Flying the flag... a different one this time...

Interesting news from 10 Downing Street today.

Gordon Brown has decided that to mark St. George's Day tomorrow, the flag of St. George will fly over his home at 10 Downing Street all day. Indeed, all government buildings with 2 flagpoles are being urged to fly both the union rag... sorry, union flag and the St. George's cross. It is not immediately clear from the BBC's report whether this is all government buildings across the UK or just in England - should make for an interesting day if it is to be flown in Scotland as well...

Apparently a Government spokesman said: "The PM's view is that of course we should celebrate our British-ness, but celebrating our British-ness does not mean that we cannot also celebrate our English-ness, Scottish-ness, Welsh-ness or Northern Irish-ness."

Quite apart from all the Nessies involved in that statement, the Government spokesman fails to spot a fatal flaw in his plan: the PM is not English.

I mean, okay, he cheers for them at football - even when they are scoring against Scotland as did Gazza at Euro 96, sniff - but he's definately Scottish. So what is he doing celebrating an English holiday by putting an English flag above his house? Don't get me wrong - I think the English should celebrate their national day just as much as we, the Welsh & the Irish celebrate their respective patron's days. And I understand that the plan is to fly each national flag on their national day, we just happen to be doing it before St. George's Day so it is first.

I just think this is another ploy by the PM to make him look less Scottish. And all he looks is that wee bit more daft.

Incidentally, someone today told me they thought that Gordon Brown was Labour's John Major. Personally, I don't think he's good enough to win an election quite as well as Major won in 1992. David Cameron is not Neil Kinnock... which is fortunate in so many ways. Anyway, in light of that, I thought the picture of the PM accepting the former PM Margaret Thatcher to No. 10 was appropriate.