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
As another celebration of our patron saint passes and the Scottish elections loom, now is the time to hear a few more English patriots raising a glass not just to England but to our United Kingdom.
It feels a little odd at times that we do not hear more English voices speak out against the error of Scottish independence. We know the Union is hugely important to Scotland. Two and a half million Scots have relatives in England; hundreds of thousands work south of the border and the ‘Union dividend’ is worth some £10 billion.
But the Union is of fundamental importance to England too, not just economically but for English society. There is perhaps no better illustration of our economic ties than the UK’s huge financial services powerhouse. The UK has rapidly consolidated its global leadership of the industry in the last decade. But £8 billion pounds of the business is based in Scotland, 90 per cent of which is linked to the rest of the UK.
More articles from: Liam Byrne | this section
Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Advertisement
Labour’s U-turn on social housing for non-immigrants is welcome but too late
Rod LiddleRod Liddle says that metropolitan liberal ideology is too deeply ingrained in local councils, social services and the judiciary to be overturned by one panic measure driven by Labour’s sudden fear of the BNP
To become an extremist, hang around with people you agree with
Cass SunsteinCass Sunstein — co-author of the hugely influential Nudge and an adviser to President Obama — unveils his new theory of ‘group polarisation’, and explains why, when like-minded people spend time with each other, their views become not only more confident but more extreme
Who would have thought a herd could moonwalk?
Mark EarlsThe acclaimed web theorist, Mark Earls, says that the death of Michael Jackson unleashed the extremes of collective action: mass mourning and sick jokes
A splendid lunch with Jimmy McNulty
Deborah RossIn the first of an occasional series of interviews over meals, Deborah Ross talks to Dominic West about The Wire and the challenge to an Old Etonian of playing an American cop
What Jacko needed was someone to say ‘No’
Uri Geller
My defining memory of Michael Jackson — vulnerable, brilliant, otherworldly — is of watching him dance to the soundtrack of a movie.
The devil’s in the detail
Honor ClerkThe Angel’s Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Brown’s nemesis awaits — and his name is Brian
Matthew LynnMatthew Lynn identifies the men who may soon declare the British government incapable of repaying its debts
Hague’s EU policy would be suicidal for Britain
David Miliband
The year ahead is crucial for the European Union.
Doomed to despotism
Jonathan SumptionKhomeini’s Ghost, by Con Coughlin
The Life and Death of the Shah, by Gholam Reza Afkhami
Our departure from Iraq ends a dismal period in our military history
Michael PortilloMichael Portillo, in Basra, says that Britain has been humiliated: by committing too few troops, by failing to support the US surge, by showing more interest in spin than reality. If Basra is relatively calm, that has little do with us
Latest blog posts
sponsored links
BIG SAND STEEL BAND
IF YOU ARE PLANNING A CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION and looking for some light entertainment, you can now hire London's busiest steel
BOSC LEBAT, Tarn et Garonne.
BOSC LEBAT, SW France. Only 45 minutes from Toulouse Airport with daily flights from most provincial airports avoiding the horrors
ROME CENTRE
PORTA METRONIA, ROME Standing high on the top of one of the seven hills of Rome- the Coelian- this unique
Spectator Business | Apollo Magazine
Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms
Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP
All Articles and Content Copyright ©2008 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved
Marcus Perry
February 10th, 2008 2:54pmBull, I have a thousand years of British ancestry and my wife does too. She was born in South Africa but maintained a British identity. My family is British but Liam Byrne insists on her removal from Britain in spite of our 24 year marriage and here he mouths off about how important being British is. My advice to the Highlanders-run to the Hills and put as much distance between yourselves and the English Government. They are anti-family and anti British.
Peter Dunkley
June 4th, 2008 11:50amByrne is embarrassing himself with this pursuit of Britishness, presumably on the instructions of Gordon Brown. A public holiday to celebrate our 'Britishness' is just dreadful. It is amusing that the political beneficiaries of a break up of the Union would be the Tories, the traditional party of union, and that Labour, the proponents of devolution, are now so desperate to get the genie back in the bottle.
Personally I feel that the Northern Irish, the Welsh and the Scots will feel much happier without the burden of all that resentment against the English. Anyway, along with most English folk, I spend a lot of time on the continent and never venture into Scotland, Wales or NI. Even the French aren't as anti-English as the Scots...