In Search of English Regionalism: the Case of The North East

Abstract

According to Tom Nairn (1982), The English enigma1 lies at the heart of any explanation of the 'break-up of Britain'. The paradox at the heart of the current re-shaping of the British state is that the English, with perhaps typical complacency, have only just begun to identify their role in the evolving political drama. The debate about the meaning of England and the identity of the English has barely begun. But the contours of the debate have been rapidly inscribed in recent contributions on the subject of the English and their political culture. Ironically, these contributions both from the metropolitan elite and the 'Celtic periphery' show a certain symmetry in their treatment of the English regions.