The English Paradox
Nations are rarely static; they tend to either form structures to hold them together or they split apart.
This puts England (as the core of the hollowed out British Empire) in a decidedly odd position.
New nations coming together often form some form of confederacy or federation with individual parts or states achieving “statehood” as they are seen to have the maturity to manage their own state business.
The United States: all parts have now achieved statehood – apart from Washington DC and “overseas territories”. The Territory of Hawaii and Territory of Alaska being the last territories deemed to be capable of statehood and achieving that status in 1959.
Australia: apart from the Northern Territory (and ACT & JBT), all parts of Australia now have statehood. The Northern Territory rejected statehood in 1998 and some functions are still administered by the Federal Government.
Canada: Ten provinces have the equivalent of “statehood” and are considered “co-sovereign”, but there remain three territories run by powers delegated by the Federal Government; Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.
United Kingdom: Three parts have their own governments and can be thought to have a recognised degree of statehood; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England however remains in effect an immature territory administered by Westminster.
If, on the other hand, we look at sovereign organisations coming apart, we still see England as being infantilised. Looking at the British Empire:
- The empire rebelled (successfully) against “Imperial Rule”
- Then, The Irish rebelled (fairly successfully) against “British Rule”
- Now, The Scots (and Welsh and Northern Irish) are rebelling against “English Rule”
- So how do the English rebel and how do they rebel against themselves?
Londoners have a tendency to refer to those of us outside “the commuter belt” as “provincials”, and that kind of sums us up. We are provinces or colonies and have never been allowed or enabled to either gain the maturity necessary for internal statehood or to acquire the independent identity necessary demand independence.
Outside the marginals 