To be ashamed of being British?

The great playwright Alan Bennett may feel ashamed to be British if he likes, as may you.Most people do not.
There are xenophobic and downright racist people in Britain of all types ( not only white btw) and you could say this of any country anywhere in Europe, probably the whole world.
We can only really be ashamed of our own actions, and in Britain, which is very multicultural, thankfully most people rub along together well enough.

I am proud to be English and British (actually I would always describe myself as British) . I support any of "our" teams in sport and living where I do I feel closer to Scotland than I do to the South of England . I'm not sure why there needs to be a feeling of "them and us" when we are all British.

When did Alan Bennett say he was ashamed of being English? This is a genuine question, as I am a great admirer. I remember him saying he was briefly ashamed at the time of the Iraq invasion, and that he went through what he described as a prissy period of not letting Brexiters have selfies.

I'm afraid he term Little Englander is bigoted, however much it's cloaked in niceties. And so is being consistently scathing and hostile towards people from another nation, whether your best friend is one of them or not.

I support all teams - but never in the Six Nations

I have never thought of myself as British, no reason, just never have from childhood , don't have a problem with being British.

I agree maggie and further to that, although I like Bennetts writing, that doesn’t mean that everything he does/says is wonderful and above reproach, he can certainly be ‘prissy’ at times ( and being him, probably knows it!)?

maggie this morning on Today. He went to a restaurant in Leeds run I assume by a person from Europe. ALan Bennett said that he apologised over Brexit and the resultant fall out and said I feel ashamed to be British.

Brexit is clearly a great worry to him.

The ill-judged, badly-run EU referendum seems to have either caused a dramatic rise in racist and bigotted views or has encouraged the racists and bigots to express their views and act accordingly. Either way, it has made many of us less proud to be British than we once were when we thought we were living in a tolerant, inclusive country.

Well I'd ''emigrate'' to Scotland if the weather wasn't so cold (even worse than the NE). I've always admired their politics and their policies.

Well okay Anniebach I will give you that .

What I should have said is.... that first and foremost I would support England ( I am English after all) and then when they have been knocked out ( as we are used to) I will support any of our home nations be it Wales, Scotland, Ireland. I can never understand the "anyone but England" attitude of some of the Scots . It really puzzles me .

Of course those in denial that there are severe problems in this country relating to ethnicity should perhaps read the government report which outlines in great detail the issues faced by so many of our fellow citizens, from poorer health outcomes, to fewer life opportunities, to greater harassment from the police, to hate abuse/crime. Problems are increasing not as so many would like to think settling into nice cosy relationships.
Being in denial does nothing to solve the very great problems so many are facing.

" The ill-judged, badly-run EU referendum seems to have either caused a dramatic rise in racist and bigotted views or has encouraged the racists and bigots to express their views and act accordingly."

On both sides of the argument .

Maggie, how would you describe an English person who complain a church service wasn't in English , in The Church In Wales in Wales ?

Did have a giggle last week, a very cross English person asked on a local internet site - why are there so many posters around the town saying some roads will be closed for the .udd parade on Saturday , why close roads for Muslim parades . The parade was to celebrate next year The URDD festival was being held here. The URDD is for children and young people to socialise in Welsh , it was formed in 1922.

As a phrase it trips off the tongue so easily doesn’t it?
I’m not at all sure about being able to take pride in the actions of others of one’s own nationality or to shoulder any collective shame . Two sides of the same coin, are they not?
I am responsible for my actions. Maybe those of my children when they were minors, perhaps indirectly if their behaviour reflects their upbringing, but ultimately each person must take responsibility for their own actions or attitudes.
Were I to feel I was somehow part of a collective guilt for the actions of others I would not let it stop at nationality , I would think (as I often do) that I am ashamed of some members of the human race.

Possibly confusing URDD with Urdu? ?

Thanks, whitewave, I'll have a listen to that when it's available.

Well said Mawbroon ?

Thank you .Gilly, , even the Beeb commentators refer to England playing Scotland/Ireland , come Wales v England- it's the old enemies , thus it has always been, we all love the battle do we not?

Maggie, how would you describe an English person who complain a church service wasn't in English , in The Church In Wales in Wales?

I know the question wasn't directed at me Annie but I would describe them as being "a bit thick" unless of course the service was supposed to be (or advertised as being) conducted in English in which case I would describe them as "confused".

Most of what is said in a church is gobbledegook to me so wouldn't matter whether it was being conducted in Martian I still wouldn't understand it.

We do, and we want all our castles back annie ?

Yes Lemon, it was politely explained to him, the not so polite replies were removed, so funny though , poor chap.

I don't know how I'd describe them, Annie, but I wouldn't use a phrase that implies their nationality is a factor in their stupidity.

How would you describe the Welsh group at a very interesting holiday we shared, who tore down the Union flag from the display in a Lake Garda bar, and replaced it with the huge Welsh flag they'd brought with them (as you do)?

Perhaps the word idiots covers both groups.

No Gilly, one service a month in Welsh ?

Really Maggie?

Why fly the Union Flag in Italy? Most rude

Living in the north east and close enough to Newcastle, but not a Geordie, I was once told by a Scottish lady that we were acceptable because " Geordies are just Scotsmen with their brains knocked out ". I laughed but if I had said that to anyone else I would have been a racist bigot.