Just Like Coca-Cola.

Amidst the aparent growing concern in the past month over the comments of Morrissey in an NME interview, and the speaking of David Irving and Nick Griffin at the Oxford Union, several questions about the identity of Britain have once again been raised. The topic of immigration is very much like a shaken-up bottle of Coca-Cola, every now and again you unscrew the top just a little bit and all hell breaks loose. People panic, thinking back to the horrific events of Nazi Germany, and the tragic consequences caused by the extreme and intolerant opposition of a minority group. There is a huge media frenzy, and before any subsequent discussion on the issue can take place, the top is swiftly sealed again, forcing the pressure back inside, ensuring we forget all about it. Most hugely important issues are worked out by questioning followed by discussion, the assessing of overall competence in an area and its subsequent improvement via communication. Failing to reach this vital level on any matter could potentially have severe repercussions if ignored for long enough, and why is this issue any different? That's what parliament is for.

To quote Morrissey (a resident of Rome):

"Britain's a terribly negative place. And it hammers people down and it pulls you back and it prevents you. Also, with the issue of immigration, it's very difficult because although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears."

This comment has been interpreted in different ways by members of the public and free press, but assuming it was not of a malicious nature, perhaps we can examine in greater detail if and why this is in fact the case. I doubt very much that the majority of immigrants heading to Britain have it in their minds to destroy its identity, be they Australian or Ugandan, or indeed to kick up a fuss at the celebrating of St Georges Day as similar patron saints are celebrated elsewhere in Britain; but the failure to rekindle British Identity as it once was has led to the blaming of immigrants as the sole cause for the decline in our celebrating of being British. Leaving this to happen is a gross failure of the Governments public duty, leaving its people vulnerable to predator parties like the British National Party, and to the obsurd claims of David Irving. The union of Britain (and indeed the Commonwealth) has always depended on the uniting of it's people through celebration. Even when Queen Victoria died in 1901, the strong sense of patriotism of the British People was not lost, and every year on Empire Day thousands would flock to the streets in celebration. Celebration of Britishness is something the far-left would not like to see among the British people today for whatever reason, but if we take into account the union of the people of the United States, we will begin to see a model to which we can aspire to. Ask most Americans who its first President was, or of the Boston Tea Party and they'll be more than happy to tell you all about it. Go to Washington one 4th of July and see the unity of the people chanting in the streets. By contrast, ask most Britains (particularly the English) who their countrys first Monarch was, or indeed of the Battle of Edgehill, or even go London on St Georges Day and my point begins to take form.

One of the consequences in the Governments apparent failure to unite Britain is the unpopularity of the English in Scotland and Wales, and their subsequent hightened patriotism which is in essence based on their unhealthy dislike for the English. It is as though we have failed to unite our islands, and therefore its extra-regional peoples have decided to unite themselves, much to our disadvantage. To make matters worse, the continuation of ignoring the topic of British Identity could eventually mean you would need a passport to enter Scotland or Wales. The SNP and Plaid Cymru are both already succeeding to use this failure of our Government to their own political advantages, how long will it be before the two become seperate nations entirely. Scottish and Welsh schools openly teach their native languages without problem, and celebrate St Andrew and St David every year to ensure their children can identify with the land and people around them from an early age. These are the islands which we all live on together, and by not sharing that common value we are defining the future of the country as a whole.

Although it has been suggested, the celebrating of diversity in Britain would be a disaster, in essence we would be segregated as people, and segragation is the problem. The decline of British Identity is not all about immigration, but by the dubbing down of our own traditions out of fear we might be labelled as racists; yet if we all celebrated Britain together in the faces of the French and Irish our unity as a British people could once again flourish. In all fairness we have already seen this, and an increased desire by the British public to celebrate Britishness in recent years. To watch the BBC Proms on its final night is living proof that unity can succeed, it's just a tragedy that the BBC has organised the event to national proportions as oppose to the Government, succeeding in uniting Britain for one night a year.

Perhaps British Identity is currently being lost, and perhaps in 20 years the once great Commonwealth or indeed the very title of being 'British' will no longer be in existence. Can you seriously imagine the seperation of the United States into seperate countries within the next two decades, due to a lack of unionism among its people? The very thought is almost humourous to conceive.

Immigration, union, national identity, perhaps we need to go from Coca-Cola to Evian, and as ironic as it may sound I will finish with one of Labours most used phrases: 'United we stand, divided we fall'

Please Mr Brown take notes, or someone else just might...