19 September 2008
A government minister has called for a national day to celebrate the UK, a stronger defence of the Union and an emphasis on civic pride to foster a greater national identity.
In a pamphlet for the think-tank Demos, border and immigration minister Liam Byrne set out three areas that could sit alongside 'an argument for citizenship reform in the immigration system'.
He listed 27 possible ways to mark a national day that celebrated the UK, which included British and world music concerts, community events or a carnival.
Celebration of the Union was 'fundamental to Britishness', Byrne added. In the pamphlet, A more United Kingdom, he warned that the government could not rely on an 'extremely relaxed definition' of what people have in common to foster a sense of national identity.
'Today, the appetite for shared standards, both civic and legal, is acute. This is the lesson of the immigration debate,' Byrne added.
He said the job of building a more cohesive society would be easier if 'competition for resources in some of our poorest places was not as sharp', and called on the Labour party to lead a 'local renewal of civic pride'.
PFsep2008
