In a Field of His Own

I lamented in a previous blog the slow death of the Brit Left who seem to have been reduced to going on about Iraq, Palestine and maybe Bolivia or Venezuela but are in self-denial about the future of the UK apart from pushing New British Nationalism on us - yes, Brown was at it again over the weekend.

However, the left are not all moribund in their British nationalism. I've already spoken about Straw being an intelligent option for Labour rather than Brown and Billy Bragg tries to create a new Englishness which isn't racist ... of course, Englishness isn't racist, it was only the Brit Nat Left who said it was in the fist place.

But the one politician on the Left who is brave and intelligent enough to actually think the unthinkable (again) is Frank Field. I believe Field was born in Wales so that may give him some idea of the nature of nationality and identity. In an intelligent and interesting interview on GMTV's Sunday program who reveals the (British) Emperor’s new clothes. This is a snippet from the interview:

"... I mean, I love England but somehow to think that we've got special status in the world because we're the United Kingdom I just think is tragic to still be peddling that view."

He also understands that Britain is just Belgium on stilts. China, the US and India won't give a damn what she thinks in a few years time - stop deluding yourself - just take a look at the demographics.

Here's the interview (thanks to Iain Dale's blog)

Brown for Labour

Everyone else have been discussing who should be the next leader of the Labour Party, so here goes. Jack Straw would be the obvious next leader. Of course, this is unlikely to happen as Labour are in denial (or unable to read) what's happening to cultural politics in England.

This is partly because they believe their own propaganda that identity and constitutional issues aren't important and people just want to talk about schools'n'hospitals and partly because they don't want to rock the boat.

But lets lie back and smile. Imagine Labour win the next UK election by a small margin propped up by the phalanx of Welsh and Scots MPs. Hmm. Tories win more votes (even seats) in England. Gordon Brown is PM. How long do you think that'll last? I can't stop grinning at the chocolaty succulence of it - that's why I want Brown for Labour PM.

Of course, Brown could quite conceivably lose the election to Cameron. In which case Cameron would have saved the Union for the time being in much the same way as Major, by losing in 1997, saved the Union for a while (imagine had the Tories won again?!). If Brown was to lose then there would be an important lesson learnt in Wales and Scotland.

It will be that a Labour MP representing a Welsh or Scottish constituency would never be able to become PM of the UK again. That's got far-reaching implications for the polity and personal ambition in those two countries. If you're a driven politician, what's best - being a big fish (PM) of a small country or a small fish (Minister for Pensions) in a big pond?

Of course, Labour could chose the risky but possibly far-sighted option which is the Straw option. He's the only Labour senior politician who seems to understand what's going on with the white English working class.

He's ready to take risks on issues which chime with voters (the burka affair), he doesn't believe the left-wing narrative about multiculturalism, he supports(ish) an English parliament, he's decent and isn't a frothing racist... and that's before you come to a 'good war' on Iraq ( i.e. no war).

Straw can appeal to 'traditional Labour voters' (code for white working class who may be even be tempted to vote BNP to make a point but more likely not to vote at all) without scaring the Home Counties. The Labour CRE brigade may be tempted to go for him now that they've realised the game is up.

Of course if Straw is chosen there's far reaching implications for the polity and personal ambition of driven politicians in Wales and Scotland!

The Right are on the ball!

Interesting article by Matthew Parris in The Times, which just goes to show that the understanding of the massive change in opinion that is going on in the UK (especially in England) regarding 'Britishness' comes from the right wing and not the British nationalists of the left.

In fact I'm surprised that many of those who are on the right and live in Wales are hostile to Welsh independence. Leaving aside their emotional attachment to Britishness, Welsh independence would free up Wales as much as free it.

An independent Wales would have to make the economy work or the government would sink - no more Brit Nat dependence culture and 'daddy London will bail us out'. No more bribes and boring class jingoism. No, as someone commented on the Wales World Nation blog, the Welsh political class would have to learn to swim and leave the rhetoric behind.

An independent Wales would be the difference between the whinging Ossi of East Germany and the confident Estonian. Two former communist states, but one is tied in with a richer brother and playing the politics of hand-outs, while the other is independent and has had to sort out its own economy - on it own terms - and has been far more successful.

In a global economy and with no threat from France or Germany, there simply is no point to the UK, France nor Spain. There's nothing they can do which Wales, Scotland, Brittany or Catalonia couldn't. It's time the Brit Nats were less emotional about lines on maps and smelt the coffee.

Two fingers to the Brit Nats - C'mon England!

After years of hearing British nationalists tell me to stop being 'racists' and support England in the name of brotherhood and solidarity, I've finally taken their advice.

I have to admit I was genuinely disappointed that England didn't retain the Ashes and I now want England to do well in rugby. If it wasn't for the small but crucial fact that English Soccer Fans (who've decided from their own accord to move to Wales) have historically made no effort to integrate into our country, I'd even support their soccer team.

I do this not because of any new found belief in the Brit Nat lie (I never decided not to support England for racists reasons nor do I hate England). I support England now because with every test match or Grandslam they win, the English become more English and less British - and that's something I welcome.

It also creates a civic English nationalism, which again is something I support (and the Brit Nats on the left don't) something which is often discussed on the following blog: www.toque.co.uk/blog/

So, two fingers to the Brit Nats, and C'mon England!

Gibraltar - a Footballing Nation

UEFA have decided that they had no argument not to recognise Gibraltar as a footballing nation. ... much to Spain's dislike.

Nothing against Gibraltar, but I'd have thought that the Basque and Catalan nations would have a stronger moral and legal case.

I look forward to Catalonia, Basque Country, Brittany, Kurdistan and Flanders competing in the European and World Cup.

At least the Basques, Catalans and Bretons are European nations ... unlike the recently and bizarrely accepted Kazakhstan.

CATALAN FA - www.seleccions.cat

BASQUE FA - www.eff-fvf.org

BRETON FA - bfa.ifrance.com

KURDISTAN FA - www.kurdistan-fa.com/

'New Labour has had its Day' - Rhodri Morgan

Haven't we heard this one before?... like a few months before the last Assembly election and the famous 'clear red water' between 'Welsh' Labour and New Labour?

Does Windbag honestly think we're that stupid?

I know what 'Welsh Labour socialism' means - bribes! 'free' train trips, 'free' school breakfast i.e. Labour's suspected core voters get stuff for free whilst somebody else pays for it.

'New Labour's had it's day' - yes Rhodri, like Trident, Iraq and 'Welsh' Labour being too useless even to ban smoking in Wales until it's going to happen in the mother country (see walesworldnation.welshblogs.co.uk - 'Smoking for Britain')... oh, and it's a month before the election.

No doubt 'Welsh' Labour won't be accepting any cash nor support by New Labour nor New Labour MPs in the run-up to the Assembly Election?

England Awakes

Simon Heffer makes a good argument for English independence in the Telegraph.

Labour's Brit Nats can't put the genie back in the bottle. It's either a UK federal parliament within 10 years, or independence all round. The English aren't as timid as the Welsh and so won't put up with an useless Assembly like ours.

It's interesting to see that the radical thinking in England on the constitution is coming from the right wing. Just shows the slow death (or self-censorship) of the English left wing.