Boris Johnson Allows St. George's Day

Mayor of London Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday that St. George's Day, the day of England's patron saint, will not be ignored as normal, at least not in London.

He plans a week long 'Festival of Englishness', and will even take the unprecedented step of flying the English flag, the Cross of St. George, from City Hall. He has also asked that the city be bedecked with the red and white flag for the whole week.

Johnson, pictured above with an English flag, has been quite clear that he doesn't care if the celebration is not politically correct, and thinks the idea of it offending immigrants is ridiculous. He says the week long celebration should be about celebrating England, the English and their historic achievements.

There will be a reading of Shakespeare's Sonnets at the Globe Theatre to mark the 400 year anniversary of their publication, real-ale tastings, and an English folk music concert in Trafalgar Square amongst other events. Johnson will also take a ceremonial tour of the capital in a London bus.

I'm not sure if this is actually good news, however; I feel it is a cynical attempt to deflect rising criticism of the three main parties for despising our country and culture.

I used to be a supporter of Boris, and certainly saw him as an excellent alternative to Ken Livingstone. After his support of an amnesty for illegal immigrants, however, I see him somewhat differently - a charlatan who tricked his way into office by pretending to be a conservative, like so many before him.

Still, at least he's trying to do his job this time; the Mayor should not despise England and its history like Ken Livingstone did.

Livingstone is responsible for many atrocities; getting rid of Routemaster buses, racially abusing a Jewish reporter, inviting controversial Muslim clerics to speak in London, praising the Chinese for their human rights record.

The one that will always stick in my mind, however, was his 2001 attempt to banish the statues of General Sir Charles James Napier and Major-General Sir Henry Havelock from Trafalgar Square.

Both these men were colonial-era soldiers, mainly associated with British military campaigns in India; the former is most famous for capturing Sindh province, the latter for re-capturing Cawnpore during the Indian Mutiny in 1857.

Livingstone claimed he wanted rid of them because he 'did not know who they were or what they had done'.

I think he did know, though, and that was the problem. They are a symbol of one of the greatest nations, civilisations and empires the world has ever known, and that is why he hated them.

He did not get his way, however, and they remain in Trafalgar Square. One of the pleasures of this St. George's Day celebration will be knowing just how much it is irritating Livingstone, and just how much he regrets losing the election to Johnson.