Pride in Britain’s history has fallen sharply over the past decade as the country has become less nationalistic and jingoistic and more reflective about its place in the modern world, according to a leading barometer of the British public mood.
Is it still a barometer of the British mood, or is it merely reflective of the 'new Britons' that we've been importing in job lots over the last twenty years?
Although Brexit and immigration have created flashpoints around national identity in recent years, the wider picture shows a more inclusive and self-critical sense of Britishness emerging and a decline in my-country-right-or-wrong views.
Perhaps because for many surveyed, they don't regard it as their country?
There was a striking 22-point fall in the proportion of people saying they were proud of Britain’s history, from 86% to 64%, and a 13-point drop in those who said they would rather be a citizen of Britain than any other country, from 62% to 49%.
Is this merely reflective of the continual denigration of Britain and its history in schools and tv shows?
There were also marked declines in the proportion of people expressing pride in Britain’s democracy, its economic achievements and its political influence in the world. People were less likely to agree that Britain was better than most other countries or that people should support their country even if it was in the wrong.
The progressives can, it seems, be proud of how their long march has turned out....
