The rise of the English
posted by: Nick Lowles | on: Wednesday, 1 February 2012, 07:46
I've just been reading 'The Dog That Finally Barked', the new IPPR report on Englishness. It charts the emergence of an English identity against the backdrop of Devolution and constitutional change.
It is very interesting reading and the report is the latest to conclude that Englishness is on the rise and that there is a growing backlash amongst the English against Scotland and the current constitutional arrangement.
I will be writing more on the topic of English soon but in the meantime it is worth highlighting a few of the report's findings.
* The English increasingly believe that they get a raw-deal from the devolution settlement, with 45% saying that Scotland gets 'more than its fair share of public spending'. This has doubled since 2000.
* Englishness is becoming increasingly politicised.
* Over a third of people that an English Parliament should have most influence over the way England is run, more than any other public institution. 'UK Government' only receives 24%.
* 17% of people identify themselves as English and not British. A further 23% consider themselves more English than British. Only 16% consider themselves to be British over English or more British than English.
The report concludes that not only is the "English electorate is dissatisfied - increasingly so - with current arrangements for the territorial government of the UK in general, and England in particular," but it is unlikely to be satisfied with further Scottish devolution but wants a new settlement for the English, that includes an English Parliament.
Does any of this matter to anti-fascists? Yes, and we should be worried. Englishness is growing though at the moment it lacks a political voice. The IPPR report found that when asked which political party best stands up for the interests of England, only 4% stated the BNP, 2% the English Democrats and the Greens, 4% Liberal Democrats, 9% UKIP, 20% Conservatives and 21% Labour. A larger group, 23%, did not think that any party stood up for the interests of the English.
That the politicisation of Englishness is growing without any formal political mobilisation and so many do not believe that there is a political party standing up for the English should be a major cause for concern. Added to this is the fact that the one group who overwhelmingly do not feel English are black and minority ethnic people. As Englishness grows there is a real danger of a chasm opening up in many of our towns and cities along racial lines. This can only be made worse by the findings of our own Fear & HOPE report which found that many of those who identified with England rather than Britain saw exclusivity within it. These people were more hostile to immigration and multiculturalism while also viewing religions other than Christianity as hostile.
While I believe that there are some shortcomings in the IPPR report, such as it fails to measure the impact of economic security and insecurity on people’s identity and how it can be a driver – positively or negatively - I think the report adds value to a growing seam of work which highlight the rising sense of Englishness within the country. While most political commentators are fixated on a possible vote for Scottish Independence, perhaps more significant changes will happen south of the border.
My big concern, which is backed up in this report, is that there is space for a new English nationalist party, one that is anti-Scottish, anti-EU and against new immigration. Without the fascist trappings of the BNP, this party could really tap into the sense of cultural and political alienation that exists up and down the country.
You can read the report here: http://www.ippr.org/publications/55/8542/the-dog-that-finally-barked-england-as-an-emerging-political-community
Posted: 1 Feb 2012 | There are 14 comments
Comments
Comment 1 | From: joseph parker | Date: 1 February 2012, 14:00
People like you have ignored the English for too long.To identify yourself as English does not mean you are a racist, facist etc. Scotish, Welsh and Irish nationalism have been anti English to the point of voilence. Organisatiobs like yours ignore this. If England had 10 -20 % more per head of population spent on it, there would be ceaseless protest from people like you. Most racial and ethnic minorities live in England. The current situation discriminates against them. Whether you like it or not England exists. English history and culture is ignored, demonised or mocked. When the others have gone, you will have to face up to being English.
Comment 2 | From: Philip R Hosking | Date: 1 February 2012, 16:41
"Added to this is the fact that the one group who overwhelmingly do not feel English are black and minority ethnic people" Very true and to these minorities I might add a 'national minority' namely the Cornish who also suffer the unwanted atention of extremist English nationalists who see a threat in the promotion of Cornish heritage, indeed in the same way British nationalists view the promotion of Welsh, Irish or Scottish culture. The last PLASC ethnic data survey of Cornish schools showed that 41% of children preferred to describe themselves as Cornish rather than English or British. You might like to read some of the work done on the possibility of dialogue and cooperation between old and new minority groups.
Comment 3 | From: Ben | Date: 1 February 2012, 17:27
The attitude that I pick up from most "anti-racist" organisations is that of anti-Englishness. There seems to be a strong desire to eradicate the idea of an English nation and people in favour of an inclusive Britishness. The Left have done little to dispel this, and have offered little in the way of a positive alternative that is fair to those who value their English cultural and ethnic identity whilst making Englishness something that others can buy into. The reason that the SNP are "inclusive" is because there is a far lower percentage of ethnic minorities in Scotland and therefore far less of division and fragmentation that large-scale immigration inevitably causes. It seems to me that in the multicultural rainbow, those nasty ethnic English are the only group that is mocked and derided if it asserts itself. People would never apply the same critical standards to the English as they do to other ethnic groups. We are fair game to be vilified, told that we don't exist, told that we will just have to put up with the massive changes that have been inflicted on our country without our consent. I don't understand why some English people hate their own country and its native way of life so much. It's almost like a disease.
Comment 4 | From: Ben | Date: 1 February 2012, 17:28
The attitude that I pick up from most "anti-racist" organisations is that of anti-Englishness. There seems to be a strong desire to eradicate the idea of an English nation and people in favour of an inclusive Britishness. The Left have done little to dispel this, and have offered little in the way of a positive alternative that is fair to those who value their English cultural and ethnic identity whilst making Englishness something that others can buy into. The reason that the SNP are "inclusive" is because there is a far lower percentage of ethnic minorities in Scotland and therefore far less of division and fragmentation that large-scale immigration inevitably causes. It seems to me that in the multicultural rainbow, those nasty ethnic English are the only group that is mocked and derided if it asserts itself. People would never apply the same critical standards to the other ethnic groups as they do to the English. We are fair game to be vilified, told that we don't exist, told that we will just have to put up with the massive changes that have been inflicted on our country without our consent. I don't understand why some English people hate their own country and its native way of life so much. It's almost like a disease.
Comment 5 | From: Siôn Jonew | Date: 1 February 2012, 18:48
Why does the new English party have to be anti Scottish and Anti EU? As a Welsh nationalist, I have watched nationalism both in Wales and Scotland , over the last 50 years, move away from the politics of resentment - blaming England for everything - but instead identifying the system as the source of our ills, and taking responsibility upon ourselves to put that right. Why can't the English realise that the real sense of very legitimate grievance they feel is due to the Westminster government that has ignored than, rather than to the Celtic countries that have actually done something about their own grievances? You can forge an English nationalism that is inclusive and outward-looking (as the SNP has done in Scotland) and just demand responsibility for issues which only affect you.
Comment 6 | From: steven durrant | Date: 2 February 2012, 04:19
The English have ignored themselves. Rather than be masters of their own destiny, time and again they surrender to political and economic masters like craven subjects. Then when they end up miserable they blame someone else. What is this "english" identity based on? Anything positive or just a bunch of self pitied moaning? They gave up most of what was decent about their country to the likes of right wing governments, chain stores, shit TV channels, tabloid rags and "developers" who do their best to destroy the once green and pleasant land. It has next to bugger all to do with the Scots (or migrants) in reality, but it is easier to blame other people. That's a core part of the new identity as well. I would be interested to know what the likes of Joseph Parker actually do to advance knowledge and appreciation of English history and culture. If there is not enough then I suggest the English find out some more about them. Problem solved. No need to blame someone else.
Comment 7 | From: David Rickard | Date: 2 February 2012, 07:48
"Added to this is the fact that the one group who overwhelmingly do not feel English are black and minority ethnic people". That's not quite true: according to the report, twice the number of BAME people feel more British than English than the number who feel more English than British; but the latter total is still 19%. By comparison, three times more 'white British' people feel more English than British as opposed to feeling more British than English. This means that the British identity is less entrenched in BAME people than the English identity is in white people. Other surveys have in fact shown the opposite: that there is little differentiation between white and non-white respondents in relation to Englishness and Britishness, with both groups increasingly evolving in the direction of an English-more-than-British identity. There is absolutely no reason why Englishness cannot be just as ethnically inclusive an identity as Britishness has been supposed to be in recent years. In order for this to happen, however, Englishness must stop being ethnicised, which it has been as much by the British establishment and by the liberal intelligentsia (including Hope Not Hate) as by ethnic English nationalists. You only need to look at the 2011 Census for England and Wales, which refused to include 'black English' or 'Asian English' as standard categories but allowed only 'black British' and 'Asian British' as pairings. This was in contrast to the census in Scotland, which did allow 'Scottish Asian' and 'black Scottish'. There's absolutely no reason why non-white people shouldn't feel that Englishness is an identity they can embrace just as much as white people. But there has to be the political will to facilitate this; just as that will needs to exist on the part of mainstream parties to give Englishness a peaceful, democratic expression. It's up to those parties whether they wish to engage with and channel Englishness constructively, or foster division as they have done up to now by divide and rule tactics that make Englishness the preserve of the 'indigenous' Britons and not available for other ethnic groups.
Comment 8 | From: Terry | Date: 2 February 2012, 11:25
<i>” the fact that the one group who overwhelmingly do not feel English are black and minority ethnic people”</i> Sorry, but this is absolutely NOT a fact. The converse is true. An IPSOS survey by the Ministry of Justice in 2007 found that “BME”s (Black and Minority Ethnic) strongly feel themselves to be English above being British. This was confirmed by The British Future State of the Nation Report 2012 which found that 62% of ethnic minorities (including 69% of Asians) feel strongly English, rather than British. The only way this will become a danger or a <i>”chasm opening up in many of our towns and cities along racial lines”</i> is if we on the left wrongly call it. We can claim the vacuum and offer real hope before it’s too late!
Comment 9 | From: Terry | Date: 3 February 2012, 10:49
@Siôn Jonew and steven durrant Why are you so negative about a growth in an inclusive English identity?
Comment 10 | From: Del Boy | Date: 3 February 2012, 13:14
Why do you say that 'the one group who overwhelmingly do not feel English are black and minority ethnic people'? How do you substantiate that comment? A recent report British Futures found that: "English identity is slightly stronger among the white people in England, where 72% feel strongly English and 27% don’t, but is not much lower among ethnic minorities in England, where 62% feel strongly English" http://www.britishfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Hopes-and-Fears-updated.pdf
Comment 11 | From: John | Date: 4 February 2012, 22:59
Hope not Hate talks a lot about fighting the far right through celebrating shared identities, but the only identity it shies away from is the English identity, as though it were something inherently narrow, bigoted and exclusive. As previous posters have pointed out,the English identity is beginning to take root among BME people. We are at a crossroads here - we can sit back, denigrate the English identity and cede that territory to the far right, or we can be pro-active in promoting a progressive and inclusive Englishness across all ethnic groups. If we succeed in taking ownership of this issue, we have possibly the most powerful shared identity in the country with which to combat fascism. In other words, the rise in English nationalism isn't a threat to us, it's an opportunity. Let's take it.
Comment 12 | From: ed | Date: 4 February 2012, 23:30
John, It has been addressed before here, covering many of the points you wan to make: http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/article/1482/the-edls-english-problem
Comment 13 | From: Terry | Date: 5 February 2012, 07:28
John did you base your statement <i>"...the fact that the one group who overwhelmingly do not feel English are black and minority ethnic people"</i> on any poll or independent research? It's often mentioned in the press, but no one has ever been able to substantiate it when challenged. It would be a shame if it became an accepted myth.
Comment 14 | From: Helen | Date: 29 February 2012, 11:11
I am English, I have lived in other parts of the world, and I hope the racist bigots don't think they are speaking on my behalf, or anyone I know with a brain in their head. Almost all the trouble in the world is caused by racism, of one sort or another, and anyone who speaks against another person on account of their race must accept responsibility for violence perpetrated for racist reasons - even if they themselves wouldn't take part in it: what begins as an attitude, ends in a war. I've met a few racists, but not one with any real common sense.
You can comment on this article here (All fields required)
|
There are 286 BNP and far-right candidates entered into our database, we have results for 284 of them. The last record was added on Sat, 05 May 2012 17:04:09 +0100 |
Connect with HOPE not hate
Meet Tommy Robinson leader of the English Defence League
What happens when the EDL comes to town
credit: consequential films
Go to HOPE not hate's YouTube Channel
