England, not Britain

We should celebrate Englishness, not Britishness. That's my reaction to difficulty raised by the proposal that we use the anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta to celebrate Britishness:

"The problem with a Magna Carta day is that this was originally very much an English, not a British significant event," said Linda Colley, Professor of history at Princeton University.

Good for England.
Yes, I know all nations are "imagined communities." The question is: which imagined community do you prefer? For me, it's England over Britain.
It's revealing that the other popular days chosen in the BBC poll to celebrate Britishness - D-Day, VE Day, Trafalgar Day - celebrate military victories. Great victories over tyranny, granted. But military events nonethless. 
The contrast shows that Britain is more militaristic than England. It was, remember, always the British Empire, never the English Empire.
And we sing "Rule, Britannia", but of building Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land.
Whereas Britain pursues overseas expansion, England stays at home. The great statements asserting the rights and the dignity of the ordinary man - and it was the Englishman G.K. Chesterton who said there's nothing ordinary about the ordinary man - are all English: Magna Carta, the Putney debates, Gray's Elegy in a Country Churchyard.
England is about cultivation, improvement and the assertion of liberty. Britain is about conquest, albeit often in a good cause.
There's another contrast. "Britain" is a manufactured term, used by the ruling class for political ends:

After the old English period, Britain was used only as a historical term, until about the time of Henry VIII and Edward VI, when it came again into practical politics in connexion with the efforts made to unite England and Scotland.

Says the OED.
So, England stands for freedom, Britain for conquest. England stands for quiet dignity, Britain for glory. England is grown and natural, Britain is imposed by  the ruling class.
Is it any surprise, therefore, than New Labour prefers to celebrate Britishness?

Comments

[Paul Morland]

Plus, of course, without Scotland the Labour benches - back and front - would be denuded.

So when will 'The Stupid Party' take up the cause of St George with Chris?

[dearieme]

But they were all bloody Frogs, the boys of Magna Carta. Writing in Latin. Meantime, "Britain" is essentially the same word the Ancient Greeks used for these islands, and particularly the big one, while "England" refers to a bunch of Kraut savages.

[Will Williams]

Magna Carta predates the completion of subjugation of Wales, so I'll keep quiet on that. The Americans give thanks for Magna Carta way more than any of us Brits: but they like written declarations of rights, what with their constitution an all.

But, come on, you English, whatever the rights and wrongs, surely, not another public holiday (sorry, bank holiday, let's stick to the arcane)at this part of the year?

[Igor Belanov]

I'd prefer not to choose between two nationalisms, both of which are equally illogical.
Plus, the Magna Carta was simply an agreement temporarily resolving a feudal dispute. It was followed less than 50 years later by a civil war on that very subject. It's hardly a triumph for the common man.

[dearieme]

Could we perhaps celebrate Eric Bloodaxe, or Archibald the Grim? The chidren would enjoy that, especially if it involves chocolate.

[Simstim]

Didn't Scottish members of the Imperial Class describe themselves as English to the natives back in the 18th/19th century?

[Phil]

Simstim - the phrase was 'North British'. Which makes a point similar to Chris's.

[Pete Gray]

Perhaps the Scots could celebrate the Declaration of Arbroath? I rather like this bit: "It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom -- for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."

[Bob B]

Ahem: "The Commonwealth of Virginia (named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the Virgin Queen) is one of the original thirteen states of the United States that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. . . Virginia was the first part of the Americas to be colonized permanently by England."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia

[Ian]

If I had a grown-up blogging tool, I would do a proper trackback, but given that I'm still on Blogger, I hope you'll forgive the link in the comment.

"The question is: which imagined community do you prefer? For me, it's England over Britain."

But for me, I'm afraid, English identity bears so little relation to my imagined (English) regional affiliation that it has to be vice-versa:
http://imaginedcommunity.blogspot.com/2006/06/if-i-were-carpenter.html