Letter to Eric Pickles

As reported yesterday, the EU Commission intends to force the British Department for English Culture, English Media and English Sport to fly the EU logo all year round from its headquarters at Eland House.

We have helpfully sent Eric Pickles a solution that doesn't involve the futile act of openly defying the EU Commission (the EU always wins) or the obvious solution of doing what most people want and getting the hell out of the EU.

Dear Mr Pickles,

I read with interest your apparent outrage that the EU Commission is intending to force you to fly their logo over Eland House because your department spends taxpayers' money that is laundered through the EU in the guise of development funding.  I have a solution that doesn't involve leaving the EU or openly defying the EU Commission which, of course, your leader won't allow you to do.

Your department issues the guidance on the flying of flags from public buildings and said guidance includes respecting the order of precedence of flags.  In this order of precedence, the Royal Standard is first, followed by the union flag and then our national flags.  Eland House has two flag poles so the answer is to fly both the British and English flags, leaving no room for the EU logo which falls much further down the order of precedence, below the armed services' ensigns, the UN flag and the Commonwealth flag.

As a happy co-incidence, this would also serve to remind those working in Eland House that they are part of a British government department that, thanks to devolution, has jurisdiction only over England and would also inform voters in England of the same.  It is entirely appropriate that public buildings fly the English flag in England just as they fly the Scottish and Welsh flags in Scotland and Wales and it would leave no room for the EU logo in most cases.  All it takes is a change to your department's guidelines on flag flying that all public buildings in England or that are de facto devolved English departments (such as the Student Loan Company in Glasgow) that have a second flag pole should fly the English flag alongside the union flag and you can keep face without having to attempt to defy the EU Commission with all the embarrassing backtracking required when they slap you down.

Kind Regards,

Stuart Parr
Bloggers4UKIP