Are You British or English?

[cockneygeezer2009]

Some people insist on being called English because they say they are not Scottish or Welsh (they never mention N.Ireland). Also some people get riled by the fact that when they are asked their ethnic origin on forms it doesn't normally say English anywhere (it says British).

What do you call yourself British or English? I'm talking about nationality. Apparently most people are now calling themselves English instead of British. All one and the same to me. I normally say British when asked my nationality but i'm English as well. Being British or English is not something that i get hung up on but some people do.

[randyandy]

English

[max_tranmere]

I'm English but I'm also British, and the times I will refer to myself as one rather than the other depends on the situation. If England (specifically) play well in sport I'm an Englishman, I certainly was when we won the rugby world cup ten years ago, and so were lots of other people. I remember some commentators asking people who were celebrating "are you proud to be British?" They'd said, and so would I if asked: "English, not British". When Britain did well in the Olympics I was cheering for Britain and was proud to be British. Same when William and Kate got married, I was proud to be a Brit and it was nice seeing all the Union Jacks hanging inside pubs and so on.

That was always my view on things, and largely still is, but it has changed slightly in recent times. My Englishness has been slightly more firmed-up by the nationalist issue in Scotland and I have found myself, a bit more than before, thinking of myself as English rather than British - at times when I would have previously seen myself as very much a Brit. I never saw Bradley Wiggins, the cyclist, as English (even though he is from the southern half of this island) when he won at the Olympics. I saw him as a Brit because he was competing under the Union Jack and it was always referred to as Team GB. However, when you get athletes from the northern half of this island, who compete under the British flag, and are "representing Britain", but go on about how Scottish they are and how this is "the best haul of medals Scotland has received in years" then I find myself wanting to call myself English at times when I would have called myself British.

When there is a parade of British athletes, who are from north of the border, in Scotland, and the nationalists in Scotland talk about "Scotlands great medal haul" then I find myself wanting to see Bradley Wiggins as English rather than British and to celebrate more a win by him than I would Chris Hoy (who is, of course, from north of Carlisle). I think the nationalists in Scotland have shot themselves in the foot to a certain degree as a lot of people will watch what they do and apply the same thinking themselves. Therefore people in England and Wales may end up less proud of Chris Hoy when he competes for Britain than they would have been had he been around, and achieved what he did, a few decades ago. So Scotland's athletes are less of a big deal now in the UK - and this is all because of people like Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party.

People like him have changed the whole British/English British/Scottish debate and changed how many see things. Here is Salmond at Wimbledon waving the Scottish flag when Andy Murray won this year:



Andy Murray was of course representing Britain, he just happens to be a Scot, like Bradley Wiggins was representing Britain, he just happens to be English. Thanks to people like Salmond I now see Wiggins as representing England to a certain degree and I would almost be tempted wave an English flag rather than a British one if ever I was to watch Wiggins in a race. So to sum up: I'm a Brit at times and in a certain context, and English at other times in a certain context. Some of the times I would have seen myself as a Brit however I am now tempted to see myself as English because of people like Alex Salmond.

[Arginald Valleywater]

English then British.

[Steve R]

English.

[David Johnson]

+1

[sparky]

My view is that English, Welsh and Scottish plus maybe Northern Irish combined make up British.

Hence I'm both English and British.

[frankthring]

Personally I agree with Cockney Geezer and Max completely. But other
generations had other views. The great Tory, Lord Salisbury, simultaneously
P.M. and Foreign Secretary for much of the last 2 decades of the 19th
century, always spoke of "English" to mean "British" and explained after a
speech in Scotland: "The advantage of the use of the words "England",
"English" and "Englishman" is that it has not any strict geographical interp-
retation...Its use is traditional and based on a long course of history. It has
followed the development of our literature. The language we all speak is
called the English language.....the words carry a clear idea to anybody`s
mind and rest not upon the interpretation of a statute, but upon long-
established custom, they should raise no jealous questions of honour or pre-
eminence among the various populations of the two islands."

[awgazzm69]

once had to deal with the old citizans advice and had to fill a form in where upon i came to nationality! white? british? catholic muslim/jewish/ black irish/ etc etc etc i said excuse me is there a column that just says english?? no sorry! weird that aint it

[Essex Lad]

sparky wrote:

> My view is that English, Welsh and Scottish plus maybe Northern
> Irish combined make up British.
>
> Hence I'm both English and British.
>
The Northern Irish do not make up Britain. Look at your passport ? it says United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.