So what is England?

Bob

That place I grew up in which no longer exists.

Neil Turner

75% of us at the last election described ourselves as Christian.

We are an Island race, with some 3000 years of history. Much of this is based on our Monarchy and Parliamentary system.

Our history, government, and faith is being deliberately and systematically dismantled, undermined and down-played by New Labour and the EU machine.

With the current advantages of being Welsh or Scottish, the English are milked dry of tax revenue to subsidise free prescriptions, "executive assemblies", and free university places. SCottish MP's vote on English matters, English MP's can't vote on Scottish matters

Uncontrolled immigration and political correctness will if unchecked eradicate England and all it has stood for over the centuries

We urgently need a British bulldog to stand up against the thugs, bullies and charlatans before it is too late.

Anne Wareham

Being in exile two miles into Wales.

Tom Hulley

Looks like England is still where men's opinions are sought most. Predominantly white, middle class men too.
There is irony for you (that's English too!).

I Albion

I see Andrew Neil as fair minded as he is supposed to be can not bring himself to say anything nice about England,just London,which athough you would not think it, is the Capital of England...isn't it.
Altho. why you would want to ask a Scottish bloke this question I don't know.

Anne Gill

I have lived and worked in other countries and like many who have done so I count my blessings that I am English. I do not mind giving a reasonable proportion of my income to provide the services that make life tolerable and to help those less fortunate than my self. I am happy to have an identity that incorporates Britain and Europe and don't begrudge the scots and welsh the opportunity to make their own laws. I like the diversity and change that comes from immigration and enjoy the variety of accents on the streets and the new shops and services that are springing up around me. I know I might feel differently if I were competing with immigrants for jobs and homes but I hope not. I like it here!

M Anderson

Scot, Andrew Neil states:

"England, for me, is London. The rest of England is for flying over".
What a nasty and ridiculous comment.
What he means is, he wouldnt want to associate with people in the real England. Why not Mr Neil? You dont seem to mind being paid in English money.

He then waffles about "tradition and tolerance"; does he know what tolerance means? I think not!
To add insult to injury he then states that [London] is...mercifully free of the new English nationalism. Why? English nationalism is a legitimate movement initiated by the English people. I find it insulting and disgusting that Mr Neil lives and works in England and yet makes derogatory comments about the English and their wishes for self determination. Why shouldn't the English have self determination Mr Neil?
Maybe Neil should go back home to scotland. Oh he can't can he? Well, he can but he wont be living the high life he lived in England. I suppose he'll go to Tuscany instead.

Andrew Neil:

"Not that the English should be ashamed of feeling more nationalistic".

Mr Neil, We are not ashamed in the slightest and we do not need your patronising attitude or sarcasm.
We do not require your approval either.

He is correct about one thing though. The Scots are to blame.

He finishes with this scaremongering:

"So now the English think harder about what it means to be just English. mercifully, it is a process we Londoners will largely escape. But, eventually, we will all in these islands be the poorer for it"

Why does Mr Neil, who is not English, think he has a right to be condescending to the entire English nation?
More pointedly, why does he do it? He is lucky enough to live and work in England; I dont think it's a good
idea to run down the people of the country that you live in.
"We Londoners"? Mr Neil, you are not a Londoner anymore than I am a scot.

Why does he say that this will eventually lead to that? How does he know what a more assertive English nation will lead to?
Something that "...eventually...all in these islands be the poorer for?
Conjecture, conjecture, conjecture!
He can't possibly
know the future. I think he doesnt really like the English and the thought of assertive English people both
scares and annoys him.
I think he's having a dig because he knows that he will lose his nice position when the English
eventually reestablish their parliament, executive and country!

Mr Neil:
"my preference is for a more open, inclusive, forward-looking British nationalism".
This statement implies that English nationalism isn't open and forward-looking. How can Mr Neil verify this statement? He can't So, in actual fact, his statement is rubbish-talk.

Why did the Spectator ask Mr Neil, what is England? They must've known in advance that they'd get a smarmy answer.

Brian Birdnow

I beg to differ with Matthew d'Ancona. We Americans have the worst state schools in the world, bar none. It is a sad state of affairs when we Anglo-Saxon cousins are reduced to arguing about whose schools are worse, but ours are more disgraceful than yours!

Derek

I look forward to The Spectator asking 'So What is Scotland' on St Andrews Day and'So What is Ireland' on St Patrick's Day.
Why stop there? How about 'So What is France' on 14th July, and 'So What is India' on Indian Independence Day etc. etc.

Len Burch

These are of course questions of feeling, and believes rather than facts or sense. So I was amazed at the how Joan Collins expressed her views so precisely in line with my own.

In days when children were taught rather than left to discover, we were taught that such characteristics were those of an english person - and Joan Collins may too have so been schooled.

And those manners and manerisms did 70 years ago exist and rightly or wrongly were not considered the virtues of foriegners (where has that word disappeared to?) - those dreadful people who would wave their hands about when they were talking.

My mothers constant concern was with my manners (not with disobedience) and I was brought up not to be emotional and show my feeling(s) - as a sign of immaturity.

So I too with Joan Colling hate such dispays that are all one gets, sees and reads about today.

How anyone could work out what England is today, is completely beyond me. All you could say is that it is a MESS.

Len Burch

I maybe should have said in my previous comments, that in those days 70 years ago, when an English person (a classy one at least) would be in the form that Joan Collings describes, I had every hatred of it, and was in rebellion against it.

I favoured a greater "openness", "earthiness" and "outspoken rudeness" where necessary.

Now that those past virtues have gone and that is what we have - plus more that is far inferior, I am old and wise enough to see, too late what was the importance and social value of much that I sought to alter.

Those born today will have no basis for such comparisons. And will have no idea of what Joan Collins and I am talking about.

David Heigham

I am English "du vieux style" to quote a French neighbour. That is to say, in the style of the end of the nineteeth and of the earlier part of the twentieth centuries. But England is not a passing style. England is a place, an unmistakable identity, a felt duty and an inescapable slght pity for the rest of the world. It is what I as a Yorkshireman have in common with the rather awful class-conscious people from the Home Counties. It is the why and how of my and the lager louts of Benidorm's mutual knowledge that we can rely on one another.
Most of what is distictive about English history arises because these essentials have not changed much since, roughly, Chaucer's time. And,also since about the fifteenth century, being English has been a highly infectious condition; caught by long residence among the English.

Anne Gill's reply above is the comment that I most agree with; but beyond all question the most English reply is that from David Hockney.

Stephen Gash

What is England? An easy question to answer. It is what the unholy alliance of Europhiles, the Celtic cabal at Westminster assisted by quisling English MPs and the Welsh-led Church of England assisted by the Judas English Bishops are collectively expunging.
England has always been a multicultural nation based on its ancient counties. Yes we have our traditional inter-county rivalries, our intercity rivalries too. Yet when the chips are down we stand shoulder to shoulder as The English.
This is exactly what the establishment is seeking to destroy.
English history is no longer taught to our children, except of course the 'unique' role the dastardly English played in the slave trade.
The counties are being abolished by the imposition of the reviled regions, now by the back door with regional ministers, city mayors, unitary authories (to merge soon after) etc.
One of the first things that Rowan Williams clerical clique tried to do was replace St George and the English flag with St Albans, or was it St Cuthbert? Whichever, it started a rush towards the adoption of an English born saint. St George was chosen in the first place to stop this internal squabbling. Anyway, it isn't St George the man that the English celebrate, few know who he was and why he was martyred, it is the spirit of St George the English revere and identify with. The defender of the weak in the face of tyranny.
This is what the present day tyrants seek to abolish. Hence all the hate laws and commensurate bullying now pervading English society.
The whole of the EU superstate is founded on lies and bullying.
Central to this is the replacement of English Common Law with Roman Law which is nothing more than sanctioned state tyranny. It is favoured by the Scots which is exactly why Gordon's political compatriots are foisting Roman Law upon us.
What England is about is that which is being stolen from us.

William

Why would Andrew Neil, as M Anderson (nice Scottish name BTW) states, lose his position once 'da English reestablish their parliament'?

Embdy?

Naw?

Tommy

England constitutionally and politically does not exist. And the English do not give a damn.
Now that is what being English is all about!
To be English is to live on an island in the North Sea governed by Scotsmen.

William

Tommy, how is it possible for 59 Scottish MP's to control 529 English MP's?

To be English it seems is to be the biggest bunch of cry babies on the planet!

Tommy

William: There are NO English MP's in the UK Government, there are Scottish MP's, Welsh MP's and British MP's. What is wrong with asking for a referendum for England? Every article or TV programme that discusses devolution for England is always crammed with Scots politicians and a few Englishmen getting paid off by the Labour Government. If it is about England then ask the English.
As for MP's how about English ONLY candidates for English constituents?
Cry? You ain't heard nothing yet mate, wait until the working class learn that they have been stuffed by the Labour party and lost their country.