‘The things that connect us are fraying’: James Graham short film explores what it means to be English | Communities
What does it mean to be English? Ahead of England’s first qualifying match at the World Cup, Ian McKellen and award-winning playwright James Graham have released a short film that attempts to answer this deceptively simple question.
The film A Love Letter to England explores and celebrates what people across the country have in common. It benefits from early contributions to National Conversation, a UK-wide initiative that launched last month.
Members of the public are invited to attend Leave a 60-second voice note Not only do they support the England team, they also share their views on what it means to belong and what kind of country they want to live in.
The project forms part of the work of the Independent Community and Cohesion Commission, co-chaired by former Conservative minister Sajid Javid and former Labor MP and policy chief Jon Cruddas.
Graham said: “This is one of the most urgent areas of focus we need to be looking at at government and local level.
“We all know. We all feel in our hearts that the social ties and the things that bind us together or traditionally bind us together are fraying and breaking. This has been going on for a very long time. It’s political, but it’s also social, cultural and emotional.”
Graham, who wrote the play Dear England about Gareth Southgate’s time managing the England men’s team, said this was particularly true of areas such as north Nottinghamshire, where he grew up, and believed anger at the fraying of the social fabric had led to political backlash in many parts of the country.
He framed much of this around the loss of physical public space. “There’s no high street, there’s a collapse of town centres, and there’s no real places to come together and be together as a community. But it also goes beyond places,” he said.
“The rhythm of our lives has changed. We are lonelier, more isolated and more alienated. This is true for older people, but sadly it is also true of young people. They are the loneliest generation we have ever had. How can this be when we have so many ways to connect us?”
The commission, convened by the charity organization Together Coalition, co-founded by Brendan Cox, the widow of murdered MP Jo Cox, aims to develop a common vision for the future of the country at a time of deep political and social division.
Graham said of National Conversation: “The reason this commission has achieved this is because it comes from the grassroots rather than being top-down: you tell us what you want, based on your experience in your community. It’s a real conversation with people, offering insight into their lives and telling us what they miss, what they want, and what they need.”
The commission will publish its findings this year, combining public submissions with academic research, expert evidence and commissioners’ deliberations.
According to Graham, tournaments like the World Cup are a particularly useful tool for having this conversation. “This is what 20th-century French sociologists called collective ecstasy. It’s simply the excitement we all feel when we’re part of the same story, when we’re doing the same thing, when we’re watching the same thing at the same time.”
But Graham was also aware of the difficulties. “I completely understand why even presenting the idea of Britishness and being proud of it creates discomfort for some people, because a section of the population has tried to exclude them and made them uncomfortable. I think that’s inexcusable.”
He urged progressives to resist the temptation to abandon Britishness and the symbols associated with it.
Recent polls have shown that the number of people who believe “Britishness” is innate has almost doubled in two years. The findings show that a significant proportion of Reformation UK supporters believe that being white is an important national characteristic and that Britain has become more ethnically diverse.
Graham said a powerful moment was when Rishi Sunak, while giving evidence to the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, described himself as “British, British and British Asian” in response to mounting racist accusations against him.
Looking at the submissions so far, Graham said: “I’ve been blown away by how many people have taken real pride in the place and venue. They’re so proud to say they’re from Yorkshire or they’re from Sutton Coldfield.”
“But there’s also a feeling among some people of ‘I don’t know if I’m that proud of my country’, but I can’t find the words to explain why.”
He added: “We need to listen to what people miss, or ask the younger generations what they want to replace these brass bands and coal choirs. It’s not going to be retail filling our town centers anymore, so it has to be something else.”
