Lessons in Democracy and Self-Determination

Mike Small (Fife, Guardian): After the recent Council of the Isles meeting at Stormont, where all countries of the UK including the Isle of Man were present except for England, calls for an English ‘assembly' or parliament returned. From ‘Unlock Democracy' to ‘Our Kingdom' to ‘A Fresh Start' and more, England's civic society online is starting to grow some bristles of constitutional debate. Within it, a feeling of resentment fuels much of the comment. This has to be addressed. If not, what lies behind it will soon be filled by St George, Richard Littlejohn and the rancid utterances of a many a Kilroy-Silk.Being half-way down the road of self-determination, and having gone through Constitutional Convention, referendum and now with a popular nationalist government in office, here's some ideas on how to popularise an English Home Rule Movement (from a Scot).<!--more-->

Icons count. What should the ‘national' anthem be? Already there is argument over moving from God Save the Queen to Jerusalem. While the deferential dirge of GStQ would seem ripe for the gong, I'm sure that Jerusalem suffers from some of the same pretensions and frailties as a homage to an ancient monarchy. When the Welsh Assembly was convened it used ‘Song' as a cultural unifier. When democracy was rejoined at Stormont, Martin McGuinness, of all people, quoted Seamus Heaney: "that for too long and too often we speak of the others or the other side and that what we need to do is to get to a place of 'through otherness'". When Alex Salmond took the oath of office SNP members wore the White Rose of Hugh MacDiarmid.

MacDiarmid and Heaney - poets alive or still recent in the mind of the living. If progressive forces in England (and this is a big if) want to engage in a similar process they need to reclaim the initiative with some eye-catching and unifying contemporary or near contemporary. But who? Billy Bragg, Mike Skinner, Lily Allen.. who is the voice of the re-born nation?

Keep focused and be positive. What are you for? So far the argument has been too negative, as if Scots having some self-determination poses on its own a justifying grievance for the English. With the vast wealth and power of the South-East it is not convincing to say England is a nation on its knees. Equally, it's going to be difficult to construct an argument based on a dislike of Gordon Brown or Alistair Darling.

Identify core values. The Scottish Constitutional Convention drew up a ‘Claim of Right' which stated simply that ‘the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of Government best suited to their needs, and do hereby declare and pledge that in all our actions and deliberations their interests shall be paramount.' This immediately cut to the chase and was an honest declaration. The make-up of the convention was as important with most sections of civic society. As Andrew Marr put it, the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly was "built up by amateurs from scratch, until it changed the whole game of British politics".

The core focus of the Scottish movement was the strength of its civic society, and for Wales language has dominated its cultural movement, what would the English equivalent be? Cosmopolitanism? Openness?

Look forward. Despite the often prevalent myth about Scotland, virtually none of the current crop of politicians refers back to past injustices, such as Highland Clearances, suppression of Gaelic culture or the actions of a certain Russian linesman. In terms of a set of national stories you tell about yourselves (‘mythic structures') "harking back" may mark difference but it fuels resentment. It's not a positive enough platform to take things forward: "things can only get bitter."

The onward march of the Celtic fringe is driven by globalisation not parochialism, It won't go away. Neither will resurgent English nationalism. Therefore there has to be a progressive English movement for self-determination, to reclaim it from the boot boys of UKIP and the BNP.