Things Are Shifting

Suzanne Moore writes:  

I have always called myself English not British and see no problem with it. Indeed, one side effect of the push for Scottish independence is the recognition that the mass of English people are happy to wave goodbye.

For what does the Union represent? For me the occupation of Ireland, second homes in Wales and bits of the BBC sent to Glasgow. Ed Miliband has been trying to push the Union as, of course, he needs the large Scottish Labour vote, but it no longer works.

When I say I am English, I think of England as diverse and multicultural. Scotland is not like that at all so I don’t really need any lectures about racism.

Let Scotland be free and... er, white. Let England be whatever we make it.

But from the Fundamentalist wing of the SNP, Alex Neil insisted on Question Time, not only that he was British, but that he would still be British after Scottish independence, and that the Union Flag would still fly in Scotland at that time.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Torch has toured the Irish Republic on the apparently unquestioned basis that it is an integral part of the host country. The most notable thing about that detour is that no one has found it remotely worthy of comment. Just as no one has that Mrs Brown's Boys was given a BAFTA as a British programme at a ceremony compèred by a man from County Wicklow who was schooled entirely in Irish. Brendan O'Carroll was also nominated as a British actor, and neither he nor anyone else said a word.

Things are shifting. And, frankly, we can all see in which direction. Well, look at the alternative. Just wait for the coming Miliband-Balls Government in, therefore, non-austerity Britain. Support for readopting sterling rises drastically among the young and among Sinn Féin supporters. Remember the outpouring of outrage over here when Ireland had that spot of footballing bother with the French a couple of years ago? As far as everyone was concerned without a moment's pause, a Home Nation had been wronged by foreigners. Well, of course.