Europe - England (Allison Ray)

The Telegraph, a British newspaper, published an article in July of 2005 to it’s blog entitled “The Ten Core Values of the British Identity”. The post’s overall purpose was to contemplate why Britain itself is breeding so many anti-British fanatics. The author writes, “Many countries try to codify their laws. Some oblige their citizens to speak the national language; others make it a criminal offense to show disrespect to the flag. But statutory patriotism is an intrinsically un-British notion. We prefer to set out, in general terms, the non-negotiable components of our identity…” 

The first component listed is that of “the rule of law” – claiming that all are equal underneath it, even Parliament. The results of the 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer show that the U.K. was one of sixteen countries whose trust in their government had increased in the past year. 43% of United Kingdom citizens reported that they trusted their government as opposed to 41% in the United States. In light of events pertaining to racial unrest and gender equality rights in the U.S. these results pose the question: can England truly claim that their identity is foremost based on “the rule of law”? Additionally, In an interview with the BBC, former Prime Minister John Major remarks that “The Queen is above politics” because she has been such a constant in the lives of England’s people. 

The Telegraph’s blog post also reasoned that England is primarily to thank for the English-speaking world. English originated in England and remains it’s official language to this day. However the truth is, modern English used in England and the rest of the world is liberally cluttered with influences from Latin, Greek, French and many other languages. In fact, there are ten indigenous languages spoken in the British isles today and a multitude of schools in England are taught in mediums other than or in addition to English. The number two most spoken language in the U.K. is Chinese. However, although an insurmountable asset to a businessman or woman, learning Mandarin isn’t used nearly as often in social situations and is therefore not heavily concentrated on throughout the United Kingdom. 

Furthermore, a third basis of English identity according to this British news source is that of their involvement in institutions. More specifically, their consistent presence in the United Nations, which replaced the League of Nations in 1945 at the end of World War II. England has been a part of the UN since it’s beginning and has played a major role in its Security Council. 

One noticeable absence from The Telegraph’s list is a reference to GDP or overall productivity when in fact, the United Kingdom showed a strong improvement in GDP growth – up 1.7% in 2014 as compared to 2013. An even more noticeable difference is that of the total average of hours worked, which increased from 1.8% to 2.7%. In the United States, productivity decreased from 1.2% in 2013 to a dismal .07% in 2014. The GDP rose .02% to 2.4% in 2014, almost a full percentage higher than the U.K.

In summation, perhaps the Brits don’t know themselves as well as they think. In addition to history and a well-known stubborn character, England has also earned the right to pride itself on a productive work ethic and high accountability when it comes to it’s involvement in international institutions. They may not codify their laws or overexert themselves in acts of patriotism, but the truth is that Britain produces no more anti-British fanatics than America produces anti-American fanatics. Both countries have experienced acts of terrorism but stand united in the pursuit of a free world.

Allison Ray