Notes from the 4th TE&M Forum
SOVEREIGNTY
- Sovereignty is the mechanism of civilisation. where the community chooses to adhere to the authority of the ruling group, within agreed parameters.
- Our sovereign territory relates to the territory over which delegated powers are exercised on our behalf, with the expectation that this will be done for the benefit of the people.
- Sovereignty relates to the exercise of a delegated power by a democratically elected parliament or civil authority, in a way in which an individual feels gives them some influence over their own destiny.
- Sovereignty also endows a level of trust in the ruling group to cooperate with other groups in a way which adds value to the well-being of the citizens and without undermining the values of the Sovereign Group and its domain.
- We accept and respect the rule of law and the operation of the Sovereign Government, on the basis that it can be refined or changed according to the will of the people, through the ballot box.
- People need a connection with whoever is making decisions on their behalf and expect visibility of those decisions. This was not felt to be the case with the EU Parliament, so there was felt to be a loss of sovereignty.
POPULISM
- A suggested description of Populism is that it is “Democracy in Action.”
- Populism is a difficult term to define as it tends to be used as a derisive term by the media and special interest groups where they feel that new public movements are at odds with their agenda. In these cases, Populism can often be ascribed pseudo political labels such as “left or right wing”. By contrast, mass movements which are not at odds with the position of the media are normally referred to using supportive terms, such as “democratic demonstrations”.
- The term Populist is also often ascribed to mass movements which are reacting against the rapid changes in their countries, and they seek to re-establish a regional or national sense of identity. This often reflects a reluctance to be a small part of an empire or a federal state, which may be inclined towards centralised government and decision making.
BEING BRITISH
- Britain, is a combination of four nations, each with distinct regional characteristics and traditions. Throughout the last 2000 years we have seen tribal conflict, invasion and continuous immigration. We have provided a safe haven for many groups under the threat of persecution.
- Being British requires a deep respect for Great Britain as a country, in all its parts. Unfortunately, many individuals or groups do not have this respect. This is reflected in the growth of single faith and ethnic communities, which fail to assimilate and seek to import an image of their homeland into their UK communities. They are also prepared to attack the virtues of the Britain that has sheltered them. By contrast many immigrants have become model citizens and many indigenous people do not even understand the concept of citizenship.
- Being British is based on a respect for and acceptance of our history, not on the basis of trying to alter it or apologise for it. There should be greater focus on the huge achievements made by the British and the positive contributions we have made throughout the world.
- The concept of being British is not accepted in the same way in each of the 4 countries of the UK. Based on a historical disputes, the Welsh and Scots particularly focus on their home nation first and are often unfriendly towards the English. The English also think of themselves as primarily English but seem to have less of a problem with seeing the UK as a whole.
- Individuals often tend to identify most with their home area; such as Kent, London or Yorkshire. This is reflected in the basic instinct to defend our home and in the case of Britishness would include a willingness to defend the UK as it reflects all we hold dear.