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Andy's patriotic words in new book
6:15pm Tuesday 22nd April 2008
Comments (14)A PEACE campaigner from Swindon has penned a chapter of a new book about the English identity - published on the day of the country's patron saint.
Andy Newman has added his thoughts to a new book called Imagined Nation, England After Britain which is in shops from today - St George's Day The book includes chapters from singer songwriter Billy Bragg and Labour politician Rupa Huq.
Andy got involved in the book project when editor Mark Perryman spotted an ongoing debate on English identity on Andy's blog www.socialistunity.com.
The editor then contacted Andy asking him to add to the book, with something about English identity.
"Following the Scottish National Party winning the elections in Scotland, and Plaid Cymru being in a coalition government in Wales, there is a real possibility that these nations may choose independence," said Andy.
"We in England need to start thinking what it would mean to us to be independent.
"What we don't want is to be left behind and become a racially exclusive place. Some people would like to us to return to when everyone was white and had roasts for dinner.
"We are much better off both economically and culturally due to immigration and people need to start recognising that.
"The book is being released on St George's Day because it's the best way to attract publicity.
"I think it will get people talking about the issue and that is important.
"St George's Day is not celebrated enough because it has been taken over by those who don't represent the way most people think.
"I think we should be proud that people want to come and share our country with us.
"For me English identity isn't about ethnicity but about working together to improve things for everyone who lives here, regardless of race, creed or colour."
The book will be available from all good bookshops on April 23, or directly from www.philosophyfootball.com.
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atiff_uk, Swindon says...
10:19pm Tue 22 Apr 08
your comments are pathetic you complain about immigration. what about the amount of english people places like Spain and Cyprus, South of France Australia. you seem to forget them.
most immigrants are hard working people unlike the lazy drunks and gamblers you see in town. thats not the problem of immigration or lack of job.
its the failing of society and moral of this country caused by cheap aclchol and laz culture to gambling and drugs and all other vices
Bill, Wootton says...
10:37pm Tue 22 Apr 08
I think we should be told!
Frontier(s), says...
7:49am Wed 23 Apr 08
I merely pointed out that the best evidence any of us has to hand shows that immigration has not been of any economic benefit to this country.
That isn't complaining, that is fact.
As for why other religions don't have more children, who knows? Most other religions don't include suicide bombers amongst their numbers either - maybe you know why that might be?
Frontier(s), says...
8:15am Wed 23 Apr 08
Between 1995 and 1997, Andy Newman led a successful campaign against the deportation of Mumtaz Begum, a grandmother who lived in Broad Street. The campaign won because it was able to win support right across the community, and also because it was prepared to defend Mumtaz by any means necessary. Andy Newman explains: "Justice sometimes means you have to break the rules, we didn't comply with the deportation order, and we were able to get widespread support for that position across Swindon. "
In 2003 Andy Newman was chair of the successful campaign to prevent the deportation of Swindon teenager Inna Haville to the Ukraine.
I'm not entirely sure how 'patriotic' it is to break UK law in order to keep a non-UK resident in the country.
http://www.socialist
unitynetwork.co.uk/v
oices/solidarity2.ht
m
Robin Harris, Swindon says...
8:18am Wed 23 Apr 08
National identity is important and many years ago it was okay for the English to be the British in Great Britain but now that no longer applies. We are a multicultural society but whilst everyone else keeps their identity the English are losing out.
P S Altery, Swindon says...
8:34am Wed 23 Apr 08
WTF?, Swindon says...
8:55am Wed 23 Apr 08
Go away you naive little man!
Tobz, says...
9:19am Wed 23 Apr 08
I don't know which side of the argument is more predictable...
Frontier(s), says...
9:31am Wed 23 Apr 08
Ironside, Swindon says...
3:21pm Wed 23 Apr 08
One the bAdvers's favourite pro multiculturalism contributers. Another self-hating white liberal.
The man is deluded and really doesn't understand what Englishness is.
I hope emmigrates to somewhere like Zimbabwe.
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
3:24pm Wed 23 Apr 08
I'll buy a copy to burn :)
P S Altery, Swindon says...
6:33pm Wed 23 Apr 08
Frontier(s), says...
8:52am Thu 24 Apr 08
LordBelacqua wrote:Now, now LordBelacqua. It must be hard being a life-long member of 'Stop The War' and knowing that you've never managed to stop any war, anywhere, ever (or even remotely influence it.
Is this Andy "Ban the Bomb" Newman? I'll buy a copy to burn :)
We should leave the chap to his delusions.
Although I do wish they'd stop plastering their silly little posters all over private and council property (another illegal act).
Andy Newman with the book in which he has written a chapter
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Frontier(s), says...
6:29pm Tue 22 Apr 08
The longest and most in-depth research every carried out on this subject, by the House of Lords, found the opposite to be true.
Quite why Andy Newman thinks he knows better is beyond me.
Well, it's not, but he is factually incorrect.
Andy, it may have escaped your notice by England (FAR more so than Scotland, Wales and Ireland) has 'enjoyed' record levels of immigration from dozens of different nationalities.
If there's one thing that the past 10 years has made sure of, it's that this country will never, ever be a racially exclusive place. That is now completely impossible.
Is Mr Newman aware that, currently, one in ever four children born in the UK are born to parents of non-UK origin, and that if current birth rates continue there will be more Muslims in the UK than any other religion in around 20 years time?
Why is Mr Newman pretending the UK is some kind of whites only, nationalistic country? It simply isn't and such comments are wholly unhelpful to both the indigenous population and new arrivals.