Why can’t I be English?

It seems these days that the English identity is being eroded. For some reason, we have to be British first and English second, whereas the Welsh and Scots (and quite rightly so) are Welsh and Scottish first and British second.

When there is an international sporting match (let’s use Rugby Union as an example), the announcement comes across the stadium ‘please be upstanding for the national anthems’. The Welsh have their anthem – ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ and the Scots have ‘Flower of Scotland’, and it’s quite right that they should have these anthems.

England does not have a national anthem of its own. God Save The King is the national anthem for the United Kingdom.

Why should the Welsh and the Scots have a national anthem and not the English?

Perhaps a little poem might explain it a bit better:-

OUR ENGLAND

Goodbye, my England, so long, old friend
Your days are numbered, being brought to an end.
To be Scottish, Irish or Welsh, that’s just fine,
But don’t say you’re English, that’s way out of line!

The French and the Germans may call themselves such,
As may the Norwegians, the Swedes, and the Dutch.
You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane,
But don’t say you are English ever again.

At Broadcasting House, that word is taboo,
In Brussels, they’ve scrapped it, and in Parliament too.
Even schools are affected; staff do as they’re told,
They mustn’t teach children about the England of old.

Writers like Shakespeare, Milton or Shaw,
Do pupils not learn about them anymore?
How about Agincourt, Hastings, or Mons?
Where England lost hosts of her very brave sons.

We’re not Europeans; how can we be?
Europe is miles away, over the sea!
We’re English from England, let’s all be proud.
Stand up and be counted, shout it out loud!

Let’s tell Whitehall and Brussels too.

We’re proud of our heritage, not just red, white, and blue.
Fly the flag of St. George AND the Union Flag!
Let the World know ENGLAND is back!