What is "Britishness"? Endnote

I used to think that Britishness was something that ran through the inhabitants of these isles like letters through a stick of rock. I have always believed that Britishness is multi-faceted, born of our long, complex and colourful history which makes it difficult to define in simple terms but something that we all recognise when we see it. For example, in Marcus Rashford’s determined campaign to ensure that children are fed during school holidays; in Captain Tom’s inspirational walk to raise money for the NHS which captured the hearts of the nation; in the Thursday evening clapping on our doorsteps to show our gratitude to front-line workers during the first-wave of the pandemic (until it was politicised by the Government); in the collaboration of our scientists with their peers around the world to develop effective vaccines against the virus at speed. These are the kind of endeavours that make us feel proud to be British. Britishness encapsulates the decency, respect, truth, fairness, resilience, compassion, sacrifice, inspiration, collaboration and encouragement that we see in those we hold in high esteem.

The blitz was a bitter and violent episode in the history of our nation which cost thousands of civilian lives, destroyed millions of homes and left many physically and mentally scarred. Yes, it was a terrifying ordeal that the nation survived but it is not particularly relevant to the problems of 21st century Britain. What defines us goes far deeper than a single period in history. Invoking wartime terminology like the “blitz spirit” every time there is a crisis might sit well with a Prime Minister who is obsessed with emulating Churchill but gives no credit for our progress or development as a people. It is as if we are stuck in time and that, somehow, our modern attitudes, knowledge and experience leave us ill-equipped to tackle today’s challenges.

Circumstances have changed since 1945. The world that has shaped us is different from the world that shaped the wartime generation. Our country is very different. This crisis is different. This enemy is invisible and attacks us by infiltrating those closest to us. This appeal to people to behave as our forebears did nearly a century ago is not actually very helpful. Suggesting that getting on top of this virus is like a war effort, that casualties are to be expected and should be accepted, that loss of front-line ‘heroes’ is a sacrifice worth making, are all grave distortions of the truth. Appealing to a proud moment in our history as a cure for all ills is a flawed strategy. Dialling-up yesterday’s successes is no solution to today’s problems; it is a smokescreen for present leadership failings, a woeful lack of preparation and generally dreadful response to the pandemic in which the vaccination programme is the only positive.

If it is to mean anything at all, the events and experiences that define our Britishness must continually change and evolve as the world around us changes and evolves. To suggest otherwise is to belittle our resolve and ability as a nation to step-up in the face of any calamity. But at the heart of any nation, there have to be some values and principles that it stands for, that shape its society and influence its policy makers. The alternative is a fool’s paradise in which anything goes, that stands for nothing, where leaders blow with the wind and simply follow what focus groups tell them is the most popular course of action at the time.

There are things that matter a great deal to the majority of people who live here, such as supporting the NHS, upholding democracy and the rule of law, and maintaining Britain’s position as a global leader. Unfortunately, these can no longer be relied upon to provide common ground as they once could, due to the increasingly polarised nature of British politics over the last decade. This has driven people away from the centre ground to the extremes of the political spectrum. Political debate has become more toxic than ever, with moderate voices being subjected to trolling and threats on social media, particularly since the Brexit referendum in 2016. We are a deeply divided nation with not one identity but competing versions of Britishness.

Making their feelings known: thousands of demonstrators marching peacefully in central London to save the NHS and protest against underfunding - 3 February 2018. Photo by inkdrop on 123RF.

Whilst some despair as the right-wing dominated media drowns out any criticism of this Government, others do not want to hear anything that challenges their view and are quick to condemn any questioning as anti-Tory bias or left-wing propaganda. Some are angered by how news flow is managed through the use of distraction and deflection to prevent any kind of scrutiny or accountability, others seem to admire politicians who wriggle off the hook and avoid giving straight answers to questions. Some find it highly disturbing when the Tories, the traditional party of law and order, play fast and loose with our constitution and threaten to break international law, others see no problem. Some rail about the unfairness of there being one law for those in power and another for everyone else but others seem to accept it as a fact of life. Some have screamed at the injustice of rule-breakers and bullies going unpunished, others turn the blame on the victims. Some are concerned by the assaults we have seen on human rights and individual freedoms under the cover of taking back control, others refuse to see the potential dangers. Some are horrified by barefaced lying, spreading of disinformation and disingenuity becoming normalised behaviours for Cabinet Ministers, whilst others take it as permission to act in the same way. Some are distraught at the return of corruption in politics as the Government has awarded lucrative contracts, jobs, grants and planning approvals to their friends without proper selection or oversight processes; others see it as no more than looking after their mates and nothing wrong with that. Some mourn the loss of our place in the EU and see Brexit as a massive act of self-harm, whereas for others it is about regaining our independence and being free to prosper. Whilst some us have wept over the epic incompetence and mismanagement of the pandemic that continues to inflict an intolerable cost in terms of lost lives and livelihoods, there are those who, despite the damning evidence to the contrary, still think Boris is doing a good job.

Being surrounded everyday with such conflicting views, stoked by the deviousness and duplicity of our leaders, eats away at our understanding of ourselves, our values, and our perception of reality. It is hard to blame those who are taken in by the lies and deceptions because they are being cleverly manipulated by sophisticated news and social media propaganda campaigns with lots of money behind them. These target suggestible individuals who, through no fault of their own, are feeling ‘left behind,’ frustrated and angry, then play on their fears and anxieties. These insidious tactics work by giving people a focus for their discontent and then stoking their anger by feeding them soundbites and misinformation, whilst at the same time demonising the opposition. So, with the Brexit referendum the chosen ‘hot buttons’ were immigration, taking back control and NHS funding. The Brexiteers were built-up to perceive themselves as an army of freedom fighters. Remainers were branded ‘Remoaners,’ their concerns were dismissed as ‘Project Fear,’ and they were assumed to belong to the dreaded ‘metropolitan liberal elite’ who are allegedly only interested in themselves. Unfortunately, the people who are actually only interested in serving their own interests are the faceless elite who are bankrolling these campaigns. They intend to divide and disrupt us because being angry and confused makes us less rational, less capable of seeing others’ points of view, and less able to sustain effective opposition. The effect has been to create a very angry and hostile political environment, in which positions have become deeply entrenched and no one is listening to each other. It is all a subterfuge to prevent the focus falling on their real objective, which is to preserve the class system. The rich few wanting to keep the rest of the people in their place lies at the heart of what is wrong in this country. If you do not see it this way, then, sadly, you are a victim of their misdirection. To see where this will all end, we do not have to look any further than across the Atlantic to the horror show that was Trump’s America.

It feels as though we are living through an orchestrated and sustained attack on the ties that bind us. The divisions that have been opened up in our society run so deep they threaten the unity of our country. Support for Scottish and Welsh independence has never been higher. The Northern Ireland Unionists feel betrayed by the protocol in the EU Withdrawal Agreement which separates their country from the rest of the UK by placing a border down the Irish Sea. The North-South divide in England is growing once more as resentment is being stirred up in the North by perceived differences and inequalities compared with the South. Anger and division are the lifeblood of this Tory Government. It would not suit their purposes if everyone calmed down and was more reasonable. They need to keep finding new totems to attack to keep the anger going and they will, as long as we let them. This is the real purpose of their ‘culture war.’ The foundations of Britain are being undermined from within. As they begin to crumble, so does our concept of Britishness. If the Union is unable to withstand this mounting internal pressure and breaks apart, there will be no Britain and no collective identity for us to argue over.

I believe we have reached a watershed moment. We are in danger of losing something precious without even realising it and to let that happen would be a travesty. Our shared history, culture and values, our diversity in unity, our combined scale and resources, obviously make us better together. This is worth trying to hold on to. Before it is too late, we need to stop and think about what kind of country we want to live in. Are we happy with the current state of affairs with all this anger and bitterness that is flying around? Are we making the country a better place and doing things that will make our children proud? There is plenty about being British that can be called upon to repair our fraying country and inspire us to even greater achievements. What will make the difference is strong, clear leadership by a leader who seeks to serve the national interest not just the narrow interests of themself and their major donors.

At the moment, even with our unique sense of humour, it is hard to see the funny side. There is no pleasure to be taken from watching the heart being ripped out of our country whilst being helpless to do anything about it. The author Philip Pullman spoke for a lot of people when he Tweeted, “Every day this country gets a little worse, and every day there's a little less we can do about it.”[1]Our hope for the future of Britain lies in the ability of the British people to realise that there is more that binds us together than tears us apart. Having won power through lies and empty promises, there will come a time of reckoning for this Government, be it Covid-19, or Brexit, or both, when they will need to honour their commitments. When they are unable to do so, as will inevitably be the case, the extent to which they have betrayed the British people will become clear for all to see. Call it a reality check or a crisis of conscience but that is what is needed to finally snap the nation out of its stupor and cause people to rise up, in collective outrage, to deliver a swift kick where it hurts to this wicked bunch of con artists. Now that would make me smile.

[1] Philip Pullman on Twitter, @PhilipPullman, 10.27 p.m., 16 March 2021.