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Saturday 19 July 2008

Rise up, Englishmen

Liam Byrne says the English must be less apathetic about  the United Kingdom, and about the threat of Scottish independence that looms in next week’s elections

Today, it is a commonplace to declare that in modern Britain each of us marshalls a multiplicity of identities. I am the grandson of Irish immigrants. But I have three generations of family from Birmingham where I live today. I spent years growing up in Essex and a bit of me will always be proud to be an ‘Essex boy’ (indeed I still drive an Escort, although I’ve just lost the white socks).  When I go to Europe I feel European. As a Catholic, part of me is naturally defined by over two millennia of ecclesiastical history. But I am British and proud of it.

The point is that Britain is a diverse place, yet my citizenship links me not just to England but to my country. When I talk to new British citizens fresh from swearing their oath, I am always struck by how deeply moved even the cynical become. I’ve seen old men weep buckets of tears from beginning to end.

And what often moves new citizens most is how, before our flag, lots of different people, from all walks of life, from all parts of the world, who have fled wars, or moved for love or work, have all chosen to swear one allegiance to one country, its values and its sovereign. It is that expression of unity and common purpose between people who are so very different that is so very inspiring.

Surely our task in Britain today is not to plan a separation, but to combine better a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, atheist, English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish Britain into one United Kingdom.

Part of how we do this must be to find new ways of ensuring that citizenship gives better expression to what we have in common, across our diversity rather than what sets us apart. The citizenship ‘deal’, of course, has to be right. Citizenship is not about just what you get. It’s about what you give. So we should look afresh at whether newcomers should ‘earn’ their citizenship other than by simply being here, working and paying tax. 

We should ask whether we have the right balance of privileges between settlement — the right to be here permanently — and citizenship. Are the incentives to become a ‘citizen’, as opposed to a ‘settler’, sufficient? But what would it say about England if we chose to separate from a country with which we have so much in common?

I recently republished the book on British life on which we test everyone applying for citizenship — and from this month, everyone applying to settle permanently too. Throughout its pages, you see the history, values, economy and what Churchill called ‘the long continuity of our institutions’ intimately entwined.

An English argument for dissolving the Union would be a lamentable admission that, in this age of diversity, we were unable to master the task of marshalling, combining and celebrating what is in common between our modern plurality of identities. It would be an appalling resignation — and frankly a dangerous augury of the future.

The United Kingdom would be tragically diminished if Scotland sued for divorce. And in a torn UK, our sense of England — our past and our future — would shrink. So as polling day in Scotland hurtles towards us, I am one proud Englishman who will be standing up for the Union.

Liam Byrne is the Minister for nationality,  citizenship and immigration.

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