CEP: The British-Irish Council is the perfect example of how both the British state and the BBC deny England even its own existence

Monday, 23, Feb 2009 12:00
On Friday February 20th the ‘British-Irish Council’ met in Cardiff. It is a body set up when Tony Blair was the UK Prime Minister to discuss, and where possible deal with, matters which affect the relationship of the UK, the Irish Republic, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands.
The Feb 20th Council was hosted and chaired by the Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan. In attendance were Alec Salmond the Scottish First Minister, Brian Cowan the Irish Taoiseach, Ieuan Wyn Jones the Welsh Deputy First Minister, Paul Murphy the Secretary of State for Wales, Martin McGuiness deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland, representatives from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man and representatives of the UK government. There were no representatives from England. Since its inception there never have been.Yet decisions taken at the British-Irish Council affect England. 'Of all the historic nations of these islands only England had no representation. But the UK is not England. The UK is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Mr Stuart Parr, member of the National Council of the CEP and its Shropshire organiser has written a formal complaint to the BBC over the way it has reported the meeting.
‘Nothing better illustrates the way the UK government identifies the UK with England. It is as if England is not a distinct nation within the UK like Scotland and Wales are,’ said Mr Parr. ‘And nothing better illustrates the way in which the BBC likewise conflates England with Britain as if England does not have its own distinct national identity, culture, history, national events and needs. It is deliberate official BBC policy to refuse to have a BBC England and to refuse to treat England as a unity and a nation, while it has a BBC Scotland, a BBC Wales, a BBC NI and an Asian Network.'
Mr Parr has made a formal complaint to the BBC. ‘It is significant that the BBC failed to list the British ministers that attended in place of England, indeed failed to make mention of England at all, let alone to tell its listeners and website readers that the British-Irish Council is a UK & Ireland-wide organisation that discriminates against the English by denying them direct representation. I believe this was a deliberate omission by the BBC to avoid its responsibility to accurately report on events affecting England.’
Contacts:
Mr Stuart Parr. Tel: 01273 452201 email: stuart.parr@thecep.org.uk


Fight against British Racism - Fight against racism directed against England and the English Nation