I was pointed to an interesting article from the Guardian, written in the aftermath of Sunday's rather humiliating loss against Germany. Well, I say "humiliating," and Englishmen all over the country were unquestionably upset about the outcome of the match and, certainly, about the disallowed second goal scored by England, but, honestly, everyone seems to be taking the whole thing really well. Gary Younge writes, "There is a maturity in [their] despondence."
The article isn't actually all about football, though; it's also about England's national identity. You all know I've been thinking a lot about this recently - what is England, and who is English - and that I've been reading Jeremy Paxman's The English: A Portrait of a People. (Still haven't finished it, but whatever.) Younge and Paxman seem to come to at least one common conclusion: English identity, such as it exists, is a fragile thing. Young ties English identity in with pride in the English football team, saying, "For, when England's national team ceases to exist as a viable entity - as it did at the weekend - the nation and, to some extent, its national identity goes with it."
Younge talks about the fluidity of English nationalism, especially when compared to the Welsh or the Scottish. He points out that, according to a survey, 14% of Scots "choose 'British' as the best or only way to describe themselves," compared to 44% of English people polled. It's funny, but having witnessed Wimbledon somewhat first-hand for the past two years I would have to agree. I noticed last year that when Andy Murray was winning, the English claimed him as British; when he was losing, he was denounced as Scottish. (Murray, on the other hand, feels no love for England and even barely bowed to the Queen when she came to watch a match a week or so ago.) Similarly, it isn't usually the English who jump down my throat when I accidentally talk about a "British accent," it's the Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish. The English - in my experience - don't seem to mind being lumped into a larger British identity.
This may be, Younge concludes, because the English don't have a state. There's a British government, sure, and the Scots and the Welsh have their own Parliaments. But the English? They're only represented as part of the larger whole and, for the most part, I haven't heard any Englishmen raising arms about this.
I only just got here - I don't know as much about English identity or nationalism as I'd like, and I need to keep reading and asking questions and researching. I do think it's important for me to try to figure this out, though. After all, I live here now!
You haven't heard an Englishman get bitchy about the fact that university tuition fees and foundation hospitals were forced upon them by the votes of Scottish MPs - when neither proposal applied to Scotland. Or that the reason we are ruled by a centre-left coalition gov't is because the Scots are over represented with the national parliament compared to England?
ReplyDeleteOr should I just mention the Barnett Formula - talk about it to anyone who pays tax in England and you will hear them moan about how we subsidise high quality public services (and free university places) in Scotland, Wales and NI - while suffering poor quality ones at home. It gets even better when you ask Londoners, for example Boris himself.
David Cameron promised to sort it all out a number of times however he seems to have forgotten those promises since jumping into bed with the Social Democrats (most of whom hold Scottish seats...)
I was hoping you'd respond, Kyle! I'll have to get a reading list from you. :)
ReplyDelete"This may be, Younge concludes, because the English don't have a state. There's a British government, sure, and the Scots and the Welsh have their own Parliaments. But the English? They're only represented as part of the larger whole and, for the most part, I haven't heard any Englishmen raising arms about this."
ReplyDeleteYou're obviously hanging round with the wrong Englishmen... Most English folk I know are sick death of the Union - especially when the raw deal we get is explained. Sadly the British establishment media still doesn't report fairly on the English issue - not in their interest you see. They, like the politicians put Britain first and England last.
If you want to know more about the issue please take a look at the Campaign for an English Parliament website http://www.thecep.org.uk (new website imminent). That will explain the situation from an English perspective. It's a just cause I hope you join us.
Home rule for England
My, how times have changed! When your grandfather and I lived in London in 1954, a slim volume that was required reading for ex pats was "How to Be an Englishman." The only way, back then, was to be a descendant of William the Conqueror. It was an amusing book, then, full of British manners and quirks.
ReplyDeleteCorrection. The book is "How to Be an Alien," written by an Hungarian. The point is the same. Anyone not descended from William the Conqueror was not a Brit.
ReplyDelete