Pride or shame? British history is too complex to be seen in such glib terms

Pride or shame? British history is too complex to be seen in such glib terms

A new survey of social attitudes reveals a healthy scepticism about our past

‘Britain’s long and proud history has been trashed by the self-hating left.” “British history is not being taught and people are hugely ignorant of our past.” “We have lost that sense of what was at stake, with a consequent decline of pride in the sacrifices endured.” “Generations are growing up hearing nothing but bad things about their country.”

The latest chapter from this year’s British Social Attitudes (BSA) report, published last week, has created apoplexy within certain circles. Written by John Curtis and Alex Scholes, it explores changing conceptions of Britishness. One finding in particular drew the ire of conservative critics: that pride in British history has fallen sharply over the past decade. Almost two-thirds of people still feel “proud” of Britain’s history, but that figure has dropped by 22 points since 2013.

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