Pretty much sums it up, a certain portion sees themselves as superior rulers and they can’t accept those days are gone or that others deserve the same respect. Its the unspoken feeling that underlies their revulsion at the idea that Scotland (or Ireland) might want to escape their rule and become independant.
> Many English people continue to treat “British” and “English” as interchangeable labels.
Sure, because accepting “British” as an identity more or less puts the English on top and everyone else below them as subordinates, of course they like that framing.
Well in practice westminster is their parliment, they allocate above 80% of the seats there so whatever they vote for happens and whatever others want simply doesn’t matter.
>This is particularly the case for English people who live geographically and culturally far from London,
Well sure, but if you set up another ten regional parliments, you won’t just be undermining the idea of “British” but you’d also undermine the concept of “English” too. That’s why they’ve not done that. If the people in those regions wish to assert another identity, they need to establish that first imo as there’s no way the ruling classes will make that easy for them. Ireland had a bloody civil war for decades to achieve their (partial) independance, Scotland already had a very distinct identity and was able to campaign for its own parliment based on that. It was most likely only allowed as an attempt to avoid another set of “troubles” and to put the question to bed by making majority governments very difficult to achieve.
It all comes down to not as much immigration to Scotland as England. The difference between Westminster and the devolved government. And for all their faults. The SNP administration tried to mitigate in Scotland a lot of the damage that the Tory government did to the UK.
The trouble with England is that it’s full of English! .. Sneers out of castle window
inane and idiotic article which contains no insight.
English/Loyalist/British nationalism
Scotland has a falling population that is over 95% white, it’s ok Nicola sturgeon being pious about immigration
It’s interesting how many times I’ve read “Scotland has its own issues too” when asking this question. It does but does anyone sincerely want to examine them?
Most unionists do think racism is abhorrent (I know many and they are certainly not racist) but they’ve also stood in the corner whistling when it comes to confronting it because it’s been convenient for them. A good example is the “humza hates white people” stuff. Any reasonable person understands the context of that and how ridiculous it was to claim and also how potentially damaging it was to let a narrative of Islamic people hating white people become mainstream, but most of the moderate unionists just sat by and smirked while it happened.
8 comments
Mixed bag of an article, but raises some interesting points.
>A “[nostalgic yearning](https://ukandeu.ac.uk/the-imperial-nostalgia-of-a-small-island/%5D)” for the lost imperial power is part and parcel of this nostalgic English national imaginary. This helps explain why protesters and rioters have been chanting [Rule Britannia](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/far-right-protest-downing-street-southport-stabbings-b2589238.html).
Pretty much sums it up, a certain portion sees themselves as superior rulers and they can’t accept those days are gone or that others deserve the same respect. Its the unspoken feeling that underlies their revulsion at the idea that Scotland (or Ireland) might want to escape their rule and become independant.
> Many English people continue to treat “British” and “English” as interchangeable labels.
Sure, because accepting “British” as an identity more or less puts the English on top and everyone else below them as subordinates, of course they like that framing.
>The fact that England has not been part of the devolution process has added to this confusion – and to the sense of [grievance among the English](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1468796811419601?casa_token=x6-YSmWn2S0AAAAA%3Aa1PvF_55fVIX7LKCmHahTBewxjYEhEM3wWEHCw_CpvozNyb49DBiMRcKOxTGw-5jh_r40HkbQ_rx&journalCode=etna).
Well in practice westminster is their parliment, they allocate above 80% of the seats there so whatever they vote for happens and whatever others want simply doesn’t matter.
>This is particularly the case for English people who live geographically and culturally far from London,
Well sure, but if you set up another ten regional parliments, you won’t just be undermining the idea of “British” but you’d also undermine the concept of “English” too. That’s why they’ve not done that. If the people in those regions wish to assert another identity, they need to establish that first imo as there’s no way the ruling classes will make that easy for them. Ireland had a bloody civil war for decades to achieve their (partial) independance, Scotland already had a very distinct identity and was able to campaign for its own parliment based on that. It was most likely only allowed as an attempt to avoid another set of “troubles” and to put the question to bed by making majority governments very difficult to achieve.
It all comes down to not as much immigration to Scotland as England. The difference between Westminster and the devolved government. And for all their faults. The SNP administration tried to mitigate in Scotland a lot of the damage that the Tory government did to the UK.
The trouble with England is that it’s full of English! .. Sneers out of castle window
inane and idiotic article which contains no insight.
English/Loyalist/British nationalism
Scotland has a falling population that is over 95% white, it’s ok Nicola sturgeon being pious about immigration
It’s interesting how many times I’ve read “Scotland has its own issues too” when asking this question. It does but does anyone sincerely want to examine them?
Most unionists do think racism is abhorrent (I know many and they are certainly not racist) but they’ve also stood in the corner whistling when it comes to confronting it because it’s been convenient for them. A good example is the “humza hates white people” stuff. Any reasonable person understands the context of that and how ridiculous it was to claim and also how potentially damaging it was to let a narrative of Islamic people hating white people become mainstream, but most of the moderate unionists just sat by and smirked while it happened.