David Crowther

Being English means a lot to me. I feel comfortable in our culture, wallow in it even, and feel part of something bigger than just my friends, family and community.

Some of that is just like wearing a comfy, lived in jumper. But to be a bit more specific, I love both our new and old traditions. So – all the stuff many people would quote. Pubs, and English beer – love the beer a little too much maybe. The lived-in nature of our beautiful countryside, especially the mark of generations we can read in every wood bank, hedge, every lump in the ground. There’s football, cricket etc, the familiar structure of villages and towns, old and new, all of that.

But England is so much more than. Our open attitude to immigration means we are composed of a kaleidoscope of different heritages, of people who have found and built a life here, the most multi cultural society of the home nations. I love the energy of cities as diverse as Birmingham, London, Manchester etc, and that they each have their own character. We do share a particular sense of humour, which has its own flavour, a mix of self deprecation, irony, a sense of the absurd, a love of incongruency. I love that, Douglas Adams, Monty P, Terry Pratchett.

I am a history podcaster. This means I am aware of the more problematic side of English history, about which we must always be honest, and look it square in the face. But also be sympathetic, positive, and in the end even when critical – always understanding. Because we English have constantly reacted, changed and adapted, accommodated, and through it all built a better, more inclusive society.

We must also be robust about our history. There’s a lot of unjustified stuff thrown at us, including among the home nations. The truth is that despite England’s disproportionate size, which undoubtedly causes a sense of threat and a deal of outrage, England has been a perfectly decent neighbour to the nations of the UK. And we British have been good together, and achieved great things.

So we must not forget the bad stuff – such as (but not limited to!) our involvement in slavery, colonialism and Empire (all of us Brits, by the way, and all with some enthusiasm, it’s not just us English), we must remember and celebrate all the amazing things we have done.

A shortlist seems in order, since they underpin the way we are now, they are not just in the past. The English specifically have a long radical history, and a deep belief in democracy, equality and the rule of law. We have produced great philosophers, great artists, timeless literature. We played a fundamental part in the development of science and engineering, breakthroughs in medicine were achieved in English institutions; we gave birth to the industrial revolution which has built the modern world.

I could go on. I’m well aware a lot of this was only possible in collaboration with other parts of Britain, and other parts of Europe and the world. But still. Overall we have done much to help people everywhere live longer, healthier, richer lives. And this contribution is not just in the past – it’s now as well. We are still at it.

And yet there is one aspect of our self image that makes my buttocks clench. For too many, there is a cringing feeling of shame and guilt about being English, a willingness to accept other peoples’ negative narratives – and often with a deeply depressing historical illiteracy. It’s daft, and yet has a long tradition – especially among liberals. George Orwell wrote about it, did he not? A desire to forget Englishness, lump all the available negatives into it, and become only British.

It’s not just daft, it’s corrosive and divisive. I can’t think of any other country that does it; the French for example would never treat its own culture and identity with such disdain. They would never be so weak minded. Get a grip.

England needs to re-discover itself, and its self confidence, and we need everyone’s help and talents to do so. If we don’t, then national pride becomes only for the extremists, and we are weaker for it. It damages the real English identity – which is inclusive, liberal, democratic. It is OK to take joy in Englishness – it implies no dislike or rejection of any other culture or peoples, nor a sense of superiority.

And of course I am not only English – I am also British. Although us Brits might collectively be in the process of blowing it up, I think we should be rather proud of the multinational British state, it’s a great example of how to do it, how to change and adapt governance as times change. Though we now desperately need a proper English political component.

And I also feel very European – Brexit was a great disappointment to me.

So look, I love being English, I love our culture in all its variety, and indeed, wallow in it. We have a very varied history, from which we need to learn, but also not to be bound by it. The English are a long way from perfect – I have a full and meaty list of things I would change. But overall, English society is liberal, open, tolerant and decent. It is my tribe. My culture. And the world would be much poorer if England had never existed.

David Crowther is a long-time history podcaster of the History of England