Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Race and The English




Race and English Nationalism


As some may know ,my family is of mixed race, and I can’t say this would have occurred to me as an issue, but ,lovely soft skinned and delicately scented David Allen , mentioned the dislocation of ethnic minorities, and, looking at the paper today, it has cropped up again, in an article by Martin Beckford.

More Blacks and Asians see Themselves as British


“ More black and Asian people regard themselves as British than whites, a survey has found ….the study also discovers that fewer people in general see themselves as British ,as they identify with England , Scotland, Wales or Ireland.
The Institute for Public Policy Research , a left wing think tank, found fifty-one percent of ethnic minority respondents describe themselves as British, compared with twenty-nine percent of white people..”
In 1996 , fifty-two percent called themselves British out of preference and the report concludes .
“ Britain’s identity crisis looks set to continue and the implications for community cohesion look clear.” Looking back over the past week or two, the last really impassioned defence I can find for the Union was mounted by none other than ,( new best friend) ,Trevor Phillips , who has so delighted me by irritating world record cab fare holder Ken Livingstone. This is his much improved recent track record

Trevor Phillips


“After supporting multiculturalism for many years, Phillips is now one of its most outspoken mainstream critics. He expressed fears that multiculturalism could cause Britain to "sleepwalk towards segregation" and has argued for school selection to be amended to prevent segregation in British schools.
In 2006 he was appointed the head of a new organisation known as the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights,”


Trevor Philips on Britain … ( abridged version)


Perhaps if we want to see what it truly means to be British, we should ask hard-working, Indians, Eastern Europeans, Chinese and Filipinos……...
Vietnamese and Eastern European families arrive barely speaking English; within two years, their children are rising to the top of the class and qualifying for our best universities….
.Modern Britishness does not define you by your colour, your ancestry or your tribe; but rather it asks you to treat fellow citizens with respect and fairness, to share basic rules of conduct and to contribute to our common good……..
He wants measures to actively foster this inclusiveness
1)Over the past twelve months, English classes have been quietly disappearing from local colleges, to the despair of new migrants and their employers.
2) efforts to bring young people of different backgrounds together – say English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish — in voluntary, cultural or sporting activities.
3)a major drive to encourage initiatives such as summer camps for teenagers
4)citizenship ceremonies


Why it is that Trevor Phillips feels Englishness is so much less likely to be inclusive than Britishness.? Why would you not use the phrase Black -English ? You see I think there is fault line here ,and while I applaud to some extent, what he tries to do , essentially ,he is still denying the that the England is a country in the sense that others are.

What is Englishness and Where has it Gone ?


What do we want ? Larry the lamb, knee length bathing trunks, steam engines , foxtrots and all male cricket clubs. Probably not . I locate the heart of it in institutions like Common Law, our Literature music and customs. All old cultures are under threat from globalisation and the media . The land loses its personal face and the English have begun to feel they are noone and they live nowhere special. They also seem to hate themselves……

Prescribed Ethnicity

In 1999 during selections to the European Parliament 78 year old George Staunton was putting up UKIP posters in Liverpool . On a derelict wall he painted the words “Don’t forget the 1945 war” and “Free speech for England “ . He was arrested by the Merseyside police and charged with “Racially aggravated damage”. Racially ,was on account of the gratuitous reference to England, a country for whom the defendant had fought a war. Pubs have refused to extend opening hours for St . Georges day because it would be provocative and jingoistic. To be English has become to be a “little Englander” a small mean and embarrassing thing . A blot , as Trevor Phillips implies, on the bland vision of “Britishness “in which uniquely , England , and English ethnicity, is abolished.
As we well know ,to Europe, England does not even exist. The official map of the European union, issued by the European commission of Brussels ,which divides the continent into regions ,makes absolutely no mention of England . It would be a vast deal easier to drop Nelson from the curriculum than Nelson Mandella but this seems to concern no-one ..until recently .

The English Wake Up


We are waking from a long sleep, and remembering without triumphalism, the value and distinctive nature of our own history . Is this is a dangerous Pandora’s box , I see the worry but I hope not . Tolerance has always been a leading motif ,but the fact that this country is England ,and the dominant culture in it is that of the English, cannot go on being treated as a shameful secret.

Back to Race.


I know why Trevor Phillips and others fear English ethnicity. It is because he is more comfortable to give us no identity at all in order that others can maintain theirs. “Racism “will be bandied about as it always is ,but it is to do with culture and a real commitment to the “home” ,you live in. Britain is not a country ,it is a political unit . It is something you can join ,and leave ,to whatever extent you like , with full entitlements. “England” ,on the other hand , is a country , a thing made of love, time ,and a thousand bonds of affection .It is not enough for those who come here to tolerate it . This is not racist it is asking for a real joining over the years , not simply ”Parking up “. For some communities it may be a challenge ,but in the context of our reasonable ness I trust we will find a new accommodation.



“English Nationalism is not a question of race, it is a question of being proud of our way of life (ethnicity), our heritage and our culture and about loyalty and a sense of community. All races are welcome as members.”

( English National Party Manifesto)

..and I would want top be a bit more plural than that…just to be on the safe side !!

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sleep walking ?

The lower classes have been screaming about it for years via the letters pages of the tabloids.

From the demand/supply of labour perspective I'm glad that language lessons are being curtailed as this means less people competing for my job, this is a real concern for me at the moment.

The oiks are not stupid, we realise that all parties are globalist and no longer represent us and that is why we don't vote.

Croydonian said...

Black and Asian folk have preferred British as a modifier over English / Scottish for decades, as rightly or wrongly 'English' etc is considered to mean white. I think it is the same story with British Jews.

Newmania said...

Yes C and I was trying to point out why that was, its because England is associated with the English who in the past have been mostly white . Britain means nothing at all and in the coming together we have a right to an ethinicity to .

I do worry about seeming to be to aggresive about it though

Whispering Walls said...

Have you ever heard of the phrase "British gentleman"?

Newmania said...

The word Gentleman is a specifically English one and closely connected with the development of English culture . There is no such phrase as British Gentleman. "British Citizen" would be more typical. British National, British Passport holder...all legal matters of status and entitlement

Ms Smack said...

hello Newman. I think you must be online as you've freshly commented on my blog!

I cant for the life of me be bothered calculating the time difference but it must be either early or very late.

hi !

Frobisher said...

I agree with electro-kevin, there doesn't seem to be any party representing your average joe these days, worryingly BNP and UKIP are probably closer than the Torys & Labour to most peoples thinking these days.

I think people are describing themselves as English these days is a way to distance themselves from the segregated,failed multi-cultural dump Britain is turning into. Phew!

Ms Smack said...

Maybe one of you decent, average blokes needs to set up his own campaign appealing to the very same population/demographic!

Sounds so far-fetched I agree, but all those tards started somewhere!

Even a small seat would be a start to what could be a promising career working for the people.

Newmania said...

I do not approve of the BNP or that part of the labour Party that s trying to wear its clothes. I `m not a racist I would only like to see a confident reassertion of Englishness which to me is a tolerant and friendly country. Nonetheless it is a country

Anonymous said...

Do people of any race like being told how they should feel? My mother is Greek and she doesn't feel English, neither does she feel Greek any more as she has lived here longer than her native place of birth. She feels she has no roots.

Newmania said...

Thats interesting Ellee. My wife is black and as English as you can get.I would hate to see intolerance in this country but I would like there to be a strong identity of a real country for people to join over time .

I have really tried not to be "against" anyone we can`t be dorrmats either

Croydonian said...

The most English person I know is of Indian Catholic origin.

Newmania said...

the Catholic bit sounds tricky to me C which is against so much that is typically English.

Indian well of course why not ,I think there is almost a natural affinity to start with

Newmania said...

Oho Hi Miss Smack always a stupendous pleasure to see you. I am hoping that your dastardly plan to have cheap joyful meaningless sex goes awry, although obviosuly I will be needing all the details pronto.


Mmmmmmm Miss Smnaaaack

Anonymous said...

Ms Smack says: "Maybe one of you decent, average blokes..." does anyone spring to mind? Would anyone want to fit that description?

Newmania said...

If Miss smack likes decent average blokes then that is excatly what I am Elee...starting now .


Imagine the accent as well...
(Won`t mean a lot to you obviously Miss E)

Anonymous said...

Oh that's it then. Ms Smack gets all the attention again !

Nobody even noticed my latex one-piece !

Newmania said...

Kev I have not heard a word of praise about my three piece white velour suit in years.

Its a bloody disgrace.

( Latex one peice indeed!!)

Anonymous said...

Is it racist to say I am Engish ,I was British ,Scotland want's to leave the Union which if thats' what they want, so I am English, If they stay I will be British then English.

johnny said...

I'm catholic and would be insulted to be told I cannot be English, I am certainly not any thing else

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what you mean N:

What is a 'disgrace' ?

- Your velour suit

- The lack of praise for your velour suit

- My one piece latex number

Well I admit that my one piece is a disgrace, so that leaves us with 50/50, phone a friend or ask the audience.


Good point Anon (above) - so my nationality is to be decided by the Scots. I weep with happiness.(and the tightness of my one piece)

Newmania said...

Armchair , of course you are , I was thinking of the history of the English Church , obviously , but I don`t suppose that matters now .

Personally I have no strong religious convictions and I think I am English

Anonymous said...

Hopefully Scotland will soon declare independence and the word British will disappear. The people of England will have to say they are English.

Anonymous said...

These are some letters to the press since Sep 14, 2005, there are many many more.
http://www.crossofstgeorge.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7852&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

just click 55 for the latest letters.
This New Labour shower of shite, aided and abetted by the lib/dems and tories, have done every thing they can to stifle the very idea of England.
Cameron joined in recently with his
"sour little Englander" speech in scotland .
The racism cosh has been used by the yes Campaign in the North East referendum for a regional assembly assembly in 2004. They wanted rid of England but did not like to tell the truth about the abolition of England, so the race card was used against English flag wavers instead. The yes campaign also used the villification of our fellow English people in the South
of England as a tool.
john prescott and New Labour sanctioned this type of campaign.
I could go on for ever,we are greater in number number now and we have dedicated people Campaigning for an English Parliament, we have cracked the press with the aid of the Witangemot bloggers.

Believe me, when you are dealing with these politicians, you are dealing with scum.
Hotspur

Anonymous said...

It shouldn't be the colour of your skin that defines you, but your thoughts, actions and beliefs. England needs to be open to all who are open to her. Her history, culture and people.

MS

Newmania said...

Thanks MS thast the way I feel about it and i enjoyed the comment .

Hotspur that is a much appreciated broadening of the post and is exactly what I am getting at. I look forward to folowing up your links later

Cheers

Anonymous said...

You know that the anti-English are using this to discredit us...again right? That is why the loony left have changed tack. Bugger them. Do not let them change the goalposts. For years they whined and griped about multiculturalism and then they decide it's time for a change because multiculturalism doesnt work? People like US have been saying that for years but all we got was "your a nazi". Seems to me the loony left have a huge ego problem! So loonies we were correct after all right? Go on say it you wackers. What about multiculturalism you @#$%'s?
There is nothing wrong with English people asserting their unique identity. Scots do it. Welsh do it. Why the discrimination against the English? I dont care what the reasons are. We are English and we aint shutting up...ever!! You got us going to which is sort of hilarious. Ha! ha! Now you've got our goat you think we're going to be quiet. I dont think so.
England forever!

Blog Archive