We are very happy to announce the final event for the Patriotism Project is set. We will be holding it in the great Northern City of Liverpool – an iconic and inclusive metropolis, and so singularly important to British culture, which has long been a meeting ground for the peoples of all four British Nations.

In that sense, there is nowhere better to be holding our final, workshop, event, entitled “Lines that divide; ties that bind: British national divisions and their impact on British patriotism”.

What adds complexity to our sense of patriotism is the fact that Great Britain is not one nation, but (at least) 4. So within British patriotism is pride in one's individual nation of origin - “I am proud to be Scottish”, “I am proud to be Welsh”, “I am proud to be English”. 

Still further, association with an individual area has a tendency to take precedence over any sense of British Patriotism - “I am a Norfolk-man and I am British”, “I am a Liverpudlian and I am British”, I am a Yorkshireman and I am British” etc. 

And so, some of the key areas we will be exploring will be:

• How do the UK's national divisions effect any sense of the 'whole'?
• Can an 'inclusive patriotism' fit in to a Britain that has four main identities, with substantial devolution in each?
• How can patriotism fit in with devolution?
• What part does local identity play on our individual and collective sense of identity?
• Can an 'inclusive British patriotism' for the Left and One Nation Labour survive & include Scottish independence?

The line-up of speakers is:

David Phillips – Labour Finance and Industry Group

Hetty Wood – Local Government and Regional Officer, Young Fabians

(More to be announced)

If you would like to be involved with this project please do come along if you can. If you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact the project chair, Jack Eddy at [email protected]