Politics

Tory MP roasted for wearing Union flag face mask and tie to deliver rant defending Union flags

Tory MP roasted for wearing Union flag face mask and tie to deliver rant defending Union flags

A Tory MP has been roasted for decking himself out with a Union flag tie and face mask to deliver an impassioned rant defending the display of the Union flag in the Welsh parliament.

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Speaking in the House of Commons, Jamie Wallis, who represents Bridgend bemoaned that the Welsh Parliament had banned the flags and called on the government to take “action”.

He said: “As many will know the Presiding Officer of the Senedd banned the display of the Union flag by Conservative members last week and yesterday the first minister Mark Drakeford described them as ‘vacuous symbolism by tea towel Tories of 2021’.

“The people across Wales are proud to display the Union Jack because they are proud of the country the live in and of what the UK stands for.”

It comes after the Presiding Officer of the Welsh Senedd banned Union flags after tiring of seeing Tories drape them in their Zoom backgrounds during Parliamentary sessions.

“It looks as if the R rate on flags is greater than 1 at the moment,” she said.

“Therefore, from next week, no more flags. Otherwise, I’ll be tempted to fly the flag of the Independent Tropical Republic of Ceredigion behind me here. So, we move on to a flagless week next week please.”

But, in news that may cheer Wallis, a 32-metre flag is soon to be stuck in the corner of a government building in Cardiff. You win some, you lose some.

That a Tory MP came to parliament dressed in flags, to, err... defend flags, made some people find him utterly ridiculous:

Wallis isn’t just a flag man. He attracted controversy last year when a Buzzfeed investigation alleged that he was linked to a ‘Sugar Daddy’ website. He denied their allegations. He was also once a director of a company called Quickie Divorce Limited. At the time, members of the Labour Party including Jess Phillips called on him to resign.

Responding to Wallis’ flag rant, Culture secretary Oliver Dowden, who has made it so Union flags will be flown from government buildings, not just special occasions, backed him.

He said: “Well of course I share my honourable friend’s pride in the Union flag.

“I do think it’s quite extraordinary that the First Minister should describe it as vacuous symbolism by tea towel Tories, it really does show how out of touch he is with the people of Wales and the Labour Party is with the wider United Kingdom.”

Does it?

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