England - the least patriotic country in Europe

[Palisadoes]

Source - didn't want to go with the Daily Mail, but it had a longer article than the Metro (here).

England branded least patriotic nation in Europe as citizens are too scared to fly the flag

The English rate themselves the least patriotic nation in Europe, a poll suggests.

Almost half said their country had lost its identity in the face of European interference and political correctness.

The findings were published in advance of St George's Day which, as two thirds of those polled did not know, is on April 23 – this Friday.

They showed that on average, English people rate their patriotism at slightly below six on a scale out of ten, behind the Scots, Welsh and Irish and far in the wake of the Dutch, the most patriotic people on the continent.

Only one in ten would happily fly the cross of St George to celebrate the national saint's day.

Double that number said they thought they would be told by authorities to remove it if they flew it from their house.

Despite calls from public figures ranging from Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu to Gordon Brown for more celebrations of the English national day, there has been clear disapproval from many public authorities.

In 2008 St George's Day parades were banned by local authorities in Bradford and Sandwell in the West Midlands on the grounds they could cause trouble or were 'unhealthy' and 'tribal'.

Last year Mr Brown's instruction that public buildings in England should fly the flag on 23 April were undermined by the production of a European map drawn up in Brussels that wiped England off altogether and replaced the country with a series of EU regions.

The new survey showed that six per cent of English people are scared to show the flag and around 18 per cent are worried that if they do they will be instructed by officialdom to take it down.

Only a third are aware that 23 April is St George's Day and four out of 10 have no idea why he is England's patron saint.

One in 10 of the English are happy to fly the flag, compared with one in three Dutch people willing to fly their own tricolor.

More than one in four English people said they feared being branded racist, but four out of 10 said they would happily express their national pride behind closed doors.

Four out of 10 said they felt England had completely lost its national identity.

The same number said the only time they felt a real sense of patriotism was during big sporting events or competitions, with 53 per cent claiming the World Cup was the main spark, followed by the Olympics.

However, three out of ten said they felt waves of patriotism in the wake of terrorist atrocities in our towns and cities.

While English people put their patriotism at 5.8 out of 10, Scots ranked their patriotism at 7.1, the Welsh at 7.06 and the Irish at 6.72.

The Dutch were the most patriotic European country at 7.18, while the French scored 6.44 and the Germans ranked their love of country just ahead of the English at 5.81.

This is why I'm proud to be British! No flag-humping nonsense - just pure cynicism!

[Barrister]

I wonder what the answers to the same question about the Union Flag would be?

[Josephus]

I see plenty of the George Cross during the World Cup. Even I fly one from my car.

[Agelastus]

My primary identity is British, not English; I'd guess that is true for a large number of the English. English patriotism only comes out at the occasional sporting event, and I'd be quite willing to cheer Scotland in a competition where England had been knocked out. Whereas I think that Scots, Welsh and Irish consider themselves to be that before they think of themselves as British, so the reverse is not true.

The same number said the only time they felt a real sense of patriotism was during big sporting events or competitions, with 53 per cent claiming the World Cup was the main spark, followed by the Olympics.

The Olympics, of course, being where a British team competes, not an English team. Also consider there is no English national anthem; whenever an England team plays, the national anthem of the UK is used.

As Barrister says, asking about the Union Flag would be more interesting; after all, every social club in my hometown flies it automatically.

[Palisadoes]

I wonder what the answers to the same question about the Union Flag would be?

Probably crappy too.

I see plenty of the George Cross during the World Cup. Even I fly one from my car.

Until we lose!

[Caliga]

You people disgust me.  THANK GOD we threw your asses out. 

[Palisadoes]

My primary identity is British, not English; I'd guess that is true for a large number of the English. English patriotism only comes out at the occasional sporting event, and I'd be quite willing to cheer Scotland in a competition where England had been knocked out. Whereas I think that Scots, Welsh and Irish consider themselves to be that before they think of themselves as British, so the reverse is not true.

The same number said the only time they felt a real sense of patriotism was during big sporting events or competitions, with 53 per cent claiming the World Cup was the main spark, followed by the Olympics.

The Olympics, of course, being where a British team competes, not an English team. Also consider there is no English national anthem; whenever an England team plays, the national anthem of the UK is used.

As Barrister says, asking about the Union Flag would be more interesting; after all, every social club in my hometown flies it automatically.

I prefer to identify as British too, as I have ancestry from all constituent cultures. This makes British seem the logical term.

However, I wouldn't say I was particularly "patriotic". Being patriotic is so un-British!

[Sheilbh]

English nationalism often shows itself as a chippy resentment of foreigners

Having said that we've never had a great national day.  The Scots celebrate Burns' Night, not St Andrew's day and the Irish celebrate St Patrick's because they're Catholic and Catholics have less issue with Saints in general.  If I had to say the closest England has ever had to a national day is May Day.

[Caliga]

Armistice Day?

[Palisadoes]

Margaret Thatcher's birthday should be our national day. Just to piss off the Scots.

[Barrister]

English nationalism often shows itself as a chippy resentment of foreigners

Having said that we've never had a great national day.  The Scots celebrate Burns' Night, not St Andrew's day and the Irish celebrate St Patrick's because they're Catholic and Catholics have less issue with Saints in general.  If I had to say the closest England has ever had to a national day is May Day.

Y'all need to start celebrating Victoria Day.

[Sheilbh]

Armistice Day?

National day = bank holiday and drinking.  Armistice day is more a moment of silence, everyone wearing poppies and marches on Remembrance Sunday.

[Agelastus]

Armistice Day?

National day = bank holiday and drinking.  Armistice day is more a moment of silence, everyone wearing poppies and marches on Remembrance Sunday.

Agreed. You don't "celebrate" Armistice Day; too high a price was paid.

I wouldn't list May Day as being close to a National Day though. It's just like any other non-Christian origin bank holiday. If anything the closest England gets to a national day such as Burns Night or St. Patricks Day is the Notting Hill Carnival - and that's limited to one small area of London.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Armistice day - more commonly known as Remembrance day here - is not English at all, not even British, it is a commemoration of the sacrifice made by Commonwealth and Imperial troops.

Which illustrates why the article is a load of cobblers.

Patriotism is a pretty diffuse thing for an Englishman; being British is the most important thing for most I would guess, then being English, then our ties with places like Canada, Australia and NZ.

The English flags are starting to go up round here as we near the World Cup; which is by far the most important thing that "England" actually does in most people's minds.

[Admiral Yi]

It's hard to imagine that the English are less patriotic than Belgians.