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"This morning, I was watching the following segment from the show 'The Daily Politics,' and a thought struck me. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38265064 In responding to allegations of 'racism,' the shop owner makes repeated references to 'British Values,' 'Quintessential Britishness' and 'British Identity.' However, he repeatedly employs the term 'English[ness]' as a synonym for 'British[ness].' For instance, immediately after saying that 'Great Britain is something that we should be proud of,' he declares that the shop celebrates 'English eccentric products' and 'our English quintessential ways.' That got me thinking... What do we actually mean when we talk of 'British Identity?' Do we truly take into consideration the regional diversity of the British Isles, or is 'Britishness' little more than a synonym for the identity embraced by white, middle class residents of London and the Home Counties?" I saw this on the Daily politics programme yesterday. The story is about the owner of a shop in London being harassed and people coming into his shop to give him abuse because the shop is called "Really British". The shop is not meant to be political it just sells quintessential British products. The owner of the shop said the main culprits for the abuse were white, snobbish, posh, upper class people (more than likely London centric, liberal, elitist, Remainer types). I'd like to ask those type of people guilty of the abuse this question... We live in a country called Great Britain, so what is wrong having a shop called 'Really British' in this country? | |||
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"We live in a country called Great Britain, so what is wrong having a shop called 'Really British' in this country?"" Nothing at all. That wasn't the point of my post. I simply used the shopkeeper's statements as an example of the manner in which many of us conflate 'English' identity with 'British' identity. If the shop is intended to celebrate a so-called 'British' indentity and 'British' values, why does he describe his products as 'eccentrically English,' and representitive of 'quintessentially English ways'? Take a look at the teddy bear sold in his shop. It has a Union Flag on it's jumper, but the word 'England' is stitched above the flag. If we want to celebrate 'Britishness,' we have to remember that 'British' does not just refer to England, but also Scotland and Wales. Likewise, the Union Flag represents not just England, but also Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. | |||
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"This morning, I was watching the following segment from the show 'The Daily Politics,' and a thought struck me. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38265064 In responding to allegations of 'racism,' the shop owner makes repeated references to 'British Values,' 'Quintessential Britishness' and 'British Identity.' However, he repeatedly employs the term 'English[ness]' as a synonym for 'British[ness].' For instance, immediately after saying that 'Great Britain is something that we should be proud of,' he declares that the shop celebrates 'English eccentric products' and 'our English quintessential ways.' That got me thinking... What do we actually mean when we talk of 'British Identity?' Do we truly take into consideration the regional diversity of the British Isles, or is 'Britishness' little more than a synonym for the identity embraced by white, middle class residents of London and the Home Counties? I saw this on the Daily politics programme yesterday. The story is about the owner of a shop in London being harassed and people coming into his shop to give him abuse because the shop is called "Really British". The shop is not meant to be political it just sells quintessential British products. The owner of the shop said the main culprits for the abuse were white, snobbish, posh, upper class people (more than likely London centric, liberal, elitist, Remainer types). I'd like to ask those type of people guilty of the abuse this question... We live in a country called Great Britain, so what is wrong having a shop called 'Really British' in this country? " Maybe the shop keeper should install CCTV and publish the identity of those who harrass them. People are not proud to be British should leave the UK and go and live somewhere else. No one is goi ng to miss them or their views . | |||
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"People who are not proud to be British should leave the UK and go and live somewhere else. No one is going to miss them or their views. " This is precisely my point. We speak of being 'Proud to be British,' but never seem to be able to define what that means. Consequently, unlike in countries such as France and Spain, regional identities are all too often ignored in our quest for 'quintessential Britishness.' On another point, your assertion that people who are not 'proud to be British' should leave the country makes little sense in practice. As a personal example, I am proud to be a British citizen, but I do not consider myself to be 'British' in any real sense. I am a Channel Islander, but am also descended from English, French and Irish stock. Consequently, I am just as much 'British' as I am 'Irish' or 'French.' | |||
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" People are not proud to be British should leave the UK and go and live somewhere else. No one is going to miss them or their views . " So, basically boot out the 8 million (12.8% population according to 2011 census) foreign nationals that currently reside here? Bit extreme I think. -Matt | |||
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" People are not proud to be British should leave the UK and go and live somewhere else. No one is going to miss them or their views . So, basically boot out the 8 million (12.8% population according to 2011 census) foreign nationals that currently reside here? Bit extreme I think. -Matt"  | |||
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"Actually this has made me just realise something. I am proud to be British But right now, I am not proud *of* Britain. -Matt" sadly this.. | |||
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"This morning, I was watching the following segment from the show 'The Daily Politics,' and a thought struck me. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38265064 In responding to allegations of 'racism,' the shop owner makes repeated references to 'British Values,' 'Quintessential Britishness' and 'British Identity.' However, he repeatedly employs the term 'English[ness]' as a synonym for 'British[ness].' For instance, immediately after saying that 'Great Britain is something that we should be proud of,' he declares that the shop celebrates 'English eccentric products' and 'our English quintessential ways.' That got me thinking... What do we actually mean when we talk of 'British Identity?' Do we truly take into consideration the regional diversity of the British Isles, or is 'Britishness' little more than a synonym for the identity embraced by white, middle class residents of London and the Home Counties?" . Eccentricity is typically English, I'd call myself eccentric in many ways. It's easier to define yourself as Scottish Irish or welsh than English as England was the major nation in the union it's often seen rightly or wrongly as the bully of the pack.... If you extend that internationaly it still applies but then as British with the likes of colonialists. . Great Briton as a nation is something to be proud of, i have no problem in hanging my union jack from the car.... Although it does annoy me dad  | |||
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"I've just watched the clip, the shop has only been open for two weeks, you don't think that there could have been even the slightest hint of self promotion about going on to national TV and spending 7 minutes talking about his shop, exactly where it is, what products he sells, and even laying out a spread of this wares on the table, do you? Am I just a little bit cynical? " Nothing to do with the abuse he has received for the name of his shop then?  | |||
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"I've just watched the clip, the shop has only been open for two weeks, you don't think that there could have been even the slightest hint of self promotion about going on to national TV and spending 7 minutes talking about his shop, exactly where it is, what products he sells, and even laying out a spread of this wares on the table, do you? Am I just a little bit cynical? Nothing to do with the abuse he has received for the name of his shop then? "The abuse that he hasn't filmed, or reported to the police? You don't think that he could possibly have made it up to drum up business do you? Like I said to get 7 minutes of national TV for free. | |||
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" People are not proud to be British should leave the UK and go and live somewhere else. No one is going to miss them or their views . So, basically boot out the 8 million (12.8% population according to 2011 census) foreign nationals that currently reside here? Bit extreme I think. -Matt" This is a bizarre post and I am at loss to understand it . It is completely meaningless. You can be a foreign national and be proud to be British or reside in Britain. Equally you can have been in Britain all your life and spend your time constantly running down your own country as do many people who are white and middle class . The word boot out was never used . What was said was that anyone who did not like life in Britain was welcome to leave and no one would miss them. Many foreign nationals are probably more likely to be proud to be British than the UK middle class white brigdade who are of UK origin and try to claim the moral high ground by constantly criticising their country . | |||
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"I've just watched the clip, the shop has only been open for two weeks, you don't think that there could have been even the slightest hint of self promotion about going on to national TV and spending 7 minutes talking about his shop, exactly where it is, what products he sells, and even laying out a spread of this wares on the table, do you? Am I just a little bit cynical? Nothing to do with the abuse he has received for the name of his shop then?
The abuse that he hasn't filmed, or reported to the police? You don't think that he could possibly have made it up to drum up business do you? Like I said to get 7 minutes of national TV for free. "He also described the type of person making the abuse . Why would he make it up and why would any rational person waste police time by reporting such abuse . | |||
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" What do we actually mean when we talk of 'British Identity?' Do we truly take into consideration the regional diversity of the British Isles, or is 'Britishness' little more than a synonym for the identity embraced by white, middle class residents of London and the Home Counties?" I think this is an important and valid question. What is British culture and what does that mean, and is it "British culture" or is it just middle class culture/a love of the home counties? Me and my British born friends discussed this, and taking into the whole, we live in a secular European nation, which values, law, democracy, justice and science over religion and culture, we came to the conclusion that British culture is the same overall as all other Western European nations. The main differences being national cuisine, obsessively drinking tea, language and a few national festivals. Overall we concluded that cultural differences overall in Europe are minimal on the whole. What is significant is when you get to county/dutchy/regional levels. Places like the North of England, Scotland, Wales, NI - especially in the more rural or 'small city' areas have a distinct regional feeling. Same across Europe. My friends across Europe all said the same really. We all have a similar general culture, it's when you get to the local levels that you see differences and these are usually due to the landscape or regional dialect. As for British culture. I think it's largely a home county middle class thing. British culture to me is law, justice, science, and the separation of state from Church. Once you go past the home counties, most working class or rural communities probably don't feel that 'cliche' Britishness. | |||
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"I've just watched the clip, the shop has only been open for two weeks, you don't think that there could have been even the slightest hint of self promotion about going on to national TV and spending 7 minutes talking about his shop, exactly where it is, what products he sells, and even laying out a spread of this wares on the table, do you? Am I just a little bit cynical? Nothing to do with the abuse he has received for the name of his shop then?
The abuse that he hasn't filmed, or reported to the police? You don't think that he could possibly have made it up to drum up business do you? Like I said to get 7 minutes of national TV for free. He also described the type of person making the abuse . Why would he make it up and why would any rational person waste police time by reporting such abuse ."In the report it was said that staff had quit, the owner said people were throwing things about. If it were my business I would care about protecting my staff from abuse (because of both the legal and moral responsibility to do so), and to protect my merchandise, fixtures and fittings in the store. Wouldn't you? | |||
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"I've just watched the clip, the shop has only been open for two weeks, you don't think that there could have been even the slightest hint of self promotion about going on to national TV and spending 7 minutes talking about his shop, exactly where it is, what products he sells, and even laying out a spread of this wares on the table, do you? Am I just a little bit cynical? Nothing to do with the abuse he has received for the name of his shop then?
The abuse that he hasn't filmed, or reported to the police? You don't think that he could possibly have made it up to drum up business do you? Like I said to get 7 minutes of national TV for free. He also described the type of person making the abuse . Why would he make it up and why would any rational person waste police time by reporting such abuse .
In the report it was said that staff had quit, the owner said people were throwing things about. If it were my business I would care about protecting my staff from abuse (because of both the legal and moral responsibility to do so), and to protect my merchandise, fixtures and fittings in the store. Wouldn't you? "I run a small businness in addition to working full time . Any issues that I have had to address I am more than capable of resolving without having to inform the police . If I had to inform that police I would consider myself an inadequate individual who was incapable of resolving my own problems. | |||
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"I've just watched the clip, the shop has only been open for two weeks, you don't think that there could have been even the slightest hint of self promotion about going on to national TV and spending 7 minutes talking about his shop, exactly where it is, what products he sells, and even laying out a spread of this wares on the table, do you? Am I just a little bit cynical? Nothing to do with the abuse he has received for the name of his shop then?
The abuse that he hasn't filmed, or reported to the police? You don't think that he could possibly have made it up to drum up business do you? Like I said to get 7 minutes of national TV for free. He also described the type of person making the abuse . Why would he make it up and why would any rational person waste police time by reporting such abuse .
In the report it was said that staff had quit, the owner said people were throwing things about. If it were my business I would care about protecting my staff from abuse (because of both the legal and moral responsibility to do so), and to protect my merchandise, fixtures and fittings in the store. Wouldn't you? I run a small businness in addition to working full time . Any issues that I have had to address I am more than capable of resolving without having to inform the police .
If I had to inform that police I would consider myself an inadequate individual who was incapable of resolving my own problems."How you run your business is your business, however your post reads as though you might inflict violence upon others, which I would not recommend. Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a legal duty to protect their employees from harassment. There was nothing in the clip to talk about what steps, if any, the business own had taken to do that. Maybe he has taken steps, or maybe he just made it up, who knows? | |||
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"I've just watched the clip, the shop has only been open for two weeks, you don't think that there could have been even the slightest hint of self promotion about going on to national TV and spending 7 minutes talking about his shop, exactly where it is, what products he sells, and even laying out a spread of this wares on the table, do you? Am I just a little bit cynical? Nothing to do with the abuse he has received for the name of his shop then?
The abuse that he hasn't filmed, or reported to the police? You don't think that he could possibly have made it up to drum up business do you? Like I said to get 7 minutes of national TV for free. He also described the type of person making the abuse . Why would he make it up and why would any rational person waste police time by reporting such abuse .
In the report it was said that staff had quit, the owner said people were throwing things about. If it were my business I would care about protecting my staff from abuse (because of both the legal and moral responsibility to do so), and to protect my merchandise, fixtures and fittings in the store. Wouldn't you? I run a small businness in addition to working full time . Any issues that I have had to address I am more than capable of resolving without having to inform the police .
If I had to inform that police I would consider myself an inadequate individual who was incapable of resolving my own problems.
How you run your business is your business, however your post reads as though you might inflict violence upon others, which I would not recommend.
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers have a legal duty to protect their employees from harassment. There was nothing in the clip to talk about what steps, if any, the business own had taken to do that. Maybe he has taken steps, or maybe he just made it up, who knows?"However I am totally against any form of violence as it is counter productive and could back fire badly . Capable well organised individuals will not see the necessity to go to the police in order to resolve their problems .Where necessary I will make my presence felt in a non violent manner . In general should a dispute occur most people will be battling on my side . As I treat people fairly I have no necessity to tolerate any nonsense . A few of my clients have said that I am more than fair . These comments are from people in well paid professional jobs . | |||
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