Sunday 26 October 2008

SYMBOLIC OF WHO IS IN CHARGE?

Do you have that horrible little EU symbol on your car registration plates? If so, you are in a small minority here in the UK yet if you travel on the Continent they are displayed, presumably with pride, on virtually all their cars. This, perhaps more than any other tangible sign, clearly shows Britain’s contrasting antipathy to the EU.

When Mrs Troy and I have purchased new cars over the last few years one of our first instructions to the car dealers has been to ensure, most emphatically, that the number plates do not include the EU flag symbol. We would not be seen dead with it. Mrs Troy does have an EU flag sticker in her car window but as it also has a big NO in the centre her feelings on the matter are quite clear. She got her car sticker off eBay and it looks like this:-




Quite a lot people in the UK have decided to put the national flag – of England, Scotland or Wales – on their car registration plates. They have done that in the belief that this is legal. In 2001, following a Mail On Sunday campaign, a Labour government minister assured motorists that they could continue to display the Cross of St. George, the Scottish Saltire or the Welsh Dragon. DVLA officials at the time advised that legislation would quickly be enacted to ensure the legality of these symbols on vehicles. But now we learn that never happened. Seven years later, following questions in Parliament, it has emerged that the required legislation was never put in place.

So the government action to exempt UK drivers from the EU legislation outlawing national symbols never happened. Perhaps it is because, as with so many things, this Government is happy to say things but never action their words?

More disturbingly however, it could be because our Government humbly approached their bosses in Brussels to get their kind permission for the exemption but that exemption was refused. I suspect it is the latter – WE ARE NO LONGER A SOVEREIGN STATE.

9 comments:

DJ Kirkby said...

We have no such thing on our license plates. Don't think Chopper would ever allow it either.

Kitty said...

Hello there Mr Troy. Firstly, thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to comment. Secondly - I remember the Daily Mail campaign - wasn't it following or before a football tournament, in which people were displaying the flags of England/Scotland/Wales/N. Ireland on their cars in support of their national teams? I don't have a European symbol on my car, but nor do I have an English one. I am me, and my car is mine.

Thirdly ... Ipswich Town Football Club? Surely an oxymoron? :-p

Take care :-)

Carol said...

Britain, the last time I looked, was in Europe....I think perhaps I may have been away too long and I'm missing the finer points of your post

C x

Troy said...

DJ and Kitty - pleased to hear that your car number plates are an EU flagfree zone. Driving around yesterday confirmed to me how few in Britain there are. A warm welcome to Kitty turning just a little chilly from your ITFC comment. I'm going to watch them tonight - and that will be chilly.

Carol - geographically we might be in Europe but mentally we are an island apart. You'll be telling me next that Switzerland is in Europe !?!?!

Anonymous said...

Great Britain. Pathetic isn't it. This government have taken away our right to be called just that.

I have a Northumberland flag.

CJ xx

Troy said...

Well said CJ!

And I take it you mean the ancient eight striped red and gold flag of Bernicia? (actually I had to look it up on wikipedia). I don't recall having seen that flag before - next time I'm up your way (next June hopefully) I'll look out for it.

Anonymous said...

Troy, said tongue in cheek, there is a reply to your comment on Amy's blog. Thanks for visiting her blog by the way.

And if you do come up this way next year do let me know, the kettle is always on.

CJ xx

Can Bass 1 said...

I don't have a car, so it presents no problem. Besides, I'm a member of the Church of England.

Troy said...

CJ - erm, of course I knew it was tongue in cheek (!) And thanks for the invite - milk and two sugars please. My year would always be incomplete without a short Summer break on the Northumberland Riviera.

Can Bass - Henry VIII had the right ideas for dealing with foreign interference. Now we need a 21st Century Henry VIII.