The following is an email we received today. We invite you to leave your comments.
Dear Sir,
I love the website as it is NOT pc but allows everyone to have their say. However I do take exception to the confusion caused to children and outsiders by insisting on the misuse of the word ‘British’. It is NOT interchangeable with English as seems to be suggested.
There is no such nationality as British, it is simply a flag of convenience like the tired old colonial flag (union jack). Britain is a complex constitutional and political construct designed to weld the disparate and often antagonistic nations of England, Scotland, Wales and N, Ireland into unit to further the interests of Empire after the ‘Act Of Union in 1707’. There never was a British nation. In fact the meaning is further made meaningless post 1997 devolution when Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland broke away from the union to create their own parliaments and assemblies.
Monday, July 03, 2006
When should we use the word British?
Posted by Woodlander at Monday, July 03, 2006
Labels: questions and answers
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7 comments:
Happy Birthday, Jack! (Union Flag)
Today marks the 400th birthday of the Union Flag. Listening to the radio this morning I was interested to hear that we can call the British flag Union Flag as well as Union Jack. Apparently, it is ok on dry land to say both.
It was 400 years ago today that King James VI of Scotland – James I of England – announced by Royal Proclamation the introduction of what was to become the Union Jack. You can read more about the history and the meaning behind the colours on our website.
In America, you are not allowed to use the national flag as part of any clothing, you can’t hang it on the ceilings and you can’t use it on napkins. In Britain, it is common to see our national flag stamped on anything from bedspreads to items of clothings including underwear. The Union Jack is not something we pay any formal homage to to retain our validity as citizens.
“The Union Jack represents the country as a whole, but also a community of individuals, with shared values and a long and often troubled history. It symbolises our ancient freedoms and traditions; the Crown in Parliament, trial by jury, habeas corpus, the presumption of the innocence and freedon of speech, our defence of the weak and defiance of the mighty.”
George Courtauld author of The Pocket Book of Patriotism.
As an American, this raises some questions about refering to England (or Britain) as the “United Kingdom.” How should that be used?
The way I understand things;
Britain is the name of a large island in the north sea.
To be British is to be born on that Island.
A foreign person to be a British Citizen may be permitted by the Government depending on how long that person has lived in Britain.
Great Britain is the largest island of Britain and the other smaller islands included (this also includes the country of Northern Ireland)
Britain therefore is NOT a country or nation.
Britain is divided into three countries or nations, Scotland Wales and England.
The United Kingdom is a union of England (and Wales) and Scotland in that they would be ruled under one parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament. This later included Northern Ireland.
In 1997 The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom adopted federalism and gave a parliament to Scotland, they can decide on devolved matters such as health and education. The United Kingdom parliament decides on major issues that involve defence and taxes.
Wales has also been granted an Assembly (parliament) and Northern Ireland will be getting theirs back once peace has been fully established again.
England does not have it’s own parliament. Everything is still decided by the UK government.
The UK government will not ask the people of England if they want a parliament, they would prefer it if England was to adopt regional assemblies (small parliaments) these are sized to about 3 to 5 million people.
A lot of English people resent the way that they have been treated by the UK government because it is the English people that pay the majority of the taxes some of which are given to Scotland and Wales.
A lot of people also blame the EU (European Union)because the regions was a EU idea that the UK government have agreed to, they have however forgotten (on purpose?) to ask the English people what they want, this does not seem very fair because the government is democratically there to represent the people.
I agree that the site implies that English equals British as in the introduction “Living in England
A place to share experience of British culture, history, traditions and topical events” it does not refer to the other British countries whose cultures and outlooks differ in a variety of ways from England’s.
In answer to Tommy’s “A lot of English people resent the way that they have been treated by the UK government because it is the English people that pay the majority of the taxes some of which are given to Scotland and Wales.” I would say that the English pay the majority of the taxes because they are the majority of the population. They also receive the majority of it back. The Welsh and the Scots do pay taxes too. As Tommy says, it is the United Kingdom parliament that decides how taxes should be used.
I still don’t get it…! IsBritain not a country since people are British and have British passports, ie, people living in the 4 natiosns : England, Scotland, Wales & Ulster.
Is it not this way ?
I’m afraid Maud is incorrect about the American Flag not being used in clothing in fact after 9/11 there are more jacket, hats, bandanna’s & skirts being worn than ever before. I’m Canadian & proud of it, but the only place I have a flag is on my backpack.I do ride a Triumph though, long live Britan!!
I must object to the writer of the email saying that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have broken away from the union- they have not, and the writer obviously does not know what they are talking about! And as for the sneering reference to the Union flag as the ‘colonial flag’, how many colonies did Britain actually have in 1707? Apart from America and the odd Carribean Island, not many. And for Scotland the Union certainly wasn’t merely an arrangement to further Empire building- it saved them from bankruptcy.
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