Britishness: Perspectives on the British Question(Political Quarterly Monograph Series)

Distinguished contributors from a range of disciplines explore the question of Britishness – past, present and future. A lively and authoritative discussion of an important, timely and contemporary issue Investigates how devolution has brought a new focus on the future of Britain and the nature of Britishness Discusses the challenge of a more diverse society, with the search for a basis of social cohesion and solidarity Examines Gordon Brown's Britishness project, with its aim of producing a statement of British values

Table of Contents:
Notes on Contributors vii Introduction: The Britishness Question Andrew Gamble and Tony Wright 1 ‘Bursting with Skeletons’: Britishness after Empire David Marquand 10 Does Britishness Still Matter in the Twenty-First Century—and How Much and How Well Do the Politicians Care? Linda Colley 21 Being British Bhikhu Parekh 32 Britishness: a Role for the State? Varun Uberoi and Iain Mclean 41 England and Britain, Europe and the Anglosphere David Willetts 54 What Britishness means to the British Peter Kellner 62 The BBC and Metabolising Britishness: Critical Patriotism Jean Seaton 72 Don’t Mess with Missionary Man: Brown, Moral Compasses and the Road to the Britishness Gerry Hassan 86 Britishness and the Future of the Union Robert Hazell 101 Devolution, Britishness and the Future of the Union Charlie Jeffery 112 Englishness in Contemporary British Politics Richard English, Richard Hayton and Michael Kenny 122 The Wager of Devolution and the Challenge to Britishness Arthur Aughey 136 Do We Really Need Britannia? Bernard Crick 149 Churchill’s Dover Speech (1946) Peter Hennessy 159 Index 167

About the Author :
Andrew Gamble is Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield. He is joint editor of The Political Quarterly and his books include Between Europe and America: The Future of British Politics (2003) and Politics and Fate (2000). Tony Wright is MP for Cannock Chase and Chairman of the Public Administration Committee in the House of Commons. He is joint editor of The Political Quarterly and his books include The British Political Process (1999) and Socialisms: Old and New (1996). Andrew Gamble and Tony Wright have also co-edited The New Social Democracy (1999) and Restating The State? (2004).