Welcome back, England
The Spectator welcomes England back
The flag of St George, once an oddity, is now a feature of the urban landscape, hanging proudly from the 20th floor of tower blocks as a symbol to those below of defiant hope and patriotism. It is a sign of how much has changed that the current issue of Time Out — scarcely a right-wing propaganda sheet — carries cheerful listings for ‘St George’s Day Celebrations’. Far from receding into the shadows, Englishness is moving centre-stage.
Whatever constitutional framework finally emerges from the messy experiment of devolution, England has not succumbed to the manifold cultural attacks which it has suffered, especially since 1997. Assaults on its country sports, customs and history and the growing injustices of devolution have only strengthened its sense of itself and its confidence in its future. Welcome back, England — and happy St George’s Day.
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John
April 18th, 2008 2:35amWe've been here all the time.
Welcome back, Spectator.
Mark Solomon
April 27th, 2008 6:42pmThere is too much scaremongering and doomsaying about the dismantling of the Union. It is not the all or nothing proposition commonly portrayed, to scare people into backing the status quo. The Union of England and Wales dates from the Middle Ages; Scotland joined in 1707; Ireland in 1803; the southern counties of Ireland left in 1918. So Scotland could quite easily leave the Union if it wanted to, without the UK being dissolved - it would just be a United Kingdom of England,Wales and Northern Ireland instead. If that is what Scotland wants, then us English Conservatives should welcome it-democracy at work, money being saved and political dominance of the remaining UK Labour would have trouble breaking! Scottish Nationalists are Nationalists-ie generally right of centre people and potential allies if the poison surrounding the 'unchanging Union' can be removed from the debate. With no seats up there, what have we got to lose?