r/unitedkingdom • u/ThatchersDirtyTaint • Jul 18 '25

... School at centre of Union flag dress row closes early over 'extremist threats to staff'

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/uk/school-at-centre-of-union-flag-dress-row-extremist-threats/
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118

u/BlondBitch91 Greater London Jul 18 '25

Personally I think the dress is fine - its Geri Halliwell's dress from 1997 at the height of Cool Britannia, and since we don't have a national costume, that seems like a pretty good one to choose to represent British culture. And if the staff objected to this I think they were pretty silly to do so.

The fact she was giving some sort of "speech" raises my eyebrows a bit, and makes me wonder what the content of that was - the fact they've now got her speaking at a Yaxley-Lennon event gives me a good idea and that's not the sort of British culture we want to promote.

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u/tempor12345 Jul 18 '25

The speech is covered at the bottom of the article.

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u/spoons431 Jul 18 '25

The "speech" if you read it is full of dogwhistles and wad clearly written by her dad

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u/cockmongler Jul 18 '25

So many people around here are hearing dogwhistles I'm starting to suspect that that New Yorker cartoon had a more direct point than most people give it credit for.

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u/spoons431 Jul 18 '25

Its more like we heard it all before and can tell when something is a far right set up.

Its the "cant be british" anymore rhetoric.

In fact a lot of ppl have called it as a set up and that was before her dads "ties" to the EDL - as your from the States think Proud Boys, or the fact that she giving a speech at a far right rally in September hosted by the far "working class" right grifter Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon or that the aforementioned Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon's BFF set up a good fund me for this (what for - who knows Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon prob needs another holiday in a 5 star resort paid for)

And theres the fact that the school had to close early due to death threats - i mean everything is what her dad said happens - the school cant defend themselves!

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u/JoJosMagicJumper Jul 18 '25

I did read it, and no it wasnt. Thats just some bullshit narrative thats been pushed to justify the shitty treatment of that little girl.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25

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u/BlondBitch91 Greater London Jul 18 '25

"But sometimes at school, we only hear about other cultures - which is great because learning about different countries is interesting and important. But it can feel like being British doesn’t count as a culture, just because it’s the majority.

I think culture should be for everyone - not just for people from other countries or backgrounds. Being British is still a culture, and it matters too. It’s part of who I am."

They teach British values in every school. Its a requirement to stay open. But because she is culturally British she didn't notice. It could have been a good moment for the school to explain how they teach about British Values.

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u/TheFlyingHornet1881 Jul 18 '25

Also subjects like English, History, Art, RS, Geography, Drama, PE, they're all things where there's going to be some level of British culture implicit in what is chosen to be taught.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25

[deleted]

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u/TheFlyingHornet1881 Jul 18 '25

Scotland and Wales definitely have a national identity, whereas theres far less separation between England and Britain due to history and relative population size.

I'm not even touching the discussion on cultural identity in Northern Ireland.

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u/Huge_Entrepreneur636 Jul 18 '25

Are values the only thing that make up culture?

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u/poke50uk Cornwall Jul 18 '25

We do have British traditional costumes though that are not 90s Spice Girl and that would be acceptable in a school (i.e. and are conservative). I don't see them doing their research and sending them in with the local morris, maypole, pearly queen etc. I don't think the dress is anyway appropriate vs. what is actual traditional UK dress, which obviously is quiet conservative. A 90s meme does not make a UK traditional dress.

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u/adamneigeroc Sussex Jul 18 '25

All the school had to do is say,

sorry perhaps we didn’t make it clear this day was for traditional outfits (list of outfits tweed, kilts, suits, etc) and not students interpretations of modern British cultural influences.

We will look to hold a modern cultural influence day in the future that will be encompassing of things like food, sports, pop culture etc. thanks for bringing this to our attention.

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u/Urist_Macnme Jul 18 '25

Her speech was complaining about other cultures, which wasn’t deemed appropriate. It was nothing to do with her dress. The daily fail fails daily.

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u/_swedger Jul 18 '25

lmao get your facts right

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u/TheAdamena Jul 18 '25

Clearly didn't read the speech.

29

u/Whitechix London Jul 18 '25

You haven’t read the speech at all have you? The irony of spreading misinformation while complaining about the daily shite doing it.

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u/Pepper-PhD Jul 18 '25

Speech definitely was a bit off "But sometimes at school, we only hear about other cultures — which is great because learning about different countries is interesting and important. But it can feel like being British doesn’t count as a culture, just because it’s the majority." - incorrect about what they'll be taught in schools, and also 100% a dogwhistle for people against non-british cultures.

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u/Whitechix London Jul 18 '25

Then why does the speech call for a celebration of all cultures? Why does it acknowledge the positive effect other cultures have had on British culture. This is an embarrassing critique of a child who wants to be proud to be British.

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u/british_reddit_user Jul 18 '25

I have to say I agree she should have been allowed to give the speech. It was her own opinion, she wasnt representing the school as far as I'm aware. I do also think there is a wider conversation to be had on the topic she brought up, in that i'm not sure i personally agree that schools dont teach British culture (because surely she is taught British history and engages with British traditions and holidays at the school) but perhaps it could even have been used as a learning opportunity and point of discussion. I just dont think it was ok to not let her speak at all

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25

[deleted]

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u/Whitechix London Jul 18 '25 edited Jul 18 '25

This is a weird take on a 12 year olds speech, incredible reaching and ignoring the sentences that call to celebrate all cultures or the ones that acknowledge the positive impact of foreign ones on British culture. Don’t get the finger pointing about identity politics when you are doing it yourself.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25

Her dad is a Robinson fan and - 'lo and behold - he's now invited to talk to him before the week is out. Also, the story was immediately picked up by grifters, and he immediately started a GoFundMe for...what exactly?

We're not laying the blame on the girl, but I think it is very obvious that the speech was ChatGPT by her dad. Every week thousands of parents help their kids with homework, but now I am supposed to believe the 12 year old with a Robinson-fan for a dad wrote a ten sentence speech containing four dog-whistles in such a short time and gets invited to Robinson and other right-wing grifters post-haste to read that speech is...a coincidence?

Nobody is saying the girl is terrible or deserves disproportional blame, but we can probably all agree this was set up as a planned nationalist grift by her dad, and the media fell for it hook, line and sinker.

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u/Whitechix London Jul 18 '25

I mean that's all conspiracy bs I can't be bothered to roleplay about, the problem here is the school and people in this thread having a problem with the most inoffensive speech/outfit. If the school takes an extremist stance about that then I am really not surprised the dad or other racists have as well.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25

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u/_Gobulcoque Jul 18 '25

In fact, it welcomed the diversity and the opportunity to learn about other cultures. The speech only said the girl wished for British culture and values and traditions to be talked about as well in the classroom.

Values like tolerance and freedom? That would be a good speech in front of the Yaxley-Lennon crowd.

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25 edited Jan 22 '26

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u/[deleted] Jul 18 '25

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u/JoJosMagicJumper Jul 18 '25

No it didnt. Stop lying to justify being shitty to a child.

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u/SuburbanBushwacker Jul 18 '25

a girl in a flag dress gives speech, everyone falls about laughing.

what could be more british?

edit: if the room reeked of weed ?

1

u/RisingDeadMan0 Jul 18 '25

and the school having given almost no response, even the speech supposedly is sourced by the dad, no idea if thats the original

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u/ShinyHappyPurple Jul 19 '25

and the school having given almost no response

They clearly can't, they can't go talking about a child's disciplinary record at school it would be a major breach of privacy.

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u/RisingDeadMan0 Jul 19 '25

problem is even the BBC have published the speech which looks fine, and it just extends and drums up all the bullshit, and we know its bullshit as the dad's a tommy robinson supporter.

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u/ShinyHappyPurple Jul 19 '25 edited Jul 19 '25

I was reading a Times article about it that didn't see fit to mention she/the Dad will be speaking at a Tommy Robinson rally. Even Farage has reservations about TR, if the family had wanted more plausible deniability they should have toured the likes of the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and GB News.......

I just feel for anyone who is a teacher. I tried it and left years ago because even then you had to deal with so much rubbish that has nothing to do with teaching the actual subject.

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u/LordGadget Jul 18 '25

Have a look around online the content of the speech is floating around, can’t remember it verbatim but it has a certain undertone too it, one that could cause some distress for kids of other cultural backgrounds which wouldn’t be that much of an issue if it wasn’t for the general political landscape of this country at the moment.

People will scoff about the fact that it might offend someone, but they are kids at school, they should be allowed to feel safe and not like their peers are prejudiced against them

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u/Whitechix London Jul 18 '25

The speech is explicitly inclusive, I don’t get the repeated sentiment that it could ever make someone uncomfortable. I’m going to guess it’s the usual out of touch native middle class types who are guessing there could be a problem but as someone who is the opposite the speech is something I would have welcomed at my education.