My sister told me the following. Her sons play online games in which players identify themselves with a name and a flag to indicate their their country of origin. Scottish players use the saltire, Welsh players the dragon, but my nephews don’t use the St George’s flag because it has become associated with far-right politics, and they avoid players who do use it. Instead they choose the union jack.
I can’t criticise my dear nephews’ pragmatic choice – they are there to play a game, not to get involved in unpleasant conversations, and of course they don’t want to be ostracised by other players – and yet a part of me wants to yell, It’s our fucking flag! Are we really just going to lie down and let those people steal it? England is already the only part of Britain that doesn’t have its own parliament, meaning that its government is also the government of the UK (one consequence of which is that England can have a government that wasn’t elected by a majority of English MPs – something that never seemed to be mentioned when English remainers were wailing that Brexit wasn’t democratic because Scotland didn’t vote for it!) Are we also to be confined to using the UK flag?
If English people say ‘England’ when we mean Britain, or ‘Britain’ when we mean England, we get ticked off. But you can see why we get confused!
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I’m not trying to suggest that England is hard done by. It’s the richest, and by far the largest, part of the UK – several times more populous than the other three countries combined – but I do think we should be allowed our own identity.
Perhaps more importantly, I think that this kind of move – eschewing our own national flag, expressing distaste for our own country – is exactly the kind of thing that alienates the general population from left-leaning middle class folk like myself, thus contributing to the disastrous rift that’s opened up in the century-long class alliance that used to sustain progressive politics. We liberal types are very hot on respecting other people’s cultures. We should apply the same principle to the culture of our own compatriots. Not least because, if we don’t, they’ll turn to people who do. But also because disparaging your own just isn’t a very appealing habit.
And anyway, look at it, what a beautiful flag it is! The flag of England!
See also: Patriotism
Yes English people should stand up for their flag not being appropriated by the far right.
As a matter of equity England should certainly have its own Parliament but I doubt, if asked, people would vote for one. They dislike politicians enough as it is.
And while it’s technically possible I don’t think there’s actually ever been a UK government which had not gained a majority of English seats.
Sorry to be picky; but it’s surely not so difficult to remember not to say England when the UK (or Britain) is meant. Irish, Welsh and Scots folks do not get those entities confused. (Foreigners quite often do, though.)
Btw Northern Ireland also didn’t vote for Brexit – and, arguably, didn’t get it.
I purposely didn’t mention Northern Ireland, Jack, because it’s a rather special case. (Northern Ireland has fascinated me ever since I was a teenager, when the Troubles were a constant presence in the news.) I don’t disagree with anything you say, and I certainly agree there is no appetite for another parliament. But, speaking as an English person, I think English national identity is a rather cloudy thing. And I think the absence of things like a government, a language, or even a capital city that we don’t share with the rest of the UK probably contributes to that. It’s not a grievance. England has no cause for grievance! But I think we could allow ourselves a flag.