Some people are worried that the notion of England and symbols such as the flag of St George might have become too closely associated with a form of intolerant nationalism; and that it would be better to speak of Britishness rather than Englishness.
Then there are those who insist that being ‘English’ is all about colonialism, imperialism, and class oppression. And one should only mention it in an apologetic tone and never express Englishness with pride.
But surely how a national culture is defined cannot be left to people who try to hijack it for their own jingoistic fantasies, or to those who can see nothing but torturous nightmares in its history. Of course England, like any other nation, has good and bad elements. Yet while we should condemn wrongful deeds and prevent their recurrence, we should also celebrate the momentous and the inspirational.
When we reflect on our Englishness, what shines out?
Our capacity for integration. From the arrival of the French Normans in 1066, intermingling with Celts, Angles, Saxons, Danes, to subsequent enrichment with people from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Netherlands, other parts of Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian sub-continent, the Far East – giving us an incomparable cultural richness.
Our firm stand against arbitrary rule and oppression. We produced the Magna Carta in 1215; we rid ourselves of two unacceptable monarchs in the 17th century; we abolished the slave trade in 1807; we resolutely fought the Nazis and fascists; and through the guidance of our MP for Liverpool West Derby, we helped to establish the European Convention for Human Rights (ratified in 1953).
Our inventiveness in creating a better society. Look back on the reformists who improved factory working conditions, and advanced public health; cooperative pioneers who shared returns more equitably; innovators in community land trusts to widen access to housing; and the politicians who created the National Health Service.
Our internationalist and compassionate outlook. We co-founded the United Nations. England is home to Eglantyne Jebb and Dorothy Buxton who founded Save the Children in 1919; to the establishment of Oxfam (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief) in 1942; and to Peter Benenson who set up Amnesty international in 1961.
Our scientific heroes. Francis Bacon and the Royal Society he inspired; Isaac Newton and the laws of physics; Charles Darwin and natural selection; Michael Faraday and electromagnetism; Francis Crick and the genetic sciences; Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web. To name but a few.
Our creative geniuses. William Shakespeare, Henry Fielding, Jane Austen, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, H. G. Wells, Agatha Christie, George Orwell, Arthur C. Clarke, the list of writers alone goes on and on. Then there are the incredible filmmakers – Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Danny Boyle, Carol Reed, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan; the painters, the sculptors, the television show creators, the composers, and the great bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Genesis, Pink Floyd, the Specials, Queen, U2, Blur, etc.
What appeals to some of us may not appeal so much to others. But then again, diversity is a recurring feature of English achievements. We can each mix and match to come up with our own favourite brew of Englishness – to savour and to praise.
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