Mr Britain

Ministers Call For National 'Britain Day' - Any comments?

A national 'Britain Day' could be introduced in a bid to reinforce citizenship and prevent communities becoming more divided, if senior ministers get their way. Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly and Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said financial incentives may also be necessary to step up what they call Britain's "citizenship revolution". In a Fabian Society pamphlet, the pair said it was essential to promote a stronger sense of Britishness and the values that people hold in common. Suggestions included a new system of "earned citizenship" with a clearer points-based path for newcomers to earn the privileges of settling in Britain. Ms Kelly and Mr Byrne said there was a "critical risk" that after 40 years of increasing diversity in Britain, communities start looking inward and questioning their identity. "So instead of emphasising what they have in common with others, they stress the divisions and differences," they said. Our task in Britain, in the coming decade, is not to plan a separation. "Nor can it be about assimilation into a mono-culture. Instead we must develop a meaningful sense of what we all - whatever faith, ethnicity and wherever in Britain we are from - hold in common. "We need a stronger sense of why we live in a common place and have a shared future. "Today, more than at any time since the Second World War, we need a more vigorous debate about what it is that holds us together and how we express these links more clearly." PLEASE NOT THAT RUTH KELLY IS IN THE FOREFRONT OF THIS! HOW MANY TIMES HAS SHE BEEN MOVED AROUND FOR MAKING REAL POLITICAL BLUNDERS?

Public Comments

1. no comment
2. having a british pound would help first
3. so long as its a bank holiday, then great. If it turns out to be another pointless international day of the pink nosed garden snail that everyone ignores, then another waste of bureaucratic paper shuffling.
4. any comments? yeah, lots of them lol http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnQxDkzMR4eNJesw2f.4eZIuLxV.?qid=20070605014651AAMbgrn
5. I think it's a great idea, anything that trys to unify this country is fine by me. As long as something special is done on that day to celebrate Britishness and it's not just used as a day off.
6. Hurrah for Britain. We are the greatest nation in the world.
7. Point 1 You cant force people to be British or to Integrate, otherwise they rebel at the force telling them to Integrate and become more insular Point 2 Noone cares about holidays to promote X Y Z we just dont care we get a day off the TV has a couple of films on and shops open late and close early Point 3 making it harder to become a citizen is pointless when we have a large number of immigrants both legitimate and otherwise who have no interest becoming citizens who can get just about all the benefits thereof and a system prone to abuse or outright deception to obtain the benefits this is all pie in the sky headline making image politics hey look we made a Britain day holiday Yay Us! Never mind that the Scots want independance as do the Welsh, Northern Ireland is half wanting to go that way half wanting to kick out the half that want to go independant lets make a holiday about being British
8. A national britain day may help reinforce patriotism for those who have bloodlines deeply rooted in great britains history, but for migrants i believe it is of no value and just makes the brit's brit's and the british british. the divisions of society will always exist due to different beliefs, cultures, religions,and ancestry. Diversity has it's drawbacks, one of the focal points at this time is terrorism.
9. i think it will be a good idea we need a boost at the mo
10. nO.
11. I would support it if they bring back for the day such traditional things as The Ducking Stool and The Stocks, so we can get our own back on politician who have been exposed as liars or incompetent.
12. What a load of ...
13. It should be 28th November - the anniversary of the day the self-pitying Thatcher left Downing Street. Andrew Marr's series gets to this point next week - so tune in next Tuesday and enjoy the glorious moment again.