It’s Wales, so it’s the flag of Wales. I know…Shocking!

Llefain
Llefain
1 year ago

Snivelling imperialist slams council for not being sufficiently obsequious for them. Seriously, what is the point in flying that awful flag except to remind people they are still subservient and to “put them in their place”? Just stop it. Keep it to Westminster and your bedspread if you must have it. Nobody needs constant reminding of Westminster’s boot on their neck. We are all very aware of it. It isn’t cute. It comes across as bullying at best, overbearing, and intentionally degrading. To be the ones calling for that should be embarrassing for anyone with a reasonable sense of self.… Read more »

Arwyn
Arwyn
1 year ago

Tories pointing the finger and calling people “nationalists” … LOLZ!!!

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
1 year ago
Reply to  Arwyn

Yes funny really 😂🤣😂

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
1 year ago

Carmarthen are right to fly their flag and the Welsh flag – This country is Wales !

We also fly the Ukraine flag in solidarity with the people of the Ukraine:
The Ukraine has a bully to their ‘East’ that wants to take over their country and extract its wealth.
We also know what that is like when a bully to our east takes over our country.

I suggest that Tories that feel like that complainant should try asking the Ukraine to fly the Russian flag from their buildings, because that is the same principle.

David
David
1 year ago

The Union flag = The Russian flag. The Welsh flag = The Ukraine flag!

Steve A Duggan
Steve A Duggan
1 year ago

Has this guy got nothing better to do? What about listening more to his poverty stricken constituents and passing their grievances onto to his party overlords in Westminster?

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

Oh so according to little Englander Robin Griffiths that not flying the Union Flag is petty nationalism. What, this from a man who supported petty British/English nationalism with Brexit. You couldn’t make it up.

Last edited 1 year ago by Y Cymro
Nia James
Nia James
1 year ago

What the Tories desire is ‘petty colonialism’. They are a disgrace to our nation.

DAI Ponty
DAI Ponty
1 year ago

What are the Tories they are an ENGLISH NATIONALIST PARTY

Gregor Benton
Gregor Benton
1 year ago

He only likes big nationalism

Rhufawn Jones
Rhufawn Jones
1 year ago

Y llipryn yma eto. Yn gwneud dim ond sugno ar fronnau’r ymerodraeth.

Dafydd
Dafydd
1 year ago

Mr Rowlands – most of the people I know who have commented on the lack of the Union Jack are happy that its been removed – in reality the council is just reflecting the views of the majority of its citizens.

I’d pick another fight if I were you.

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
1 year ago

‘Petty nationalism’ that is rich from the Tories 🤣

SundanceKid
SundanceKid
1 year ago

Good for Carmarthenshire!

What has it got to do with Sam Rowlands who is not even a regional MS for the area??

Philip Davies
Philip Davies
1 year ago

Wales is historically a Principality, reflecting its disunited condition upon conquest by England. While the present unitary society and government of Wales today regrets this absence of recognised Statehood, our history is decidedly that of a ‘might-have-been’ state. We undoubtedly possess a living National character and social existence, and important indeed essential though it is to maintain this consciousness of significant difference, nevertheless our Federated status is completely assimilated to England. We are, however, close to obtaining the sort of devolved self-governing powers that typify the United States of America. Romantic Nationalists dream of ancient battles, but there is no… Read more »

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