Gordon Brown proposed that Remembrance Sunday should be turned into a national day of patriotism to celebrate British history, achievements and culture. He also argued that the Union Jack should be reclaimed from the far right and become a symbol of tolerance and inclusion.
While I'm all for taking the ground from under the British National Party, I wonder if it is really possible to assert a sense of British identity from above?
You can guarantee though that it won't be long before someone suggests that museums should play a central role in filling this identity deficit. In fact David Lammy, the minister for culture, made a pre-emptive strike along these lines at the end of last year.
Speaking at a Black History Month event at the British Museum he told the heritage sector: 'If you are not part of the solution to this crisis of Britishness, you are part of the problem.'
The debate about heritage and identity is not a new one and it was revisited in 2004 when the Heritage Lottery Fund held a conference entitled Who Do We Think We Are? The intention was to stimulate a national debate about heritage and identity in the UK. And there is an argument for museums leading the debate rather than being forced into an inappropriate display of flag-waving.
If a day of patriotism was declared there would inevitably be pressure on museums, the nationals in particular, to join in. But that would be missing the point. If we really want to find a sense of our own cultural identity, politicians' money and time would be better spent investing in local museums.
Take one example: Tower Hamlets is one of the poorest and most ethnically diverse boroughs in London. For some residents a trip to a national museum is not on the agenda (entrance may now be free but it costs £6 to get there).
The Ragged House Museum in the borough does a good job of exploring and representing the rich social history of the area: yet it is only open two days a week and it survives on a tiny budget.
Many such museums do groundbreaking work bringing people together to discover their shared past; and many of them operate on a shoestring. Something the chancellor would do well to remember when deciding how much to give for Renaissance in the Regions in the next spending round.
While I'm all for taking the ground from under the British National Party, I wonder if it is really possible to assert a sense of British identity from above?
You can guarantee though that it won't be long before someone suggests that museums should play a central role in filling this identity deficit. In fact David Lammy, the minister for culture, made a pre-emptive strike along these lines at the end of last year.
Speaking at a Black History Month event at the British Museum he told the heritage sector: 'If you are not part of the solution to this crisis of Britishness, you are part of the problem.'
The debate about heritage and identity is not a new one and it was revisited in 2004 when the Heritage Lottery Fund held a conference entitled Who Do We Think We Are? The intention was to stimulate a national debate about heritage and identity in the UK. And there is an argument for museums leading the debate rather than being forced into an inappropriate display of flag-waving.
If a day of patriotism was declared there would inevitably be pressure on museums, the nationals in particular, to join in. But that would be missing the point. If we really want to find a sense of our own cultural identity, politicians' money and time would be better spent investing in local museums.
Take one example: Tower Hamlets is one of the poorest and most ethnically diverse boroughs in London. For some residents a trip to a national museum is not on the agenda (entrance may now be free but it costs £6 to get there).
The Ragged House Museum in the borough does a good job of exploring and representing the rich social history of the area: yet it is only open two days a week and it survives on a tiny budget.
Many such museums do groundbreaking work bringing people together to discover their shared past; and many of them operate on a shoestring. Something the chancellor would do well to remember when deciding how much to give for Renaissance in the Regions in the next spending round.
