Steadfast
Those who claim to be English civic-nationalists have some explaining to do since there is no English state and no English civic identity. Their claim to favour civic-nationalism is often a means of seeking approval from the political establishment – just as the Scottish National Party has done. It is a way of saying, I am not one of those nasty ‘ethnic-nationalists’ of whom you disapprove.
And those who claim to be communists have some explaining to do because there is no communism in England. Those "who claim to be" English civic nationalists favour the creation of an English state, or aspects of a state, in order to help create an English civic identity, to promote and foster a sense of belonging to England and, importantly, of England belonging to us. This claim does not find favour with the Establishment because the Establishment are Anglo-Brits who see English interests and British interests as indivisible; these are people for whom, Britain is "greater England".
Ethnic nationalists, like Steadfast, exist to protect and further the interests of their ethnic group. Most civic nationalists recognise that civic nationalism and ethnic nationalism are not mutually exclusive positions, but they see civic nationalism as the only platform on which to build a modern nation state because it works on the basis of individual rights and national solidarity, rather than group rights and ethnic solidarity (multiculturalism/communalism).
If civic-nationalists have 'some explaining to do', then the question arises - do ethnic nationalists have some explaining to do? Do ethnic nationalists not want England to possess the constitutional apparatus of statehood; and if not why not, does it diminish their England?
A recent article in the New Statesman highlights the identity crisis that English civic nationalists wish to correct:
Loyalty itself has different meanings in different parts of Britain. Asians in Scotland, particularly those born in Scotland, describe themselves as Scots and tend to be more loyal to Scotland than Britain. The bulk of the Muslims in Scotland now support the SNP and back the demand for an independent Scotland. Asians in Wales also describe themselves as Welsh Asians and appear comfortable with their Welsh identity. In contrast, Asians in England tend to describe themselves as British Asians; and see Englishness as an exclusive identity that is closed to them. Their local loyalty belongs to Britain as a whole and many regard the demands of their Scottish Asian brothers and sisters across the border for an independent Scotland as treason.
Ethnic nationalism has a strong cultural component, and it may be that a self-assertive and confident cultural nationalism in England can help foster a more inclusive sense of belonging in England, a pride and interest in its heritage, politics and direction. Unfortunately, although there is nothing intrinsically 'nasty' about ethnic nationalism, it's doubtful that a bunch of anglo-saxon revivalists agitating for group rights are the most suitable vehicle to deliver either a cultural or political renaissance of England. But since the UK Government won't step into the vacuum, it's not at all surprising to see the English taking things into their own hands.
In addition to Steadfast and its spin off the Steadfast Trust, there is now a relaunched "English Lobby" promising to fight discrimination against the English people:
Non English minorities, (whilst often heard in the press/BBC deriding England and the English on most fronts,) are content to seek to live in England and gain the benefits of an English education, commerce and quality of life, yet at the same time denigrate the very nation that has made them who they are. England and the English have been far too patient for far too long and are now being unfairly treated within the Union and this anti-English discrimination must cease....
The people of England have worked hard and suffered much to attain a decent level of living, and politicians appear only too ready to hand these hard won achievements to anyone “other” than the people of England themselves. This is a travesty of politics and democracy and must be brought to an end.
The English should be put FIRST in their own country – charity begins at home.
And then there's The Centre for English Policy Studies (like the English Lobby, registered to former English Democrat Christine Constable), seeking to develop "a range of targeted initiatives to the young people of England, irrespective of their race or religion".
The tentative beginnings of a majority fight-back against the race-relations industry. An understandable but regrettable development in my opinion.
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"The tentative beginings of a
"The tentative beginings of a majority fight-back against the race-relations industry. An understandable but regrettable development in my opinion."
I see it not as a fight-back against the race relations industry, but an attempt to create an English grouping within the framework of the existing race debate. Another group to compete to beg at the feet of the government, another set of unelected community leaders claiming to speak for us. Anotther culture in the multi-culture.
I don't like the current divisive tick-box multi-culturalist system and I think we are best trying to change it rather than trying to join it.
I agree with you. In
I agree with you.
In attempting to respond to the injustices they see, they are contributing to the communalism of British politics, to compete with other ethnic/racial groups as "the English". It's sad, but inevitable.
They are fighting multiculturalism by joining it; rights for the group rather than the individual.
Ironically they're
Ironically they're effectively seeking minority status for the overwhelming majority, perhaps unintentionally opting for the ghetto in the absence of recognition of the English as a distinctive people with an increasing, and justifiable, desire for national autonomy.
As an ethnic nationalist myself I'm never quite sure whether it is I or the more strident proponents who have misunderstood the word but I cannot see that an English ethnicity necessarily precludes those recently descended from immigrants. I wholeheartedly agree that Anglophobia should be as objectionable and as actionable in England as any other form of racism and, technically at least, it already is. The problem lies not with the laws; it lies with those who interpret and administer them. and although I applaud the initiative of The English Lobby I wonder whether they have correctly identified the means to resolve the problem and possess the wherewithal to carry the project through. Sadly those behind the idea seem to have enjoyed little success in their previous efforts to advance the English cause, too often appearing only to have over-reached themselves, again.
The role of The English Lobby should be exactly that: a lobby group for the English constititional project , not a misguided protest group venting English woes(which is precisely what the CEP could and should have been ten years ago). As they are they simply epitomise ‘the rage of the impotent‘. If our own authorities can show us contempt with impunity why should foreigners respect us?
Ultimately those in England who are not English will only think of Englishness as an identifier of their ethnicity when we start to take ourselves seriously as a people again, which we are beginning to do. I have long suspected that Scotch and Welsh Asians have assumed the identities of their respective adopted homelands because, as any Englishman or woman who has lived in them for any time knows, the Scotch and Welsh make every effort to 'encourage' incomers to assimilate. Those efforts are often crude and offensive but they work. We are not so bigoted (which is something to be proud of) and in consequence, as English nationalists, we face problems in building our nation state that Scotch and Welsh nationalists do not. They can easily dissociate themselves from the baser elements of nationalism because much of what might be thought of as the dirty work of identity politics has already been done and long ago, often, and originally, with the English as the bêtes noires. We must be more careful, but we should not avoid discussion of the issues with less temperate voices simply from fear of appearing tarnished by association.
"The problem lies not with
"The problem lies not with the laws; it lies with those who interpret and administer them"
Spot on. And if you look on the English Lobby campaigns page it is MPs and groups in power they have campaigned too.
And yet there rhetoric is of non-English groups residing in England taking advantage. The only 'non-English' group we should be attacking are the 'British' politicians.