ResPublica Research Assistant and Conservative Councillor Tom Hunt discusses patriotism as core to civic conservatism
The concept of patriotism and its role in fostering shared
identity and values, has permeated the British political scene of late. From
the rise of Nationalism in Scotland, to euro scepticism in England, to even the
Labour Party’s tentative Blue Labour turn, manifested most clearly by David
Lammy’s recent comments regarding the death of “god and flag” as a key cause of
the London riots. Patriotism in schools, a returning concept demonstrated by
the Government’s schools agenda, should be seen as inextricably linked with the
increasing realisation that the Nation state is here to stay.
What is clear from the Royal wedding earlier this year, and
the way that it galvanised the country, is that there is still a role for patriotism
in binding together British society. It
is likely that a new, integrative, inclusive form of patriotism can form a key
ingredient in allowing us to ascertain a new set of shared values within our
society. The relative lack of disturbances this August within some of the most
impoverished communities within Scotland and Wales, also gave an indication of
the role that national identity, and patriotism can play in promoting a greater
sense of civic responsibility. The recent report, “Reading the riots”,
published by the Guardian and the LSE, discovered that 51% of protestors
feeling like they were part of British society, compared to a national average
of 92%. The return of debates regarding
the positive role that patriotism can play in providing a greater degree of
integration between diverse groups within society should be welcomed.
I see the Conservative Party, at is best, as being well
placed to make a significant contribution towards the current debates concerning
the role of patriotism within our modern, diverse society. However, for the
current Conservatives to make sense of, and to lead the existing debates
concerning patriotism and national identity, they need to acquire a firm grasp
of Edmund Burke’s work. What is clear is that when debating patriotism and
Nationalism, the Conservative Party really needs to get its house in order, at
least in an ideological sense. At this point in time, the common perception
seems to be that the Conservative Party is the mainstream party most closely
associated with patriotism, and representing the interests and passions of the
Nation. Overall, such a view is understandable. However, it is also my view
that unless the Conservative Party are meticulous in providing strong,
coherent, ideological foundations for building patriotism and National identity
in the future, then such prevailing perceptions, and the current basis of such
perceptions are likely to be found wanting. Moreover, the vast majority of
people within our country are likely to remain disengaged, and unsure of the
worth of striving for a stronger role for National identity and patriotism in
the future.
Unfortunately, being a patriot within the Conservative Party
is often seen as a Thatcherite tendency. A lot of this makes sense as in many
ways Thatcher the individual, was a great Conservative patriot. Unfortunately,
however, Thatcherism the ideology, or at least the way in which it is
interpreted by many current Conservatives, is a poor ideological foundation for
cultivating a greater degree of patriotism and National identity within our
country in the future. Trying to build patriotism upon a twisted,
individualistic take on Thatcher’s ideological legacy, is the equivalent of
trying to build Buckingham Palace on quicksand, with each granule of sand
represented a disassociated, “rugged individual”. In essence, equating
Patriotism, and a strengthening of National identity, with the Thatcherite wing
of the Conservative Party, while simultaneously pursuing neo-liberal economics
is destined for failure.
My view is that Conservative views concerning the importance
of patriotism in modern society need to be packaged together, and sold
alongside the Party’s ideological commitment to the “Big Society”, and the accompanying
focus on the importance of strengthening local identity through the localism
bill. Clearly, the two things should go hand in hand, in many senses the
flourishing of both forms of identity, local and National, are mutually
dependent upon each other. Strangely, it seems as though the two agendas, often
pursued by different factions of the Party, are rarely seen as being
inextricably connected. However, in my eyes, patriotism, and a strengthened
National identity can energise the “Big Society”, while the “Big Society” and
localism can provide the building blocks of a newly self-confident and
patriotic Nation State. In the words of Edmund Burke,
“To be attached to the subdivision, to love the little
platoon we belong to in society, is the first principle (the germ as it were)
of public affections. It is the first link in the series by which we proceed
toward a love to our country and to mankind.”
In many senses, this interpretation by Burke could not
correspond more strongly with the current circumstances we found ourselves in
now. It is important that the Conservative Party learn from such a view, and
adopt a bottom up approach to fostering patriotism within our country. In essence, it is through building loyalties
and shared values between one another through localism and the “Big Society”,
and strengthening our commitments to our, “little platoons”, that we can build
a new, ideologically coherent modern patriotism and commitment towards the
Nation State. Moreover, it’s likely that having done this, feeling confident in
the completeness of our identity, that we can build healthier relations with
our European neighbours.
For the Conservatives to achieve such a goal, it must
embrace its Burkean, civic conservative roots to a greater extent, it can do this
by for the first time talking about patriotism in the same breath as the “Big Society”,
providing greater unity and coherence within the Party, as well as presenting a
compelling narrative linked to “identity” to the electorate. It is through civic
conservatism that the Conservatives should talk about patriotism, not
libertarianism. Or put differently, it is through a love of the particular,
that we come to love and appreciate the general.