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On St. George's Day, What's Become Of England? -- 04/23/2001


On St. George's Day, What's Become Of England?
By Patrick Goodenough
CNS London Bureau Chief
April 23, 2001

London (CNSNews.com) - England marks St. George's Day Monday, but many English people believe their heritage is endangered by the Labor government's policies.

Since coming to power in 1997, Prime Minister Tony Blair's "devolution" program has handed Scotland a considerable degree of autonomy and its own Parliament. Wales and Northern Ireland now both have their own Assemblies overseeing some aspects of government in the two areas.

Although home to around 80 percent of British citizens, England is alone in the United Kingdom not to have its own unique governing body. Although the movement to have an English Parliament - as opposed to the British House of Commons and House of Lords - remains in its infancy, some national lawmakers have complained that Scottish lawmakers can now vote on English laws, but not vice versa.

England has been left out of the devolution equation, a constitutional issue expected to become more important after the election, due in the next two months. Some Labor ministers are in favor of establishing a number of regional assemblies for England.

Outside of the UK, many people confuse Britain and England and use the terms interchangeably. Indeed, many inhabitants of England regard themselves as British rather than English. But the increasing distinctiveness of the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish as a result of devolution has brought the question of English identity onto the agenda.

Mike Knowles of the Campaign for an English Parliament said Monday the notion of "Englishness" has been increasingly taking hold, and could be seen in many ways. In his home county of Cheshire, for example, the local authority this year for the first time organized St. George's Day events.

St George's flags - red crosses on a white background - were becoming more prevalent, on flagpoles and car bumpers, he added.

Knowles said the campaign, which was launched two years ago, remained modest - he said he could not give figures - but had nevertheless doubled its membership in the last year. Without any large backers, it operates solely on the small annual membership fee.

Early this year, 18 percent of respondents in an opinion poll backed the idea of an English Parliament.

"A lot of the newspapers looked at this and said, there's little support," he said. "But if you had spoken about an English Parliament two years ago, no one would have known what you were talking about.

"If a political party two years ago had started with no financial backing, and now had 18 percent of people [backing its policies], they'd be shouting on the rooftops. We're very optimistic."

Knowles conceded that, to many Britons, "Englishness" has a bad name, while those espousing "Scottishness" or "Welshness" are seen as being proud of their heritage.

"This representation of Englishness as racist or as bad is, I have no doubt, politically motivated. Actually, English people are very tolerant. It is England that takes the vast majority of asylum-seekers from abroad."

Many English people fear the younger generation is growing up with little sense of their distinct "Englishness." Knowles said education - especially the teaching of history - tended to downplay England and what it stood for.

A new MORI opinion poll found that close to three-quarters of 16-24 year olds questioned could not say what date St. George's Day is marked each year. St. George, the slayer of a mythical dragon who was threatening a princess and the inhabitants of her city, has since the 12th century been England's patron saint.

The poll was commissioned by the company that makes the official uniforms for England's national soccer squad. A company spokesman compared the degree to which Irish people celebrate their patron saint on St. Patrick's Day to the distinct lack of interest among the English.

English left out

The issue has also been highlighted by the wording on a form for a British national census, to be held in the coming days. Question 8 asks citizens to indicate their ethnicity. Under the "white" option, respondents can tick British, Irish or "any other white background."

But those filling in the forms in Scotland can choose Scottish, while in Wales, the government has been encouraging people to write in the word "Welsh" if they wish. The English are being given no such option or advice.

A senior Conservative Party lawmaker called Sunday on Englishmen and women to write in "English" on the form.

"It appears acceptable to be Scottish, Welsh or Irish but not English," Gerald Howarth was quoted as saying. "Uniquely the English are being pilloried by the Labor Party's total obsession with political correctness. The wording of the census is not just stupid. It is also sinister. It is designed to bring about the annihilation of Englishness and the promotion of multi-culturalism."

But even if many English people heed Howarth's advice, there is no indication national statisticians will count them as a separate ethnic group, whereas the Welsh have been officially assured that this will happen in their case.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party announced Monday it would re-introduce national symbols to drivers' licenses when it returned to power.

New credit-card sized licenses introduced under Labor discarded any national flags or symbols in favor of the stars of the European Union.

Conservative transport spokesman Archie Norman said drivers would in the future be able to choose from the British flag (the Union Jack), the English emblem (St George's Cross), or the Welsh or Scottish symbols.

They would also be able to display the symbols on their motor car number plates, he said.

Norman accused the government of a strategy to erase "all traces of Britishness" and force the UK into Europe "by stealth," he charged.

 

 




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