Do you Count Yourself as English or British First?

Do you Count Yourself as English or British First?

  • English

    Votes: 19 50.0%

  • British

    Votes: 13 34.2%

  • Both Equally

    Votes: 2 5.3%

  • Neither (Please Explain)

    Votes: 4 10.5%
  • Total voters
    38
H

Hetairoi

Well-Known Forumite
A post on the St Georges Day thread got me thinking (dangerous I hear you say) about whether we count ourselves as English or British.

The Welsh, Scottish and Irish seem to feel the need to identify with their past and culture (which admittedly is more defined) more than the English.

What does it mean to be English or has Englishness been swallowed up by Britishness?
 
1JKz

1JKz

Well-Known Forumite
Cracking little thread, forumitee suicide, but great thread.



...and 'we' get to vote!



I've gone (depending which way the wind is blowing) English followed very very, VERY closely - British,
 
wmrcomputers

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
I've always said I'm from Great Britain. Proud to be British. etc... so for me it's British!
Although similarly to Tek, my family 50% originates from Scotland, so maybe I find it easier to think of myself as British rather than part Scottish part English.

I'm also a Brit. You can't really say "I'm an Eng". Doesn't sound right ;) :up:
 
L

LongGoneFarAway

A few posts under my belt
English, without a doubt.

When we hear of 'British' youths killed fighting for the Islamists in Syria or Afghanistan, or 'British pakistanis' demanding something or other (when are they not demanding something), or when the media goes into overdrive about some 'British' athlete winning an olympic medal, even though he's a Somali who chooses to live in America.

If these people are considered 'British', then being 'British' means nothing... it is totally devalued.

I am English, not British and never a bloody 'European citizen'.

OK... let the howls of 'waaaycisst' begin.
 
John Marwood

John Marwood

I ♥ cryptic crosswords
I'm a lankybrit

Also one quarter Paddy

So

In conclusion

Fruit Loop

Much as Party Politics is now thought of as binned, so goes the way of Nationality

( Soccer ball and borders will always force an un-necessary choice )

So, I am just here, sat sitting, on a planet, full of psychopaths inventing borders and rules for other people to get upset over....



Fruitlopian National Anthem ? take a guess..
 
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A

andy w

Well-Known Forumite
With my Dad born in Ulster and a Granddad from Wales I feel more British than English.
As I said in an earlier thread, being British is more inclusive for all the national and ethnic groups within the United Kingdom and whilst we've had discussions on here before about multi culturism, Scottish Independence, being part of Europe etc. I do believe that it is right to strike a balance between our differences and what we have in common.
As for keeping national borders and identity, whilst the world is a much smaller place in travel and ability to work terms, the reality is that there is the element of accident of birth where your born that determines your life just the same as being born in to a rich family or a poor family. Yes it is unfair but that's the reality of the matter. I suppose we could always have a Brighton Council style lottery where everyone's names go into a draw to determine where they live. Outer Mongolia anyone!
 
gon2seed

gon2seed

(and me! - Ed)
Born in 'Ford! Welshish surname EVANS, (Though a miner, my granddad was actually born in Pant, just inside England, and despite claiming he was welsh no evidence he was! I Could have represented Nothern Ireland, as my mum was born in Belfast, (actually investigated representing them when I was ranked 2 junior 400m runner in the principality in my early 20's, (49.0, 16th UK!) , but it meant attending the junior champs in Belfast, and for a variety of reasons, I wimped out. Nothing to do with 'the troubles' ) Have Scottish ancestry, Weymis, is my mums middle name! Her grandparents had emigrated to Northern Ireland. I did have relatives on my grandad's side who hailed from the Republic. So fairly safe to say I am a Celtic mongrel. Fiercely committed to Staffordshire, walked the length of the fecker in 2010 http://www.staffordshirenewsletter....es-challenge/story-20151549-detail/story.html So probably would say I am a Staffordian 1st, from the county of Staffordshire 2nd and an Enlishman 3rd. But good thread and thanks for asking! ;)

(You weren't asked! )
 
A

andy w

Well-Known Forumite
I seem to remember that sometimes surfers on special occasions go surfing in the nip! In the UK!
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Though i am an Englishman.

I was Scottish at the Argentinian border because i was inescapably British - what with the British passport and all - and thought that being Scottish would be marginally more advantageous than being English. About this i was wrong.

More often i am found being an Englishman.

I do not particularly feel like i have won first prize in the lottery of life but i'm not particularly embarrassed about it either.
 
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