Iain Dale: Strange Aversion to Union Flag on Leaflets

Iain Dale posted the above leaflet, clucking away as if using the National flag and the word "British" on an election leaflet was deeply wrong. To build on his reputation for anti-Labour defamation he has tagged the picture "bnplabour.jpg" which some would think is on the "outrageous" spectrum.

Some, mostly the anonymite sock puppets, agree with Iain, but many properly identified real folk do not. Even people who are far from Labour supporters, making up 80% plus of Iain's readership IIRC, think it is completely sound to include the flag and the message.

Iain also suggested this was a North West only leaflet. But there are now sightings from most regions. Seems politically sound when facing BNP, UKIP, English Democrats trying to claim the flag and Britishness for themselves. Though there is the odd queasy moment I don't have a problem with it. There has also been a NW specific leaflet to at least one person in every household.

Most of the parties have taken up at least the first of the two free mailings. Nothing I've noticed from the Christians, not Jury Team, not English Democrats, nor our Independent. But BNP, Cons, Lab, Libs, Libertas.eu, No2Eu, UKIP have all come through with at least one posted item.

Labour and Greens are the only hand-delivered additional items I've noticed, and Labour are the only local canvassers so far.

To go back to Iain's worries about pandering to fascists the NW Tory one - VOTE FOR MOATS! - also has a Union Flag on the cover, albeit muted.

The two (of six) faces with local content appear to include a picture of Cameron with the turncoat MEP Sajjad Karim, plus a local government candidate "Hussain". Think it's Hussain anyway. Here in Manchester his team ran a robust campaign in 2008, including cooperating with the good old boys from Hizb_ut-Tahrir, sticking their leaflets - featuring a Brown-Bush picture and a story of how the Qur'an would be banned - through doors on the very same drop as extremely bland Tory material.

The leaflet also features a delicious banner headlined "Bury Conservatives"! A worthy thought, metaphorically speaking, even if it actually refers to some barnpots at a particular Greater Manchester location and not to an aspiration. They've kept some of the more outstanding Bury Tory wingnuts out of sight.

Disgraced ex-Manchester Tory Group leader John Kershaw for one example.

Sir Robert Atkins MEP has condescended to appear in that picture ... bloody useless and absentee old bezzer he is too, here seen dishing some indescribable dirt via Guido (health warning), and lucky LOL think to escape complete disgrace on the last expenses gate scandal. One of the least accountable, certainly. This Euro-sleaze really needs to be re-opened and pursued with more vigour, in the context of the new hysteria. Conservative Den Dover MEP trousered some £700,000 for the family firm as I recall. Makes a stick of lippy and even, arguably, flipping and mortgage errors rather pale into insignificance.

The backside of the Labour "Flag" leaflet talks about standing up for "hard-working British people" (which does grate a little to this foot soldier) and states:
Labour is working to win the fight for Britain's future.

Asserting in contrast that:
The Tories would make Britain weaker not stronger for the future.

And if you text LABOUR to 60022 (standard network rates) you can put a question to the people's party.