British day...

[big jimmy]

The British government want to have a "British Day ".to celebrate "British ness "......Could be the only ones who celebrate this will be the East Europeans.... Poles to the fore..... and the Africans, Caribbean immigrants , Pakistanis, Indians, Chinese, Romanians, more Poles.... Moroccans, Algerians, Australians more Poles....have I forgotten anyone..?...Yeah..the Brits..but it ain't our country any more...thanks Tony...love u....

[Bamboo Grove]

In order to counter this move, the Scots are going to celebrate the day of Loch ness. and i wish them good luck.

[redzonerocker]

totally agree with you big jimmy,
i'm just waiting for some lefty human rights brigader to complain that if we have a brit day it may offend some members of our multi cultural society & therefore become another racist issue!!

[DawnHRD]

big jimmy,

excuse me asking, but why are you so upset about this? AFAIK, you don't live there any more. Genuine question as I don't live there either & really couldn't care less about this matter. I'm just wondering how those that don't live there still maintain such close ties with their homeland - or am I the only one who has gone adrift?

[Rider]

It depends, if you have family and friends still there and still pine for how it was in the old days then the ties will hold true.

Personally, while the British Day proposal is a step in the right direction, I think its misleading to many of the native inhabitants who consider their real native roots to in England, Scotland or Wales etc.
I think an 'English Day' would be better and more patriotic. The Labour government aren't really pro-english per sa so I suppose this British Day thing is as good as it gets (for now).
But the problem with 'British' is it is too vague, dispersed and watered down. Sure its an easy way of summing up all relevant countries that make up the UK. But its a bit like Norway, Sweden and Denmark being lumped into one common country and their real national identities being considered secondary or not at all.
Britishness is something that happened when Scotland got dragged into the Union with England and Wales in 1707. To me celebrating a mere 300 years of the Union is a bit lame when the history of England goes back to the Angles and Saxon tribes settling with the celts nearly 1500 years ago.

The Scots, Welsh and N. Irish rightly consider their roots in their home country of origin rather than as a unionised entity. They generally don't consider themselves Brits primarily. So the British Day thing will (ironically) likely end up being celebrated by the English folk first and foremost!

[buksida]

I'm just wondering how those that don't live there still maintain such close ties with their homeland - or am I the only one who has gone adrift?

No mate, I'm right there with yer!

[caller]

I'm really at a loss to understand what direction the Govt. is heading in with all of this?

Now they have decided letting all and sundry in without any restrictions don't work (obvious), they now seem intent on forcing being British down peoples throats. Unless you're from europe of course.

So Thai partners who have to go through all sorts of hoops to get here at great cost (visas), then have to pay for ESOL/citizenship tests, have to line up alongside freebie "asylum seekers" often initially here initially illegally, who get everything for free in any case - WTF!

On top of which, we have millions here from the sub-continent on arranged/forced marriages who walk through the door free as well and are entitled to everything from day one.

I agree with Rider. I'm not into a British day, seeing some knobbly kneed Scot in a skirt blowing into a sheeps adder does nothing for me.

I wouldn't even be assed to celebrate an English day either, as has been said, they'll probably try and stop the flag of St. George beig waved and force some multi-culteral event on me (in addition to those with the Scots) to "celebrate our diversity" that I don't want to take part in.

I'm with Big Jimmy on his views. Most people want controlled immigration, its repeated in polls time after time, we've never had it and now it ain't my country any more either.

Too little, too pathetic, too late.

Rant over!

[redzonerocker]

nice rant caller, one thing i would add that what you said.
most people don't just want controlled immigration they also want the deportation of those that are illegally in the uk scrounging off the state.
stop all the benefits & handouts & most would have no choice but to leave. it would also deter further migrants jumping on the gravy train.
as for buksi & dawn, i understand your views & its a valid one.i have a similar viewpoint having spent a lot of time living & working out of the uk. but i'll never forget my roots & i'm proud of the fact that i am english first & british secondly.
not sure i would be celebrating a brit day though

[caller]

Redzone,

You haven't a hope of that despite the stats the politicians are peddling. After 5 years of an appeal process, that is apparantly going to be speeded up, those that fail - almost most - simply disappear or use another identity.

So forget it mate, it won't happen. There's not the desire or will, otherwise, the planes would be full heading in any direction.

Note: Heavily editied to protect my pension!

[STEVE G]

The only positive benefit I can personally see in having a British, or even an English day is that it would give us an excuse to have a piss-up in ex-pat bars around the world, to get our own back for having Paddy's day rammed down our throats every year. Do you think you could get a Union Flag into the head of a pint of Boddingtons?

[big jimmy]

big jimmy,

excuse me asking, but why are you so upset about this? AFAIK, you don't live there any more. Genuine question as I don't live there either & really couldn't care less about this matter. I'm just wondering how those that don't live there still maintain such close ties with their homeland - or am I the only one who has gone adrift?

Good valid question Dawn. Having been brought up in the UK I still have a keen interest in the country, its where my life developed and where my values were formed. I hate to see the British way of life being eroded by immigrants who are only there for what they can get from the country and have no desire to integrate into the community or share our values. The government must see that also as that is why they are trying to have a British Day.

On the other side of the coin..how do the Thais feel about us coming to Thailand with our different values ?. I am sure many of them detest us and they must also be scared that their way of life will change with this influx of foreigners .......its not just the British way of life that changes thru immigrtaion but every country that welcomes foreigners...

[Jaime]

The Scots, Welsh and N. Irish rightly consider their roots in their home country of origin rather than as a unionised entity. They generally don't consider themselves Brits primarily. So the British Day thing will (ironically) likely end up being celebrated by the English folk first and foremost!

I'm not sure this is true at all. What most Welsh, Scots & N. Irish don't consider themselves as is English. I think the populace of the Celtic provinces actually understand the traditional concept of Britishness far better than their English counterparts, who due to their pre-eminent position in the union have seemed unable to differentiate between Englishness and Britishness. Ironically the rise of English self-awareness as something different from Britishness seems to have occurred very recently with the advent of the forms of devolved 'government' for Wales & Scotland. As a populist illustration of this observation, as a kid I rarely saw a St George's Cross at an England football match - just Union Flags. Further illustrations will predictably draw the 'chip on shoulder' accusation so I will leave it there - boring and all been said before. It will not be Scottish or Welsh nationalists who break up the UK but English nationalists. Most will probably be voting by proxy from their ex-pat ghettos!

[STEVE G]

I think people are just going to have to get used to the fact in this modern multi-cultural world Nationalism is rapidly becoming a redundant notion and good riddance to it. Here in Luxembourg City 60 percent of the population is non-Luxembourgian, coming from all over the world and it is a very friendly, pleasant and peaceful place.

[redzonerocker]

i know that wont happen caller, but,
how long will people in the uk put up with the increases in taxes etc to fund the handouts to these scroungers?
my guess is not much longer. the seeds of the far right are firmly planted in the working class areas of inner cities & now the other classes are voicing their opinions.its no solely a racist agenda because it includes asian/black british within those classes.
the biggest problem is most of these migrants are unemployable or are taking unskilled jobs, claiming housing/child (etc) benefits, low income support & therefore not really contributing to society at all.
i dont intend to be here when it does all erupt, as it surely will.
civil unrest or even a civil war on the strets of the uk sounds extreme & unthinkable but its a distinct possibility in the coming years.
just to comment on your point big jimmy, yes the thais may well not like the influx of foreigners but i'm sure they will welcome those that accept their way of life, their customs & abide by their laws & maybe contribute something to their nation.
sadly that doesnt seem to be the case of the majority of migrants that come to the uk.

[caller]

Such a minefield of a subject - and no-one even knows if a Britishness day will ever happen.

Jaime - on the whole I agree with you. Although I think the policiticians were short-sighted in not considering the impact devolved Govt. would have on the English.

I, like others I know, consider it unfair that Scots MP's for example can have an input into votes that effect me, but not the other way around.

But I think there is something, more subtle happening. I think its a rebellion against some of the changes that we are seeing to our communities and attacks against us, either verbally (extreme hatred and incitement), which finally are being clamped down on, or other acts. Now, I don't live in a poor area, but the cross of St. George flying from flag poles in peoples gardens? Elsewhere, you see it displayed in peoples windows, even shops. And so many cars have similar flying from their rear view mirrors or as stickers.

I think there is a huge gulf between the rhetoric from Govt. and the average guy in the street, but where to turn? Boy David is more left than TB and the Lib-Dems?

I think its a hugely complex matter and I'd best leave it there as well!

NB. I was clearly exagerating mistakenly when I said in my first post about millions coming here on marriage visas etc. But I question why this is still allowed 2nd or 3rd generation on?