Decline in Britishness

The national identity of British citizens has evolved drastically over time. There is an intense desire among Britons to develop or define what it is to be British, made difficult today as a result of the many layers of British identity. Unlike most nations, which have distinct traditions, religious convictions, and even dialect, The United Kingdom is made up of separate nation-states with their own deeply ingrained cultures. Further complicating the matter is the rise of multiculturalism, which has hindered efforts to build an inclusive British identity based on commonalities among citizens. Multiculturalism is a result of the proliferation of immigrants from the Commonwealth into British society, and is becoming a major threat to the traditional concept of Britishness. Britons have lost their identity by refusing to recognize their shared values and instead highlighting their cultural differences.

Up until the mid-twentieth century, British identity was defined in terms of English ethnicity. This generated a vision of the United Kingdom as an essentially English nation-state in which the ethnic distinctions of the Irish, Welsh, and Scottish were likely to completely disappear over time. However, the need for a broader, more inclusive definition of ethnicity was emphasized after the First World War, as a way to unite rather than divide the ethnically diverse citizens of the United Kingdom (Ellis, 1997). “With the end of its Empire, the English [were] being forced to rediscover themselves and define themselves afresh in relation to Britain and the other nations of Britain. Britain [was] no longer simply England, even for the English” (Gamble, 9). This led to a reconstruction of national identity in an attempt to accommodate the ethnic diversity of the UK while promoting a shared sense of Britishness. Yet opposing groups, such as Irish republicans and unionists, Welsh socialists, and British conservatives, challenged this ideology, leading to the collapse of this new perception of British identity. As a result, the liberal concept of “unity in diversity” came to an end (Ellis, 1997).

Currently, there are vast differences between the citizens of the United Kingdom, made evident through their allegiances and proclamations of their identity. While the national identity of those who live in England is straightforward, there are divided loyalties among the non-English parts of the U.K., mainly resulting from cultural implications (LCR). “Multiple identities have become common which means that Britain is no longer a primary identity for significant minorities of UK citizens” (Gamble, 10).

For instance, the majority of Protestants (72%) in Northern Ireland see themselves as British rather than Irish, whereas among Catholics in Northern Ireland, 68% consider themselves Irish rather than British (LCR). Religion is clearly a key indicator of Britishness. In Scotland, while many recognize a dual identity of Scottish and British, 33% consider themselves Scottish not British, and 28% think of themselves as more Scottish than British. In Wales, however, most citizens recognize a dual Welsh and British identity (LCR). These identities and allegiances have shifted considerably over time, but the main point is that the countries that make up the UK identify more with their specific ancient countries than with the modern British Empire. Therefore it is difficult to formulate a national identity in the UK because many Britons don’t even identify themselves as Britons.

Britain has become a multicultural nation, not just because of the distinct nation-states that make up the United Kingdom, but also as a result of the influx of immigrants who have demanded that their cultural differences be recognized and afforded respect. The British elite of the early to mid-20th century resolved its sense of identity through the concept of race, but extensive migration from the British colonies to the UK began to disrupt the mentality that all British citizens were white. By the end of the 1950s, the racially exclusive concept of Britishness was undermined as a result of this migration, and British identity had to be reformulated in order to include minorities.

Yet difficulties arose throughout the 1960s, 70s, and early 80s, as minorities struggled for political equality after suffering through racist attacks and police brutality. As a result, authorities established a new definition of racism, based on the denial of the right to be different, rather than the denial of equal rights. Consequently, minorities were not forced to accept British values or adopt a British identity. Instead, “they were given the right to express their own identities, explore their own histories, formulate their own values, and pursue their own lifestyles” (Malik). Rather than go through the pains of tackling head on the problems of racial injustice, authorities simply encouraged