What is Britishness? Should it be promoted? If so, by whom? These are some of the questions tackled in this wide-ranging discussion of the British question. Distinguished contributors from a range of disciplines explore the question of Britishness - past, present and future.

Notes on Contributors vii Introduction: The Britishness Question Andrew Gamble and Tony Wright 1 ‘Bursting with Skeletons’: Britishness after Empire David Marquand 10 Does Britishness Still Matter in the Twenty-First Century—and How Much and How Well Do the Politicians Care? Linda Colley 21 Being British Bhikhu Parekh 32 Britishness: a Role for the State? Varun Uberoi and Iain Mclean 41 England and Britain, Europe and the Anglosphere David Willetts 54 What Britishness means to the British Peter Kellner 62 The BBC and Metabolising Britishness: Critical Patriotism Jean Seaton 72 Don’t Mess with Missionary Man: Brown, Moral Compasses and the Road to the Britishness Gerry Hassan 86 Britishness and the Future of the Union Robert Hazell 101 Devolution, Britishness and the Future of the Union Charlie Jeffery 112 Englishness in Contemporary British Politics Richard English, Richard Hayton and Michael Kenny 122 The Wager of Devolution and the Challenge to Britishness Arthur Aughey 136 Do We Really Need Britannia? Bernard Crick 149 Churchill’s Dover Speech (1946) Peter Hennessy 159 Index 167

What is Britishness?  Should it be promoted?  If so, by whom? These are some of the questions tackled in this wide-ranging discussion of the British question. This book could not be more timely. Devolution has brought a new focus on the future of Britain, and the nature of Britishness. So has the challenge of a more diverse society, with the search for a basis of social cohesion and solidarity. Against this background, Gordon Brown has launched his Britishness project, with its aim of producing a statement of British values. All this provides the rich material for this book. Distinguished contributors from a range of disciplines explore the question of Britishness – past, present and future. The result is a lively and authoritative discussion of an important contemporary issue.

Introduction: The Britishness Question (Andrew Gamble and Tony Wright). 1. ?Bursting with Skeletons?: Britishness after Empire (David Marquand). 2. Does Britishness Still Matter in the Twenty-First Century - and How Much and How Well Do the Politicians Care? (Linda Colley). 3. Being British (Bhikhu Parekh). 4. Britishness: a Role for the State? (Varun Uberoi and Iain McLean). 5. England and Britain, Europe and the Anglosphere (David Willetts). 6. What Britishness means to the British (Peter Kellner). 7. The BBC and Metabolising Britishness. Critical Patriotism (Jean Seaton). 8. Don?t Mess with the Missionary Man: Brown, Moral Compasses and the Road to Britishness (Gerry Hassan). 9. Britishness and the Future of the Union (Robert Hazell).  10. Devolution, Britishness and the Future of the Union (Charlie Jeffery). 11. Englishness in Contemporary British Politics (Richard English, Richard Hayton and Michael Kenny)> 12. The Wager of Devolution and the Challenge to Britishness (Arthur Aughey) 13. Do We Really Need Britannia? (Bernard Crick). 14. Churchill?s Dover Speech (1946) (Peter Hennessy). Index.