On the 27th November 2003, the Daily Express revealed that Euro MP's had
been given the green light in the proposal to scrap the British Merchant
Navy Red Ensign which has been the official flag of our Merchant Fleet since
1864 and replace it with a European Union Flag. I am totally appalled that
such a gesture will go through without the intervention of our own
Government.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II holds the title of "Master of the Merchant
Navy & Fishing Fleet", which was passed down by King George VI and was the
title held by King George V who bestowed the title "Merchant Navy" on us
after WWI. In WWI 17,000 Merchant Seamen sailing under the Red Ensign were
killed with a further 32,000 in WWII, which happens to be a higher
percentage rate than any of the three armed services. Post WWII the Red
Ensign has been involved conflicts in Palestine 1945-1948, Korea 1950-1953,
Suez 1956, Cyprus, 1954-1959, Borneo, 1962-1966, Falklands 1982 & the Gulf
1991 & 2003, with medals issued to it's serving members in all areas of
operations.

In 2000 the British Government introduced the official "Merchant Navy Day"
in recognition of the important role the Merchant Navy plays in supplying
this Island nation in war as well as peace. 3rd September every year since,
the Red Ensign is flown from public buildings the length & breadth of this
country. Please don't let others take the last vestige of our service. This
is not sentimentalist talk; it is our Maritime Heritage that is under
threat.

Under which nation does the fleet sail? Seems last I knew the UK wasn't
part of the EU.

This was a proposal by a Spanish Green MEP that just happened to get a
majority in the Transport Committee on that day- I am assured by the
Conservative Spokesman on the Committee that she is confident of getting the
EPP-ED Group ( ie the biggest group in the Parliament) to support her when
we vote against that proposal in the January plenary meeting of the
Parliament. So it is likely to be killed at that stage. In any event it
would only pass with support from the Council of Ministers which is also
unlikely and in any event it is contrary to the 1982 UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea.

I am afraid we cannot stop zany ideas coming from Green MEPs ( they are the
ones wrecking the German economy as well) On this occasion it would seem
they won a temporary skirmish but by no means the battle let alone the war.
I think we can be confident the Red Ensign will continue to fly but I will
be sure to be there to vote against the "Green's" proposal in January.
"Chris" wrote in message
om...
Under which nation does the fleet sail? Seems last I knew the UK wasn't
part of the EU.

The message
from "William Grant" contains these words:

. In any event it
would only pass with support from the Council of Ministers which is also
unlikely and in any event it is contrary to the 1982 UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea.


How about we do a deal? we scrap the red ensign if the Spanish scrap
their entire fishing fleet on a permanent basis, seems fair to me ;-,

regards, Terry