The Confusion of Britishness and Britain

What does it mean to be patriotic in 2023? Following the significant population movements of recent years, leaders in European states are increasingly trying to foster a sense of identity that can hold together their diverse societies. In his recent book, “How to be a patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war”, Sunder Katwala draws on many years of research and scholarship in the UK to consider what collective identity without division, fear of immigration, and racism might look like.In this episode, he joins Mark Leonard to explore some identity-related dilemmas in post-Brexit Britain. How did immigration and European interact in the run-up to the 2016 referendum? And can the rest of Europe draw any lessons from the UK’s experience?This podcast was recorded on 19 June 2023.Bookshelf:How to Be a Patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war? by Sunder KatwalaWindrush: 75 Years of Modern Britain, by Trevor Phillips and Mike PhillipsBlack and British: a forgotten History, by David Olusoga

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