England today confirm a comfortable victory, with 58 gold medals and 169 medals in total. Australia are in second place with 45 golds and 132 medals overall. Even the BBC had to say the word “England” this morning. That’s quite a break through, given their usual wish to ignore, regionalise and belittle our country.
Congratulations to all our competitors. It was a fine team performance, with many outstanding individual contributions.
August 3, 2014
Congratulations to all and Scotland for hosting the event.
Fascinating statistic, it takes 313609 Englishmen and women to produce a medal while Australia only need 177,886. The host country Scotland only need about 106,000 for a medal. Construe what you will from this.
August 4, 2014
I construe from this that you are biased – no mention of Nauru, Grenada, Kiribati, Samoa or Isle of Man which top the list of lowest population per medal.
Congratulations should be reserved for the sports men and women who won the medals, why devalue their achievements by scattering equal praise to all?
August 4, 2014
Now you have me curious, how is it decided how many athletes can compete on behalf of their Country, did Scotland only have 10% of the athletic entrants that the UK as a whole did?
It’s only Scotland that have a vote to break up the Union of the United Kingdom, perhaps if they divorce us the rest of Britain can begin to express the sort of nationalism they take great pride in doing at every occasion without sensor. I think Great Britain and the UK are better together but I do get sick of the English being held back in their nationalism and like John I noticed that the reporting of English medals was way lower whenever I watched, the BBC should prove otherwise and tell us how often Scottish medal winners were mentioned compared to English medal winners pro-rata.
August 3, 2014
Yes, congratulations to all our competitors, well done, indeed!
England has a tremendous history and has been going quite a bit longer than the arrogant ones who prefer to see England wiped off the maps. We should promote ENGLAND at every opportunity. Are you listening, BBC, Regionalists, Socialists, Marxists, Commies, Common Purpose …?
LONG LIVE ENGLAND!
August 3, 2014
Progress, but will this stop the BBC representing the rest of the English as being a load of poorly educated beer-swilling racists with a propensity for violence?
August 3, 2014
Agree
August 3, 2014
Indeed do the BBC have a list of banned words like England, ladies, girls,calm down, hysterical, coloured (as on any answers recently a lady was put right), slut perhaps they should publish a dictionary so we all know what the latest PC drivel is and can keep up?
August 3, 2014
Driving to and now from the south of France (land of the stationary wind turbines) the place seem in a bad state, restaurants rather empty and food more industrial and expensive too. Still the president did kindly open Bregacon to the public for me to have a look round. Rather better from the outside but still interesting. I suppose they need the money. The brochure just says it has belonged to the state since the revolution, no mention of who they nicked it off.
August 3, 2014
Let’s congratulate Scotland, NI and Wales too. We might both be English but we are British too.
Glasgow has certainly done extremely well with the hosting. The Scottish medal tally per head of population is very good too. The Scots have won about a third of the medals of the English team, but with only a tenth of the population.
Here’s to hoping that I can still write the same thing in 4 years time, and that we’ll still be one country then.
August 3, 2014
petermartin2001
You may be ” British too” But i’m not thanks. I gave up British when Blair introduced devolution for all, except England.
I’m English and only English.
August 4, 2014
The devolution plans were in the Labour party manifesto and the electorate of England voted them in, in 1997, starting the devolution process.
August 4, 2014
Let’s not.
I congratulate the sports men and women who won the medals wherever they are from. I see no need to congratulate their countries nor see a need to undermine their achievements.
If you must pick at useless statistics then why have you left out Nauru, Grenada, Kiribati, Samoa or Isle of Man?
August 3, 2014
It is good that you feel this sense of Englishness, albeit a bit late. To that end, may I repeat my question to you from sometime ago ?
How much support, both from within your Party and across the benches do you have with regards to our (England’s) grievances ?
August 3, 2014
Can we presume from your silence John that the answer is zero?
August 3, 2014
Delighted and grateful to see your comment. I wonder when Mr Cameron will recognise England and mention our nation. I presume he is must be aware of discontent over his reluctance or refusal to use the word.
August 3, 2014
I also am pleased to see England at the top of the medal table, and Scotland doing OK. But I am shocked, shocked I tell you, at your cheap jibe at the BBC.
August 3, 2014
I couldn’t agree more. I remember Mr Fry, on QI, once commenting that he was now allowed to say the word England. The BBC are disgusting racists. They must have taken their cue from Mr Staw et al, when he said the English weren’t saving as a race and Mr Prescott said there is no such nation as England.
But then we didn’t hear any words of condemnation from the opposition at the time, either. Imagine if they’d said those things about Scotland, Wales or NI? There would have been uproar, but it wasn’t even reported on !!
August 3, 2014
Yes congratulations all round. It is laughable watching the BBC go to any length not to mention the word England.
It just goes to prove that from whatever aspect we are the dominant factor no matter how the chatterati try to ignore us. Whether it’s tax contribution, population or on any measure .BUT we are not allowed a voice. I hope Farage picks up this particular ball together with immigration and it will ensure a Tory wipe out at the G.E.
What’s this CMD posturing amongst NATO members bto up their game when he has just decimated our military. The mans a real (Waste of space? ed).
August 3, 2014
Yes, indeed. One suspects the BBC is positioning itself to be a dominant player in an independent Scotland if, indeed, the vote goes that way.
August 3, 2014
Ha Ha!
http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/9510-bbc-accused-of-deception-over-scottish-export-figures
August 3, 2014
Of Topic: (of course)
Could you please explain how the peerage allocation system works, or supposed to…..or perhaps link to it. Just that UKIP are complaining (again) here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/11008878/What-about-us-Nigel-Farage-rages-about-lack-of-Ukip-peers-in-House-of-Lords.html
August 3, 2014
The HOL is becoming a microcosm of the UK, overcrowded with lots of people sitting on their backsides and being paid by the taxpayers to support the LibLabCon Party.
August 3, 2014
Perhaps the main changes I have noticed are how few people do anything directly positive, make things or provide a good service. All sort of fake jobs forced onto us often by daft legislation, over complex tax and regulations and all the green crap not a turbine turning here in grace that i have seen. All sort of trick and deceptions and confusion marketing s too used by banks, energy companies, trains …….. Also much planned obsolescence cons too.
August 3, 2014
Can’t argue with excellent unpasteurised soft cheese and cheap fridges can we?
August 3, 2014
Oh dear! Europe and their deluded low cost ideas on indirect taxation. VAT loved by Tories to help the rich pay less and the poor pay more. They should as they use more services. Less infrastructure? Well? Anything to say on this and flat tax deluded few? Do not support these ideas if you cannot. They are wrong just like your church of tax cuts for the rich. etc ed
August 5, 2014
What on earth has this got to do with an article concerning the Commonwealth medals table?
August 3, 2014
Re BBC and “England” –
If something happens in Scotland it is just that with no other geographic locality given and is very frustrating as it covers about 1/3 of of Britain.
On the the other hand if something happens south of the border the BBC never says England – it goes straight to the country level – much more useful.
A typical BBC silly phrase is “Snow in Scotland”. Those of us where there is no snow are left wondering why we have to pay the TV tax money!
I expect the BBC have been saying “Rain in Scotland” today as it is/was raining in Glasgow. Other parts of Scotland have been sunny all day.
August 3, 2014
England.
Multiculturalism at its best. We UKIPers are NOT against this. Never have been.
(C’mon, Bazman. Do your worst.)
August 3, 2014
For what it be worth – nice one England – if only to spoil the games for those boorish Aussies !
August 4, 2014
It’s never crossed my mind to characterise the Aussies as “boorish”.
August 4, 2014
Oh the irony DC !
August 4, 2014
I don’t know why you chose that adjective to describe Australians, ironically or otherwise.
August 3, 2014
And not just the BBC John as you well know. Cameron and the Tory party also refuse to say the word “England” They too ignore it and have treated it with the same contempt as Labour and the Lib Dums, only difference is without England the Tories would cease to exist and yet still the idiots deliberately choose to ignore the rotten deal England. where most of their constituents reside, gets post devolution. BIG MISTAKE.
Hopefully in 2015 England will show the anti-English Con/Lab/Libs the same contempt they have chosen to show England and maybe just then and only then will Cameron and the Tories, there by the grace of England, nowhere else, realise what they threw away by betraying the people of England instead of standing up for them when they had the chance.
August 4, 2014
The BBC has hardly ignored England. It has only just got around to making sure the rest of the UK gets roughly the same amount for spending as raised by the licence fee in the respective nations, having lavished funds on London for years. However, If the BBC is set on more prominent roles for women and increasing the presence of ethnic minorities on air, then it must address English concerns, the question is when, not if. Around sixty-five percent of the public in the Uk don’t see themselves as British at all, which is a significant number. Although around fifty-five percent stongly support the Uk, twenty percent want it dissolved, the other twenty-five percent aren’t much bothered. The BBC should reflect this on television, by having separate channels on BBC1 for each nation and turning BBC2 into a Uk-wide channel (without opt-outs) for the British. BBC England can take the BBC News Channel as well.
August 4, 2014
Mr. Redwood, it’s a shame to see that you’ve began pandering to the ‘little Englander’ mentality so amply displayed in many of the comments above. I presumed you were both too intelligent and too principled to go in for such inane and parochial things. Evidently I was wrong. Still sad to see someone besmirch their good reputation through crass populism, though.
Reply As devolution and national identity are very much at the centre of our current political debate, some MPs should speak for England.
August 4, 2014
Feodor, I don’t remember seeing you comment about the Scots or Welsh pressing for devolution, or independence, calling them small minded Scots or Welsh , but as you have used this pejorative and discriminatory language against English people seeking no more than the same might suggest the problem isn’t to be found with English people seeking equality, but YOU!
August 4, 2014
Don’t worry, JR, obviously Feodor is attempting an amusing parody.
August 4, 2014
Reply to reply: That’s quite specious, John. Your original post is a short note of congratulations to the English team at the Commonwealth games, not a serious discussion of issues such as devolution and national identity. The gibe directed at the BBC is out of place in such a note of congratulations, an example of poor etiquette which panders to the faithful. It’s also rather fanciful: Do you seriously believe there is a conspiracy of silence at the Beeb with regard to the use of the words ‘England’ and ‘English’? It’s quite worrying to think that serious parliamentarians possibly hold such fantastic notions.
@Iain Moore–well that settles it, then, doesn’t it!? Out of interest, where did you learn your debating techniques, the playground? ‘No you are’, the ultimate comeback. Personal recollections, the ultimate standard of evidence. Good grief, no wonder people speak of British intellectual decline.
@Denis Cooper–better the devil you know?
August 4, 2014
Hi John, I wholeheartedly agree with all your comments, and am delighted that you as a sitting MP have had the courage to call the BBC on their hatred of England.
We know that many others notice, but we all know it is much easier to ignore the bias, praise the Biased BBC and count on being treated with kid gloves during interviews, which is the universal currency for BBC-supporting MP’s.