I think this could turn out to be a very good album; I’m a big Paul Weller and Transglobal Underground fan, so it’s a good start for me that that both are going to be involved. The concept is interesting as well, although many of the quotes that Billy Bragg and others make about "Englishness" transfer just as well over to "Britishness", try these:
.You shouldn't try to define Britishnessness, because it's personal
.I think Britishnessness is to do with mongrelness later.
.This country has always been a nation of travellers.
.There have always been people here from other cultures, right down to the Vikings.
.Britishness isn't about Westminster.
.I don't think there's anything wrong in celebrating Britishness culture per se, as long as you're not using it to make a culturally superior stand against any other culture.
That last ammended quote actually comes from a British-Indian, Sheila Chandra and I believe it’s projects like this and people like Billy Bragg (as far away from the stereo-type BNPer or Daily Hate-Mail reader as you’re likely to get) that are instrumental in reclaiming “patriotism” (be it of the English or British variety) from the far-right.
We can be proud of our nation in all its multi-coloured, multi-faithed and multi-ethnic “mongrelness”, that certainly does not make us fascists
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