As we all know, the great and the good - the Prime Minister, the vast majority of MPs, the Guardian, etc, have all decided that "British" is good, "English" is bad.Gordon Brown, a man of great ambition, makes an exception for our national football team. But he has his reasons.
Why is "British" good, "English" bad? If anything, doesn't "British" smell of ye olde Empire? That's beside the point, badly thought-out and unfair devolution has made the continuation of a "British" civic identity in England essential to New Labour and the repression of "Englishness" is an absolute must.
In the sales info for the Royal Mint Battle of Trafalgar commemorative coin I received this morning (see above), I read that:
The commemorative Trafalgar £5 coin has been struck at the Royal Mint, as have all British circulation coins for the last 1,100 years.
Er, there was no "British" nation and no "British" national currency 1,100 years ago. Shouldn't the blurb actually read "English and then British circulation coins" or some such?
But no, the Royal Mint has decided to join Tony and his cronies in attempting to airbrush England out of existence. Then. Now. Forever.
The Royal Mint's little effort is part of a much bigger drive aimed at ensuring that every man, woman and child in England will continue to think "British", thus sealing their fate as second class UK citizens.
Wakey, wakey!
This blog is supportive of the aims of the Campaign for an English Parliament, but is in no way connected.
