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Good Citizen X: Oppressive proposals like this will only highlight division

14 - 03 - 2008
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Bethan Jenkins (Neath, Plaid AM): The headline of Lord Goldsmith's proposals on British citizenship and Constitutional reform is inevitably that of calling on young people to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen.  The reason - to foster a sense of ‘shared understanding,' and a sense of National pride (though in fact it will be more of a punishment for children, I suspect!)

As a Republican, I am naturally against such a proposal, but I'm also against it as a Welsh Nationalist. Forcing our young people to embrace an archaic system of royalist thinking is one thing, but for those of us who do not consider ourselves to be British, this debate will only serve to alienate large sections of our society and backfire on Lord Goldsmith's aim to create a newly united Britain.

Earlier this week, I took part in a phone-in on Radio Wales about this subject, expecting a tirade of abuse from ardent Monarchists. That wasn't to be. "We are Welsh and proud. We shouldn't have to take an oath like this," said one caller. "We are subjects of the Queen! We aren't even equal, so how can that encourage 'shared understanding' and equality?" said another.

The plans outline how young people and immigrants would together take the oath in organised ceremonies. This idea alone conveys how vulnerable groups in our society are being used by the system as guinea pigs in Gordon Brown's desperate attempt to create an artificial concept of Britishness. We need only look at how the Government intends to roll out ID Cards to understand that it is the voiceless in society that fare the worst from such ideas.

The media lapped up the debate surrounding the oath of allegiance, and so too did Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, who stated that it was "partly daft, partly political." He is right to say that it is partly political, as it again reflects the vulnerability of Gordon Brown as Prime Minister in a British state which is waning as devolution progresses. It is an effort by the Prime Minister to clutch onto a power base which is diminishing with the rise of individual National sentiments, not only in Scotland and Wales, but in England also.

The other proposal of contention from Lord Goldsmith's report is that of introducing a British National day to coincide with the Olympics and the Queen's jubilee. Now, considering that Wales will lose out in Lottery funding due to the Olympics, the idea of such a day is already going down terribly in Wales - not to mention the fact that we have gathered cross party support for a National Bank holiday on St. David's Day (although we cannot introduce this until a new legislative competence order is accepted). If a British National day is introduced, a St David's Day holiday will again be put on the back burner - further example of how proposals that are aimed at fostering unity will instead only highlight division.

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Little Englander (not verified) said:

Fri, 2008-03-14 17:29

Couldn't agree more, Bethan. I don't think that you have too much to wory about though as this proposal, along with its evil twin "Britishness" lessons are aimed at England's children only. Fortunately for yourselves, you have a national government to protect you from the worst excesses of the UK governments agenda to eliminate our individual national identities by forcing a bogus British "national" identity upon us all, we in England have no such luxury! Fortunately most people can see this for what it is and will wholeheartedly reject it.

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Philip Hosking (not verified) said:

Sat, 2008-03-15 10:05

"Make St David’s Day a national Welsh holiday.

St Andrew’s a national Scots holiday.

St George a national English holiday

St Piran a national Cornish holiday

and St Patrick’s a holiday in NI"

Good idea Ray but I think St Patricks in NI would be more problematic.

However actually celebrating and cherishing the different national identities and their cultures as opposed to seeing them as subversive would be a good start.

Then in a UK wide constitution guaranteeing equality for ALL before the law is the next step: http://cornishstannaryparliament.co.uk//resources//article.php?story=2008020519573245

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hotspur (not verified) said:

Sat, 2008-03-15 10:15

There will be no british national day nor will there be a british constitution, I'm hoping that there will be no british team at the olympics.

All this britishness malarky is targeted only at the English and not immigrants, the sooner England is free of the union the better.

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Little Englander (not verified) said:

Sat, 2008-03-15 08:15

Ray,

That is the opinion of most people on these islands. The Britification of England especially suits the political agenda of a minority of people only and is doomed to faliure for that reason. For most of us a British identity is very much secondary to our national identity. To have it imposed like this as a primary or singular identity by the state will only diminish it in the decreasing numbers of people who identify with Britain as a "nation". The same is true of the monarchy. It has survived because people are apathetic to its existance. If it wasn't there and somebody suggested creating one they would be laughed at. If people were asked to think too much about what the monarchy means and why it is there then it may just hasten its demise. This could end up having the opposite effect to that intended by Goldsmith and actually diminish Britishness and monarchy, so maybe it's not such a bad idea after all. No pain , no gain as they say!

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Ray Bell (not verified) said:

Fri, 2008-03-14 19:38

I'm totally against this bogus americanisation.

We should stick with the saints' days, at least they have a history, although amongst Protestants they haven't always been celebrated much in recent centuries.

Simple...

Make St David's Day a national Welsh holiday.

St Andrew's a national Scots holiday.

St George a national English holiday

St Piran a national Cornish holiday

and St Patrick's a holiday in NI

By national, I refer to those nations. No one should force St Andrew's on the Welsh, or St George on the Scots, or any other combination.

I can't understand what the big objection is. You don't have to be religious/Christian to celebrate these days.

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