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Brits are hard-wired to keep the rest of Europe at arm's length, despite the facts Brits are hard-wired to keep the rest of Europe at arm's length, despite the facts
(2 months later)
There is nothing quite like arriving back in Britain after a holiday on the continent. Back home, still carrying euros we are glad we don't need to change because we will use them next year, only to be swamped by the subliminal anti-European propaganda that our country alone seems to delight in.There is nothing quite like arriving back in Britain after a holiday on the continent. Back home, still carrying euros we are glad we don't need to change because we will use them next year, only to be swamped by the subliminal anti-European propaganda that our country alone seems to delight in.
Even while you are still on the plane, the stewardess is handing out landing cards pointing out they are not needed by "anyone with a British or European passport". Then you land and the signs direct you to "UK and EU passports", as if they were different things. They are not. A UK passport is a European passport. It is the passport of a member state of the European Union. It says so on the cover. You would never find lanes in Germany for "European and German passports", nor in France for "European and French passports", nor in any other of the 28 member states. Nobody else is so determined to wear their schizophrenia on their sleeve.Even while you are still on the plane, the stewardess is handing out landing cards pointing out they are not needed by "anyone with a British or European passport". Then you land and the signs direct you to "UK and EU passports", as if they were different things. They are not. A UK passport is a European passport. It is the passport of a member state of the European Union. It says so on the cover. You would never find lanes in Germany for "European and German passports", nor in France for "European and French passports", nor in any other of the 28 member states. Nobody else is so determined to wear their schizophrenia on their sleeve.
This is despite the fact that our government's long-winded and extremely expensive inquiry into the "balance of competences" between itself and Brussels is coming up with answers it won't like. In part one of the study released on Monday, covering areas from the single market to health, aid and animal welfare, the conclusions range from "largely appropriate" (health) to "most observers, and indeed most of the evidence … answer positively" (single market), and "generally strongly in the UK's interests to work through the EU" (foreign policy).This is despite the fact that our government's long-winded and extremely expensive inquiry into the "balance of competences" between itself and Brussels is coming up with answers it won't like. In part one of the study released on Monday, covering areas from the single market to health, aid and animal welfare, the conclusions range from "largely appropriate" (health) to "most observers, and indeed most of the evidence … answer positively" (single market), and "generally strongly in the UK's interests to work through the EU" (foreign policy).
But those who don't want to hear that won't hear it. In the meantime the pretence that there's an "us and them" continues, rather like one partner in a relationship acting as if it's an open marriage without consulting the other. Our government offices don't fly the EU flag alongside the national flag, as they do in nearly all other member states. It is as if there is a collective subconscious (conscious among some) conspiracy to brand ourselves as "other", "special".But those who don't want to hear that won't hear it. In the meantime the pretence that there's an "us and them" continues, rather like one partner in a relationship acting as if it's an open marriage without consulting the other. Our government offices don't fly the EU flag alongside the national flag, as they do in nearly all other member states. It is as if there is a collective subconscious (conscious among some) conspiracy to brand ourselves as "other", "special".
Don't tell me it was ever thus. It wasn't. This subliminal Europhobia has developed over the past two decades as the rest of Europe has integrated while UK politicians desperate to maintain their importance have pretended to "bravely" stand up to the process while actually being too timid to take part.Don't tell me it was ever thus. It wasn't. This subliminal Europhobia has developed over the past two decades as the rest of Europe has integrated while UK politicians desperate to maintain their importance have pretended to "bravely" stand up to the process while actually being too timid to take part.
When people crossed the Channel, they either referred to the country they were travelling to or said "to the continent". The apocryphal newspaper headline "Fog in channel, continent cut off!" is used to illustrate British insularity, but it doesn't say "Europe cut off!" That would make no sense to readers of the day.When people crossed the Channel, they either referred to the country they were travelling to or said "to the continent". The apocryphal newspaper headline "Fog in channel, continent cut off!" is used to illustrate British insularity, but it doesn't say "Europe cut off!" That would make no sense to readers of the day.
Those heroes of Michael Gove's nationalist "our island story" history syllabus – William Pitt, the Duke of Wellington and Winston Churchill – would not have recognised the way we talk today: when they referred to "European powers", they included us, even if they would usually have called us simply "England". Because Europe was accepted as a geographical entity, it would have seemed preposterous to exclude ourselves from it. Today we fly "to Europe", our mobile phone plans detail roaming charges "in Europe", as if we live somewhere else, creating the psychological impression that our entire island has moved.Those heroes of Michael Gove's nationalist "our island story" history syllabus – William Pitt, the Duke of Wellington and Winston Churchill – would not have recognised the way we talk today: when they referred to "European powers", they included us, even if they would usually have called us simply "England". Because Europe was accepted as a geographical entity, it would have seemed preposterous to exclude ourselves from it. Today we fly "to Europe", our mobile phone plans detail roaming charges "in Europe", as if we live somewhere else, creating the psychological impression that our entire island has moved.
I'm speaking of only one island. We talk of the "British Isles" – but that is not the term used in the south and west three-quarters of our sister island, where they are commonly called the "western European isles". They know where they live. Entering or leaving Ireland – the one EU state with which we share a land frontier – there are no uniformed UK border guards, nor even a road marking: driving north, you only discover you have entered the UK when you notice road signs in miles rather than kilometres, the EU flags disappear. And the EU-funded motorway stops.I'm speaking of only one island. We talk of the "British Isles" – but that is not the term used in the south and west three-quarters of our sister island, where they are commonly called the "western European isles". They know where they live. Entering or leaving Ireland – the one EU state with which we share a land frontier – there are no uniformed UK border guards, nor even a road marking: driving north, you only discover you have entered the UK when you notice road signs in miles rather than kilometres, the EU flags disappear. And the EU-funded motorway stops.
The Irish republic would love to join the Schengen free movement area – its border officials act almost as if they are by waving EU passports through at Dublin airport – but our paranoia and fear of resurgent terror if the inner-Irish border were reinstated, prevents it. Paranoia about immigration leads us to deny our own citizens the common EU benefit of travel without passports or customs. It is as if we enjoy having to turn up at airports two hours earlier than other Europeans.The Irish republic would love to join the Schengen free movement area – its border officials act almost as if they are by waving EU passports through at Dublin airport – but our paranoia and fear of resurgent terror if the inner-Irish border were reinstated, prevents it. Paranoia about immigration leads us to deny our own citizens the common EU benefit of travel without passports or customs. It is as if we enjoy having to turn up at airports two hours earlier than other Europeans.
All this at a time when the UK's constituent parts, including the English, are more aware than ever of their national identities. Those who fight hardest to keep them in the UK are often those most keen to take the UK out of the EU, wholly without seeing the irony. The EU was at least formed by treaty rather than by conquest (Wales, Ireland) or bribery-cum-blackmail (Scotland).All this at a time when the UK's constituent parts, including the English, are more aware than ever of their national identities. Those who fight hardest to keep them in the UK are often those most keen to take the UK out of the EU, wholly without seeing the irony. The EU was at least formed by treaty rather than by conquest (Wales, Ireland) or bribery-cum-blackmail (Scotland).
Can we not apply the same logic to our relationship with Europe: that we can be British (or Scottish or English) and European, without implying the two are incompatible?Can we not apply the same logic to our relationship with Europe: that we can be British (or Scottish or English) and European, without implying the two are incompatible?
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