Flying the flag – Gordon’s dilemma

As in a rare show of unity Tony is joining me in flying the St George's flag, Gordon is being challenged to do the same. But to solve this dilemma all Gordon needs to do is fly the Union flag and so express his status as a British subject supporting a British team. When Tim Henman plays tennis you see as many Union flags as English in the crowd and the English have always seen them as synonymous. The gesture would neatly encapsulate the fine quality of racial tolerance which is truly English and makes so many want to live here and to belong: they might not be or see themselves as only English as such, but no one cares as long as they see themselves as British. And that is the answer to Gordon’s wider political dilemma and might even be quite a skilful piece of one-upmanship that he so enjoys.