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# An un-British tragedy
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/an-un-british-tragedy/
- Published: 2007-06-05T09:06:18.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:36:18.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:23

**Peter Oborne (London,** [**Daily Mail**](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in%5Farticle%5Fid=459585&in%5Fpage%5Fid=1770&ref=opendemocracy.net)**):** It is extremely tragic and dispiriting that Gordon Brown refuses to define Britishness through our great hallmark institutions such as the monarchy, parliament and our ancient system of justice. Instead we are asked to restate Britishness with a series of gimmicks, mostly imported from the United States of America, including the deeply *un-British* notions that we should plant flags in our back gardens or have a British national day.