But Labour increased both its vote share and the number of seats in England that election. Adverts showing Ed Miliband, the then Labour leader, in hock to Scottish nationalists were everywhere. The general election of 2015, when the Conservative Party wrapped itself in an England flag, is portrayed as a breakthrough for English nationalism. Brexit was British.Įngland whispers during national elections. The votes of the 44% of Northern Irish residents who plumped for “Leave” were as valid as those cast in Kent. A majority of voters in Wales voted to depart. Leave-supporting Scots (38% of Scottish voters) were needed, too. But English votes were not enough to win the referendum in 2016. England makes up 85% of the country’s population and, lo, it contributed 87% of the Leave vote. It is often taken as a given that English nationalism was the driver of Britain leaving the EU. The new nationalism is just as hard to spot in Britain’s politics.

If the patriotism of Englishmen does not extend to the lower box of a census form, it may not run deep.

In 2011 “English” was the first option and “British” was the fifth in 2021 “Britain” came top of the list. What caused this shift? A botched survey. Skip forward a decade and this number plunged to 15%. In 2020, 22% did.Ĭhroniclers of English nationalism leapt on the 2011 census, which showed that a whopping 58% of residents in England identified as English only. In 1999, 31% of people fell into this bracket, according to the British Social Attitudes survey, the most comprehensive snapshot of opinion. Even after devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, Britain’s departure from the eu, the rise and fall of the uk Independence Party and four straight Conservative general-election victories, the proportion of British people who identify as predominantly or only English has barely budged.

Like the life of St George, the rise of English identity is largely myth, argues Sir John Curtice, a political scientist. If English nationalism is on the march, no one has told the English.

Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell