Boris Johnson is banging on about what it is to be British, and The Telegraph invited its readers' views.
This is the view of a right wing politician in a right wing newspaper.
I do not regard myself as 'British'. If asked, I am English. I am not sure that I am proud to British, or English. Nor am I embarrassed. For many of us, nationality is arbitrary, based upon where we were born, or where our parents were born.
For people who choose their nationality, I don't suppose the nebulous concept of Britishness is a deciding factor. More likely, people emigrate to Britain for a mixture of economic and linguistic reasons.
Not many Telegraph readers even know a constitutional definition of Britishness. My passport refers to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I would imagine that Boris and his followers would insist that Northern Ireland is part of Britain, forgetting how their Blessed Margaret imposed a banning order on Sinn Fein politicians travelling to Britain. My father and I were outraged, as much as by the illogicality as by the actual ban. It seemed the Tories wanted to have their cake and eat it.
I know people who refuse to accept Britishness, or Englishness (Welshness, Scottishness) as a definition of them. They play with being European, or a citizen of the world, or just themselves.
I often define myself by a much narrower geography. In the past couple of months, I have referred to myself in conversation as a Cheshire girl, a Mancunian, a Lancastrian, a Londoner, a Brixtonian. All of them are at least partly true. But what do they mean? I don't think they mean anything, except in the contexts I use them - Cheshire Girl Gert is fascinated by horses; the Lancashire Lass loves red roses; the Mancunian - well, it's football. And it says Manchester on my passport. London - United, Pride, Defiant, blahdeblah. Brixton: it's where I live.
There are aspects of Britain that I love. The scenery. Being a small island we don't have extremes, but I do love the variety in a relatively small area, from the imposing mountains of the north to the verdant fields of the south. But it's a lot easier to say 'it's the best' if you haven't seen the rest.
I love the architecture. I am most familiar with London
and I love the way that it renews itself and stays constant.
Boris and the Telegraph readers have their version of this Island's Story to tell. In fairness, Boris acknowledges that Mary Seacole is a vital part of that story, but it is quite extraordinary that he fails to understand why she has been airbrushed out of history. Along with a great a many other people who did not suit the history agenda being taught at Eton, or at an average state school, when Boris and I were young.
I think Britishness is far too complex and nebulous a concept to be summed up succinctly. Sridhar Rao says
All Indians who have lived here and taken British nationality feel British, live British and value British ways of life and justice. This does not mean men have to visit pubs every day and women have to sleep around.
I'll assume he was looking for the snappy quotable bite to be published rather than summing up his honest views. But in itself, there is nothing wrong in visiting the pub every day. What's sleeping around? Isn't it about personal autonomy - or should be, about not having an artificial morality imposed from outside.
There are things that Britain is, objectively, rather good at. I think immediately Pharmaceuticals and Pop Music. We do Research well, and then fall down on Development. There are things we are not that good at - most international sports, perhaps because we try to be fairly good at far too many. I think England is the only country with world class football, rugby and cricket teams, the top three team-sports globally. We have excellence in a wide variety of individual sports. but not sustained, widespread excellence in any.
Because I have grown up in Britain, I am comfortable with very many aspects of Britishness. The sense of humour, for example. But I'm sure it's not unique. I like the fact that it's not seemly to boast. I like the fact that we don't invoke a god in our public discourse.
Many of the Telegraph readers refer to 'fair play' without really defining what it is. Perhaps because it defies definition. Possibly because it doesn't exist. Probably if you're male, and white, and from a prosperous background, fair play seems all around you. But it is not so apparent to people from other backgrounds, those who are discriminated against in the workplace or on the streets, those who are treated as second-class humans because of their skin-colour, or gender, or sexual orientation. Those that haven't been to top public schools that coached them to get into top universities to get well-paid or glamorous jobs on the basis of connections rather than ability.
The Telegraph survey is well edited in the way it juxtaposes contradictory views: Theresa de Lorenzi says
After six years in Australia, I am coming home to live in a society that is modest about remarkable achievements, which decries its health system, education, tolerance, multiculturalism and public transport as not good enough without understanding how much better all of these are than elsewhere. The irony, the sarcasm, the balance in news, the stunning countryside, the phlegm.
Jon Chapman, Sydney, Australia says:
The generation which is just reaching old age, my generation, has seen the best of Britain. To me, Britain was a disciplined society where respect was all important whether for one's parents or for someone else's property. The Royal family was revered, going to church was part of our education and licensing laws were very frustrating. This is what our ancestors worked for and now, in a relatively short period of time, we have squandered our inheritance. I do not envy the generations to come because they will inherit the mess that we have left.
I don't want Jon Chapman's Britain. I can see no reason to revere the Royal Family, I see no reason why 'going to Church' should be forced on people, let alone the hypocrisy and hatred spread by Organised Religion. And, frankly, when I roll out of the theatre at quarter to eleven on a Saturday night, I want to have a relaxed drink or two without being forced to drink up by laws designed to keep munitions workers sober in time of war. And just because the NHS and British transport is better than Australian equivalents, it does not make them better than anywhere else.
Britain is where I live, and its familiarity gives me a comfort blanket.
Tomorrow I go to Germany. Other than stopovers at Frankfurt airport I have never been to Germany before. Do Germans have this debate about what it means to be German? Of course they do, and they acknowledge the very difficult part of their history and their national identity.
But if I was German, I would be proud to be German, from the nation that gave the world the greatest musicians, great writers and philosophers, superb engineering, efficiency, and a country of spectacular scenery and architecture. Perhaps if I were German, I would love the German sense of humour. Not one of the Telegraph correspondents suggest we should examine the less glorious parts of our history. That makes me ashamed to be British, because the thinking Germans do it repeatedly, and we do not have the maturity as a nation to confront the errors of our collective past.
But ultimately, the final two paragraphs sum it up: Iain Menzies, Bampton, Devon
It is interesting to note that ex-pats consider themselves to be British even though they have been living overseas, in some cases for decades. This is the same criticism we have of ex-pat communities living in the UK: they bring their own cultural values, language and tradition and never assimilate. What a funny old world.
and
Jamie Diagoras, Switzerland
Being British is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for a Belgian beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV.
And the most British thing of all? Suspicion of anything foreign.
I am sure that Boris will go on about his 'Britishness' campaign, but he wants us to follow his definition, not any one of the other 60 million definitions that exist.
When writing this I consistently wrote 'Britian'.
