"Incidentally, it must be said that one of the things that the Scottish and Welsh have done much better than the English is to develop an ethnically inclusive national identity. It is much more likely that a member of the black and ethnic minority communities in Scotland will describe himself as Scottish than that someone in England with a similar background will describe himself as English. People in England tend to jump straight to the British identity".
Mr Denham, when immigrants arrive in England and find that our national government and institutions are labelled "British" then surely that, rather than a lack of rapport with the existing population, encourages them to label themselves "British"?
Also, Scots MPs like Gordon Brown are at great pains to encourage the "British" thing in England. But in Scotland and Wales there are many bodies labelled "Scottish" and "Welsh" and those countries have "Scottish" and "Welsh" governing bodies.
If you are seriously trying to tell us that there is no problem with racism in Scotland and Wales, we can point you to various attacks on members of ethnic minority groups and English people in those countries in recent months.
The vast majority of English people, being the many and various peoples of England, have no say in governing their country - it is all taken care of by anti-English Scots and Welsh MPs and lazy, undemocratic English MPs who betray their fellow country people.
Have you not heard of the Barnett Formula? NHS medication apartheid? The West Lothian Question?
Please discover the facts before insulting the people who elect you.
UPDATE:
Sue Campbell...
Another priggish and bigoted New Labour MP working against his own country people. Bet the gravy train's nice and cosy, eh, Mr Denham? What a shame we don't still have OLD Labour - a party with principles!
UPDATE 2
Greg, Cumbria
The Truth of the matter...
You move to Scotland and British Gas is called "Scottish Gas" and there's a Scottish National Museum and a Scottish Parliament and, in fact, just about everything is called Scottish and the people of the country are referred to as "Scottish"... so, you regard yourself as "Scottish".
You move to England and there's British Gas and the British Museum and the British Parliament and, in fact, just about everything is labelled "British" and the people of the country are referred to as "British" ... so, you regard yourself as "British".
And ambitious MPs representing Scottish constituencies like Gordon Brown encourage it for all their worth and New Labour and its think tanks make out that to regard yourself as English is racist and that everything in the garden is lovely.
And that things like health apartheid and the Barnett Formula and the West Lothian Question don't exist.
And that's it, the 2007 reality - England and everybody in it used and abused by the UK Government.
This blog is supportive of the aims of the Campaign for an English Parliament, but is in no way connected.
