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Who are the English? Today, the dominant story told about our national history solely serves the interests of the right. The only people who dare speak of 'Englishness' are cheerleaders for isolationism and imperial nostalgia.
But there is another story, equally compelling, about who we are: about the English people's radical inclusivity, their ancient commitment to the natural world, their long struggle to win rights for all. It puts the Chartists and the Levellers in their rightful places alongside Nelson and Churchill. It draws on the medieval writers and Romantic poets who emphasised the sanctity of the environment. And at its heart is England's ancient multicultural heritage, embodied by the Black and Asian writers the curriculum neglects.
Here, Caroline Lucas uses this alternative story to offer a progressive vision of what Englishness is and what it might be. Delving deep into our national history, she explores what England's progressive spirit can teach us about the most pressing issues of our time: whether the fraught legacies of Empire, the benefits of migration, or the accelerating climate emergency. And she sketches out an alternative Englishness: one that progressives can embrace to build a fairer future.
©2024 Caroline Luca (P)2024 Penguin Audio
