Toby Perkins

There is a desire in this era of devolution for England's voice t... by Toby Perkins

There is a desire in this era of devolution for England's voice to be heard.

It has often seemed incongruous to me that when England has played against other home nations on the football or rugby field, that while the Welsh or Scots sing an anthem that reflects their nation's identity, England should sing about Britain, it reflects the sense that we see Britain and England as synonymous and this not only denies us English an opportunity to celebrate the nation that is being represented but is also a cause for resentment among other countries within the British isles who feel that England have requisitioned the British song.

We should welcome the opportunity to reestablish the idea that the United Kingdom is a union of four separate nations with their own identities.