36 British Cultural Identities

Timeline
1536 England and Wales joined
1707 Act of Union for England and Scotland
1801 Ireland incorporated
1922 Independence of southern Ireland
1931 Commonwealth officially formed
1972 Direct rule imposed on Northern Ireland
1973 UK joins EEC
1974/5 Redrawing of county boundaries
1979 Devolution referenda
1994 Eurotunnel opened
1999 Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly
2000 Northern Irish Assembly
Places and peoples 37

BR I T A I N I S A S H O R T form of the full name of the United Kingdom

of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Therefore, Great Britain
strictly comprises the countries England, Wales, and Scotland, whereas the
UK also includes Northern Ireland. On the one hand, these four countries
have become part of one nation over the last five hundred years: Wales was
linked with England in 1536; an Act of Union joined the crowns of England
and Scotland in 1707; Ireland was incorporated in a Union lasting from
1801 to 1921, when all but Northern Ireland gained independence (taking
effect in 1922). On the other hand, as European history repeatedly demonstrates,
political union is not cultural union, and it has often been
maintained that Scotland and Wales should have devolution, a transfer of
power from the government in Westminster to a regional assembly. The
pressure of this view, following referendums of the populations, resulted
in the creation in 1999 of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly,
which give not independence but increased self-government. These elected
bodies can be perceived as part of a transition to full national government
in Wales and Scotland, though at present they are seen by some as an extra
layer of government between the people and the UK government at
Westminster, which retains overarching financial control and has generally
centralised power rather then devolved it, especially in relation to local
government below the regional level. By contrast, Northern Ireland had
self-rule in most governmental areas except foreign affairs and defence
prior to 1972, at which date direct rule from London was reintroduced
following increased sectarian violence. However, following the Peace
Agreement in 1998 and in line with Scottish and Welsh devolution the
previous year, a Northern Irish Assembly and Executive was created in
2000 to end direct rule from Westminster, though continued violence and
a lack of political commitment to the Agreement has threatened this, such
that the reimposition of Westminster rule remained a possibility at times
in late 2001 even though the IRA continued its moves towards arms decommissioning.
Alongside this can be placed the fact that a Guardian poll in
August 2001 reported that 41 per cent of Britons believed Northern Ireland
should join a united Ireland, while only 26 per cent believed it should be
a part of the UK.
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British Cultural Identities

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1111FIGURE 1.1 Map of the British Isles showing location of counties, cities, towns,
and villages discussed in the chapter
Places and peoples

FIGURE 1.2 Big Ben in London, with the distinctive black cab in foreground

In terms of natural, as opposed to political geography, it can be

argued that Britain is marked by great contrasts but few extremes. Its
highest mountain is Ben Nevis (4,406 ft or 1,343 m) in Scotland, its longest
river the Severn (220 miles or 354 km) which rises in central Wales but
also wanders as far east as Gloucester in England. Its largest lake is Lough
Neagh (153 sq miles or 396 sq km) in Northern Ireland. Officially, the
mainland stretches from Dunnet Head in the north of Scotland to Lizard
point in Cornwall, but most people will describe Britain as running from
the famous names of Lands End, in the south, to John OGroats.
However, when situating British identity in terms of place in relation
to culture, we should both turn to smaller geographical units, such as the
ancient counties whose boundaries were contentiously redrawn in 1974,
and look to the larger outside world, not least because many British people
do not live in the UK. Britishness in recent years has often been defined in
relation to the Continent as European political and physical links have
become stronger: in 1973 the UK joined the European Community (now
European Union) and in 1994 the Channel Tunnel was opened, providing
a rail connection from England to France.