Trevor Phillips
In my view the heart of Britishness does not lie, like some continental traditions, in ethnic belonging or republican obeisance. Rather it lies in a way of living together characterised by tolerance, egalitarianism, respect for the dignity of the individual and a powerful tradition of dissent.
Our national identity is essentially about the way we treat each other. In a phrase – British is as British does. It’s about what people do, not who they are. In a diverse society the shared values are the fundamental glue that holds us together; and the way we behave towards each other is the outward manifestation of our values.
In our modern, diverse society, Britishness works for us for two key reasons. First it offers an overarching common identity, available to anyone who chooses to live here. Second, in and of itself it provides a toolkit and culture by which we negotiate our diversity and accommodate it.
However, simply doing what we’ve always done will not be enough. The scale and speed of change today presents a huge test of our evolutionary integration process. We need to guarantee equality, the first prerequisite of integration, by law and by policy. We need to empower citizens, ensure their personal freedoms and engage them in our democracy. We also need to be vigorous in creating an environment where they can interact constructively with their fellow citizens.
We need a way of explicitly codifying what it means to be British; what these behaviours amount to. That is why the proposals for a British Bill of Rights could be so valuable. The human rights framework is a real, practical means of expressing the values that matter to us.
Western societies face a formidable challenge in the form of an increasingly vibrant identity politics. The experience of Britain has a great deal to offer to others. In an increasingly diverse world, nations which choose to deny, separate or suppress their diversity look increasingly unstable. I do believe that the principle of “British is as British does” has much to offer, not just our society, but the world.
Trevor Phillips is the Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
This essay also works if you substitute “English” for “British”.
What does it mean to be English or what does it mean to be British when you are thinking about being British then you think about having a national identity and that you feel you are part of Britain instead of saying that you are Welsh British it creates equality in the united kingdom instead of showing you ethnic background also it very different of saying I am English because it goes more into your ethnic background and to where your parents are ornate from and it goes more into religion and your family background and upbringing but also your tradition. But also it does mean you get the right to become a citizen within in Britain you have all the rights and the responsibilities you get and also it doesn’t mean you have to support British either if you have a British nationality it’s more of an ID of you being in this illegally it doesn’t mean that the brutishness runs in you blood and the freedom of speech to express your views ectre but not necessarily for a migrant say if they came into the country wouldn’t get those right as a British with a nationality would. Also by having nationality you can represent yourself for a country.