The National Day of the English Far-right!

St Georges Day - The National Day of the English Far-right!

Being Welsh and living in Wales most of my life I have never really noticed St Georges Day until I come to Spain to live. Living in Wales we generally ignore England. After all the English look upon us as a nation of sheep shaggers and arsonists. I am neither, nor am I aware of any sheep shaggers in my family for that matter, arsonists maybe! As for my other country people what goes on with them and a pair of Hunter wellies, a sheep and mountain is entirely their business. I am reliably informed, mainly by the news, that the majority of Welsh arsonists live in the North and West of my homeland. These arsonists used to go around burning down the holiday homes of the English that had bought property in certain areas without any consideration of the Welsh language culture or property market.

Back to English culture............. When I lived in Wales I didn't really know many English people, the only ones I really were knew are family members that had been born to an aunt or an uncle after they had emigrated to England.....cousins I suppose. And as they live in another country, one of which I had no desire in visiting, I didn't get to see my ‘English’ family members that often. Maybe a handful of times, mainly at funerals. Prior to moving to Spain I didn't really have any English people as friends or acquaintances as a friend on Facebook. Since moving to Spain I have acquired quite a few. Some of which that have a similar outlook in life as mine, some of which are the complete opposite and have lived up to the typical English stereotype with their exceptionalist view. On St Georges Day this year my Facebook was covered with English people sharing their flag of St George and a few other things that indicated they were observing their national day. This is something us Welsh would do proudly with our Welsh Flag on our National Day 1st March – St Davids Day.

As the day went by I was getting news flashes appearing on my phone from the BBC and Sky suggesting their was trouble in London, with arrests and disorder at an event. Later looking at the coverage of the disorder I discovered Tommy Robinson was in attendance along with crowds of St George flag waving, mainly white, middle aged men. For me that is what I have long believed; what the Flag of St George has now come represent. The Far-right in England. The flag has been hijacked! There was nothing culturally English about this event, no sign of Morris dancers, or whatever else represents Englishness.... a football? Just a gathering of English people wanting to hear from Tommy Robinson.

In all my time of being on this earth I have NEVER known the National Day of Wales be used and hijacked by the far-right racists. On our day we do truly celebrate our Welsh culture and language. Yes, Wales does have a Nationalist movement, but it is in no way the same as they English one. Ours is the opposite, it is NOT racist, it embraces immigration, diversity and equality. It has however been anti-English holiday home. Not that I condone arson but the Welsh Nationalists do not want the English attitude, behaviours, far-right and exceptionalism to spill over to Wales and eventually flood it with the poison that comes with it, just as what was happened this 23 April. Generally, the people of Wales view is that if you are English and you share the same views then friendships can be struck. This is what has happened to me whilst living in Spain. I have made friends with many lovely English people and share a very similar outlook on life. What the Welsh don't like is when we are being told by the English how we ought to run our country or how we should feel towards immigration etc.

After seeing what has happened this St Georges Day in London with it being hijacked by the English far-right, it only confirms how I feel when I see the St Georges Flag, read or hear anything about St Georges Day. I feel it represents the worst of the English people, far-right and racists ones. But when I see the Welsh Flag, it fills me with warmth and positivity of our nations diversity and equality.

En Almería 26/04/24