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# It took a kilt to liberate a Minister to embrace England
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/it-took-a-kilt-to-liberate-a-minister-to-embrace-england/
- Published: 2007-12-29T12:12:35.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:38:54.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:31

**Anthony Barnett (London,** [**OK**](http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net/?ref=opendemocracy.net)**):** The ever alert Gareth Young has a couple of his 'mosts' of the year in our post below (please add your's). One led me to a [Daily Mail story](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in%5Farticle%5Fid=504801&in%5Fpage%5Fid=1770&ref=opendemocracy.net) yesterday about Shad Malik MP the International Development Minister coming out for being English. Here is a very funny and telling quote:

It was when he visited Scotland and met Asians who wore the kilt and were proud to be Scottish that he embraced Englishness.

He said: "It was a liberating experience - I realised I could be proud to be English."

The MP now holds St George's Day coffee mornings in his constituency to bring together people from all minorities to celebrate a shared English identity.