Imagined Nation

What does England have as a nation state - apart from a team to cheer and a flag to wave? This book explores the possibilities for England after Britain - as a multicultural nation, capable of addressing the legacies of history, yet confident enough to construct an inclusive future.

The break-up of Britain has begun but, unlike the rest of its constituent parts, England remains an imagined nation. Scotland has a Parliament, and Wales and Northern Ireland have Assemblies. What does England have as a nation state - apart from a team to cheer and a flag to wave? "Imagined Nation" explores the possibilities for England after Britain - as a multicultural nation, capable of addressing the legacies of history, yet confident enough to construct an inclusive future. The contributors to this book put forward a variety of ideas in an effort to begin to create a new imaginary for an old country. Rejecting racialised ideas of Englishness, they outline the prospects for a hybrid nation, and offer a vision of a green and pleasant land as an alternative national future.

Introductory essayMark Perryman England after Britain: The Imagined NationSection One: A State of IndependenceAndrew Gamble A Union of Historic CompromiseRupa Huq The Sound of the SuburbsGraham Macklin All White on the RightStephen Brasher Labouring for EnglandSection Two: Little EnglandBilly Bragg New Traditions for an Old CountryRichard Weight A Mix 'n Match NationBen Carrington Where's the White in the Union Jack? Race, Identity and the Sporting MulticulturalJulia Bell Minding our LanguageSection Three: Home Truths from Here, and ThereDavid Conn The Beautiful NorthGerry Hassan A Short History of the Future Break-UpAnne Coddington Farewell to the Morris MenMarkus Hesselman Three World Cups and no more WarsSection Four: Landscapes of the New JerusalemPaul Gilroy The Great Escape: From Enoch Powell to Hope Powell, and beyondNicola Baird A Green and Pleasant LandDan Burdsey Halfway to Where? Racialisation and the Discontents of EnglishnessAndy Newman A Political Imaginary for an English Left