Are you British or English?

[Boys 9d]

Hitler youth?

No more so than people who regard themselves as English being members of EDL which the vast majority are not.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I am both and more:
Having been born in part of Kent that is now London, having been brought up in Sussex, and living for the last 40 years in Hampshire, I am not only English but very much southern English. I have no problem with the North or northerners, but realise I am very much a product of where I am.

having a daughter who now lives in Wales, a granddaughter born in that country, a wife who is a quarter Scottish and a mother-in-law who was very much Scottish, although technically only half-scottish, a son-in-law who is half-scottish, I am also happy being British.

And i know this won't be popular with many, but I am also very happy to be European. I studied Modern languages at University (French and German), love France and the French, Italy and the Italiansand have felt comfortable in places i have visited less, such as Denmark, Prague, Austria, Switzerland. But this is also a cultural thing, as I would much rather watch some of the quality films and television that are coming out of Europe recently tan much of the mass-produced crap that comes out of the US. The Girl with the Dragon tattoo plus sequels, Borgen, the Killing. The Bridge coming out of Scandinivia alone. There seems an enormous gap between American and European stuff. No American could ever have made Brassed Off, or the Full Monty.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I consider myself English but more important that flags and boundaries are socio-economic divisions, thus I feel more kinship with a left wing, blue collar worker from Brazil or Russia than I do with an EDL member or the snobby posh twat over the road.

Well said, that man. I have had some of my happiest times socialising with Europeans - mainly but not exclusively French, who were of a similar "mindset" to my own.

 

[Drumstick]

Put other as I am both.

 

[sharpey38]

i don't support wales, scotland or ireland so i'd say english

 

[upthealbion1970]

I don't think Northern Ireland is a part of BRITAIN.

It forms part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But Britain by itself tends to refer to the island of Great Britain, which is of course home to England, Scotland and Wales. The British Isles consists of this island plus the related islands such as Jersey, the Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly and Hebrides etc. Again, it does NOT refer to Northern Ireland.

Good friend of mine lives in Ballymena and considers himself British, as do his family

 

[Hamilton]

Both. I don't tend to separate the two.

I'm also aware that the British Isles relates to the lands of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Great Britain refers only to Scotland, Wales and England.

The United Kingdom relates to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Most Welsh people can actually lay claim to the ancestry of the Ancient Britons - most English trace their routes back to the Anglo Saxons, Romans and French as I understood it.

All that means it is rather hard to know where to start to lay ownership for the name 'British'.

That's why I can't be bothered and call myself both British and English.

 

[seagull_in_malaysia]

Perhaps this can clear a few things up: The Difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England Explained - YouTube

 

[Lincoln Imp]

I know that at least one contributor to this thread will froth at the mouth but the fact that most people here regard themselves as solely or largely English proves that concerns about us loosing our national identity as part of an closer EU are just tabloid nonsense.

To all intents and purposes England has had no armed forces, head of state, established anthem or parliament for centuries and yet many of us remain pleased, in our quiet and gentle way, to be described as "English".

 

[brighton_tom]

Both.

Yes i am English but by definition I am also British.

 

[wunt be druv]

Man of Sussex first,then English.

 

[Puppet Master]

Definitely English and I correct Americans who call me British.

 

[dingodan]

I know that at least one contributor to this thread will froth at the mouth but the fact that most people here regard themselves as solely or largely English proves that concerns about us loosing our national identity as part of an closer EU are just tabloid nonsense.

To all intents and purposes England has had no armed forces, head of state, established anthem or parliament for centuries and yet many of us remain pleased, in our quiet and gentle way, to be described as "English".

If people "feeling British" is what it was feared would be lost, then yes those fears were clearly misplaced.

But, if losing, for all intents and purposes, an independent and sovereign armed forces, head of state, and parliamentary process, was in fact what was feared, then in fact, those fears have been realized.

 

[ofco8]

Can't vote as not a right option as I am both. End of.

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

Having recently been awarded an MBE I guess that makes me British. Although I probably would say British / English although my mum is Scottish and my brother thinks of himself as more Scottish than English as he was born in Scotland. Presumably there are Brighton fans who are neither British or English?

 

[Colossal Squid]

I stand corrected. I genuinely didn't realise Ireland constitutes part of the British Isles. That must really piss the Irish off as it suggests British ownership!

 

[Seagull on the wing]

English. Always cross 'British' out on the census. It's nothin to do with being thin skinned but rather to do with being confident of who I am.

Same here...born Brighton,which is in Sussex which in turn is in England....Britain is England,Northern Ireland,Wales and Scotland....different kettle of fish.

 

[The Spanish]

if we are honest you can go to Glasgow and pretty much everythings the same despite the jocks protestations to the contrary. You can go to the Netherlands or Jutland where we originate from and are physically closer and its obviously far more foreign. This business about the UK being disparate nations pulling apart is a massive nationalist myth. You can have a conversation in the same language in Scotland but not in Holland.

 

[aberllefenni]

Welsh British

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Wrong.

Northen Ireland is not part of Britian. Hence the name of our country. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northen Ireland. They are Irish.

I think a lot of Northern Irish people would disagree with that statement about them being Irish !! Ireland is a separate country all together from NI !!
As is England separate from Scotland and Wales simple geography really. Northeren Ireland has pounds and pence Rep Of Ireland has the Euro etc totally different country