David Cameron: Britain rocks!

OK, he didn’t quite say ‘Britain rocks!’ but its essentially want he meant. In an open letter to Tim Montgomerie, Editor of ConservativeHome, he replied to Tim’s plea to put patriotism at the centre of the Conservatives agenda. You can read the whole thing here but there were a few passages that I wanted to highlight:

We must never forget that Britain is a great country with a history we can be truly proud of. Our culture, language and inventiveness has shaped the modern world, and ensures we are still a significant player on the world stage.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. The United Kingdom must be one of the most influential countries the world has ever known. We have helped shape the modern world. English is one of the most dominant languages of the world, incredible for such a small island. The Westminster parliamentary system is the most popular form of democracy in the world. English law is the basis of legal codes the world over, including the United States.

But whilst Britain has so much to celebrate in every field of endeavour, we seem to be better at achieving greatness than at celebrating it. I think this sense of understatement is itself an intrinsic part of being British…we need to bring our country together, and that means moving away from the wrong-headed doctrine of state multiculturalism by, for example, making sure all new arrivals to our country can speak, or will learn to speak, our common language.

This is vitally important. We mustn’t be embarrassed to speak of, and celebrate, love for ones country. Encouraging those who settle here to integrate, by learning the language for example, will not only benifit them but also society at large. It would help limit tensions amongst communities. I doubt the homegrown 7/7 bombers would have blown themselves up on London transport, killing 52 of their fellow citizens, if they had been endowed with a proper sense of Britishness.

Conservatives are patriotic to the core…we are the only party that has representation in every region of the UK – including Northern Ireland. We will fight the SNP every inch of the way over their attempts to break our Union apart. And when it comes to the EU, we will always be a strong voice for national sovereignty. But I don’t think politicians should claim patriotism exclusively for one party or one political tradition. Patriotism should transcend politics. Its value is as a unifying force, not a divisive one…and for the same reasons we will do all we can to counter the rise of BNP.

With regards to the EU it is right that the Conservatives have left the federalist EPP-ED. The majority of Britons, and party members, are EU skeptics and its right that the Conservative Party in Europe should reflect that. We should always put the interests of Britain first and foremost. It is they who we claim to represent.

I have long thought that national parties should be represented by all parts of the United Kingdom at Westminster. The Conservative coalition with the Ulster Unionist’s in Northern Ireland is a big step in the right direction and will ensure that Northern Ireland has a strong voice at the centre of the United Kingdom. As for the SNP, they just don’t have widespread support for independence in Scotland and only came to power at Holyrood because of Labour’s continual failures (the same is true of the BNP too). But it’s up to the Conservatives to convince the people of Scotland that we are the real alternative to the SNP, Labour or the Liberals Democrats and that we will stand up for Scotland. We must do the same in Wales. The current financial crisis only deepens the argument for unionism.

It’s vitally important that we bring back proper teaching of British history in our schools. We won’t get very far in promoting Britishness if people don’t have a feel for Britain’s history and heritage. It is a tragedy that we have swept away the teaching of narrative history, and replaced it with a bite-sized, disjointed approach to learning about historical events…this failed approach has led us to the great irony that most British-born citizens would struggle to answer the questions on our citizenship tests.

History is so important. I started secondary school in September 1997. Too many people my age know next to nothing about the history of these islands. More worryingly, they don’t seem to care. Much of what I know and understand of British history and its narrative today I learnt outside of school. It did it because I was interested. I’m not sure how many others my age would’ve had the motivation or willingness to do the same.

Thinking back all I can remember learning at high school in any great detail, certainly towards the end (I didn’t take it for GCSE), was the First and Second World Wars. I think we touched on 1066, the Black Death, The War of the Roses, Henry VIII & the Reformation and the Spanish Armada briefly. Nothing on the Hundred Years War, the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution, the Seven Years War, American & French Revolutions, the Napoleonic Wars or the Victorian period. My favourite period of history (1700-1945 - which I have subsequently discovered) were hardly covered.

Gordon Brown talks about British values like liberty, fair play, openness. He’s right to pinpoint these values, but they are not exclusively British. What is required is more emotional connection with the institutions that define Britishness such as our monarchy, our armed forces, and our parliament. These institutions are a vital part of what it means to be British, but they have consistently been undermined by this government.

Here, here. Emotion is always important when it comes to encouraging pride in ones country. Pride in the Queen for her tireless service to the United Kingdom, pride in our armed forces for the sacrifices they make on a daily basis, pride in our parliament for standing up for our rights and freedoms (okay, that last one has been made quite difficult recently). I would even include the BBC on the list, although in recent years its not-so-impartial editorial stance has sadly undermined itself as an institution to be proud of. We must always safeguard those things that make us unique as a nation, while ensuring that they remain relevant to today.

That can only be achieved, however, through education. Schools must teach pupils about, and give them a proper grounding in, this country’s institutions and political system – something that was not taught to me at school and which I had to learn for myself. It was after I had done that that I gained a real appreciation for this country and felt truly proud of the United Kingdom and its accomplishments.

Tomorrow ConHome begins an eight part series on patriotism. Can’t wait.

Oh, and David Cameron is descended from Moses apparently. Who’d have thought.