English Nationalism

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I sense that, whilst Scottish nationalism had to be opposed, there seems to have been a nationalist reaction in the media and in Westminster against the Scots since the vote on Thursday.

The likes of Farage, Cameron et al. seem to be hinting that after the next election, if they are able, they will push through 'English MPs voting for English laws', and a devolution of powers towards an English assembly and even enhancing the autonomy of London as the capital city.

Any thoughts? I personally think that the whole post-referendum situation has opened up a can of reactionary English nationalist worms.

[Red Economist]

I have long supported a federal system of equal nations in the UK, as a more democratic model of bourgeois rule simply because it is a more rational constitutional model than the messy kind of 'building one extension on top of another' that passes as 'constitutional' in the UK. though if a UK constitution was authored by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband; suddenly I've gone off the idea.

It would be nice if we could have an federal, constitutional (and dare I say it) republic in this country with no monarch and one or two actually elected houses. I'm not a huge fan of the US system of government- but at least Americans know how it's supposed to work because it's written down.

I am concerned how it's gone from Scots wanting independence to the English wanting more powers...It feels like a media tantrum; "you want more powers, well.... we want more powers first!". it sounds like another way for the tories to say "this is complicated- we're not going to do it! you can't make us! we don't do change... pass the buck to someone else!"
To be honest, I was surprised the result wasn't closer as aside from 'fear' of Scotland going it alone; there really wasn't much reason why a nominally social democratic nation like Scotland would want to be governed by 'that monstrosity in Westminster'. It's a shame Salmond is standing down as I thought he would be the logical choice for negotiating 'devo-max'.

[it's shockingly capitalist how constitutional change can sound like a soft drink.... devo-max: Tories on your taste buds, urgh! ].

[bricolage]

you've got unionists burning newspaper offices and smacking yes voters in glasgow and you've got an entrenchment of english 'island' nationalism south of the border which will inevitably be populated into anti-immigration and anti-eu rhetoric. I think we're in for a horrible future.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

I think that it is urgent that we explore ways to counter this nationalism, especially south of the border. The issue of nationalism north of the border has a long history of being bound up in the independence and more parliamentary powers questions, but the West Lothian question south of the border is, I believe, a smokescreen for little Englander nationalism.

Quite what 'English votes for English MPs' would actually achieve for 'England' I have no idea. Taking powers off the Scots is the equivalent of being the 'inbetweener' in school taking lunch money off the vulnerable kids; the world will just see it as pathetic and petty.

[Lord Testicles]

Westminster is going to make the provincials pay for having displayed such gall.


I think that it is urgent that we explore ways to counter this nationalism, especially south of the border.

How about when we see nationalists like the BNP or EDL try and organise a presence on our streets we bring a bit more violence to bear than just trying to make them feel bad from our police kettle by shouting nasty words at them?

You know, actually do something as opposed to doing something that makes us feel like we're doing something.

[Ceallach_the_Witch]

One of the grossest things about English nationalism is that historically it's based in a really parochial 'common-sense' ideology (among other awful things, it's true) where xenophobia particularly is passed off as some kind of folksy universal mantra.

[Kingfish]

Is there anything uniquely "English" about this upsurge? Is it comparable to what we are seeing in France?

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

How about when we see nationalists like the BNP or EDL try and organise a presence on our streets we bring a bit more violence to bear than just trying to make them feel bad from our police kettle by shouting nasty words at them?

You know, actually do something as opposed to doing something that makes us feel like we're doing something.

That's great and all (and i'm not belittling the needs to continue to see off the fash in the streets), but i'm not sure that the main yoke of English nationalism exists in organisations like the BNP and EDL. To be honest, if it did, I think we could all sit back and relax a bit, because they are pretty useless and do not have the ideological, intellectual, nor organisational capacity to ever exist outside of their far-right confines.

I think the problem is that in the highest echelons of political power we are seeing vulgar English nationalism being espoused. For this reason I think we need a more intelligent strategy than 'fight the fash in the streets', as necessary a tactic as that is.