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British values

Alistair Burnett Alistair Burnett | 16:28 UK time, Friday, 25 January 2008

On Friday The World Tonight is mounting a special debate on British Values. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has talked a lot about British values and has called for them to be defined. Robin Lustig will be discussing whether there are any common British values, and if so, what they are with a panel of politicians, writers and historians from across the UK. He explains what we intend to do on his blog.

The World TonightFor those of you who commented on my last post about whether or not we are giving the US primaries too much coverage by calling for more coverage of Europe, rest assured. As regular listeners to The World Tonight will know we do cover the rest of Europe regularly - in fact we plan to send Robin Lustig to present the programme from Madrid for the coming Spanish general election which is set to be a bitter and close contest in an increasingly influential EU member with a large expatriate British community.

And for those of you who called for more substance and less trivia in the primary coverage, I hope our continued coverage of the contest is demonstrating The World Tonight's commitment to reporting what is at stake for the US and rest of the world.

Comments

The eu is an unelected quango, just like the ´óÏó´«Ã½. I don’t think the you should be mounting any debates – it’s not your business.

Why don’t you just report the news?

  • 2.
  • At 10:28 PM on 25 Jan 2008,
  • Dr John Taylor wrote:

I very much oppose the idea of a set of British values. I would like to see nation states wither away in the future, as we develop a planetary or at least a regional (in our case European) psyche. There are many problems besetting Britain that politicians should be addressing, and this is not one of them. A final question - what is Britain? This is pertinent - as devolution proceeds apace, what is the point? And a final comment - I am not sure that a representative group of selectors would actually represent me!

  • 3.
  • At 05:24 AM on 26 Jan 2008,
  • L.Glasper wrote:

Huh, instead of asking the public to define British values, I would like Gordon Brown to define British values as "HE" sees them! The values we all once held very dear were systematically erased and replaced with tripe. People are different now. They only know what is fed to them by the p.c. brigade, { you can,t say this and you can,t do that.You can,t have this, that or the the other in case you upset all the aliens!} Huh, British values!

  • 4.
  • At 08:45 AM on 26 Jan 2008,
  • Robert Grant wrote:

British values? For me the best of British values disapeared with the mass imigration and political correctness policies that Britain has adopted.I left to live in Northern Spain four years ago,I have found the Spanish freindly and kind.Neighbours are helpfull and care about each other.We have no trafic jams,you can walk the clean streets without fear,we earn less but can buy more with our wages.You can rent a good flat for £250 a month.I value seeing all the mums and dads with the kids together having fun here free from hoodies and street gangs.I am British but like many others find Britain today bad value.

The American Presidential elections are reaching a feverish point and rightly so.It is so important that the world's greatest power is led intelligently with all sections of the public given equal opportunities to evolve. It is not an exaggeration to say that when America sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold. So America needs all the attention it is getting especially to the run-up to the crucial elections. So one cannot fault the ´óÏó´«Ã½ editorial staff for placing such a great emphasis on the American elections. The Spanish elections are being covered closely and experienced journalists with excellent credentials are being dispatched there. So one is assured of quality incisive coverage!

  • 6.
  • At 02:43 PM on 26 Jan 2008,
  • N Garrett wrote:

Our British values are going down by the minute! And no wonder when we have got a government that hasn't got the stomach to stand up to anyone or anything. Especially if it has to do with the 'public sector',
that really hits them where it hurts!
They have been condoning payments and
/or promotion for failure for too long.And until we are seen to hold SOMEONE responsable for the jobs they are so highly paid to do,the slide will continue.
Our MPs should rethink political correctness for a start

  • 7.
  • At 11:33 PM on 26 Jan 2008,
  • CB wrote:

"British Values"? You must be joking.Just come to witness the trash,sick,fighting and other nice things.They come to Amsterdam every weekend and wreak havoc on our city.So much for "values".

  • 8.
  • At 07:45 AM on 27 Jan 2008,
  • jane parsons wrote:

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to view Friday's "The world tonight", but the mere fact that Gordon Brown was discussing British values would be enough to have sent me into quakes of laughter and turn off the television.

Mr Brown has along with his predecessor has introduced dictatorial measures in our country, introduced targets based on nameless numbers as opposed to quality outcomes and has no philosophical understanding of human beings and their human reactions.

Having eroded much of our democratic life in this country it is a farce that he should even purport to understand British values.

  • 9.
  • At 11:55 AM on 27 Jan 2008,
  • Life wrote:

Hi Alistair.
The ´óÏó´«Ã½ is by far the best at in depth reporting, especialy with the Newsnight team. In relation to America, I feel we all need to know what is going on over there because it would seem are establishment is hell bent on following the military expansion of America. That of course is not stictly true in the sense that American 'Independance' only gave independance from the British government...not the British Crown. this is the case with all the nations of he commonwealth.
To be British means the ablity to be private...Gordon Brown needs to remember this becaus he and this government have taken this away...the war on terror and all that goes with it, is the direct result of this country invading others, so this government has created all threats we may face. they area joke.

  • 10.
  • At 12:46 PM on 27 Jan 2008,
  • Mary Atherden wrote:

I'd love to hear what Gordon Brown thinks British values are.

  • 11.
  • At 01:33 PM on 27 Jan 2008,
  • Martin wrote:

'we plan to send Robin Lustig to present the programme from Madrid for the coming Spanish general election'

Great, as someone who called for more no -US coverage I'lll tune in but did you spend months covering the selection of candidates in Spain?

  • 12.
  • At 06:30 PM on 27 Jan 2008,
  • angelica adams wrote:

There is so much that I value about Britain that I don't know where to start Number one on my list would be the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Have Your Say and World Service and of course the Brits great sense of humour English Literature and Masterpiece Theater have given me countless hours of enjoyment My ancestral roots go back to UK Living in New England most of my adult life has made me aware of the historical ties to England and how that shaped early American values- in the North Yankee know how hard work thrift and our Christian values we inherited for the most part from British vlaues

  • 13.
  • At 11:01 PM on 27 Jan 2008,
  • haitchb wrote:

This may not be fully to do with the subject but it should be relevant. Are there any politicians left with integrity or without slease? if so would he or she make themselves known to the general public.

  • 14.
  • At 10:48 AM on 28 Jan 2008,
  • Silver-lady wrote:

We HAD British values until Tony/Gordon and their mates along with the PC crowd undermined them in order to create a 'multicultural' society. Now we are held in contempt not always by the ethnic minorities but by some of our own people. It is not PC to be a white, christian in this country or to be proud of your achievements, aims and ambitions. We are even changing our oft' told stories (Baa Baa Black Sheep, Three Little Pigs!?!). If Gordy wants to instil (reinstate) Britishness then he should STOP this govt. and others from constantly undermining our heritage by trying to make us conform to a bland, unworkable multitude with nothing to look forward to or believe in.

  • 15.
  • At 10:53 PM on 28 Jan 2008,
  • jonathan mercer wrote:

We all know what they are, don't we?

  • 16.
  • At 12:58 PM on 29 Jan 2008,
  • tommi konttinen wrote:

I take it the PM is referring to the centuries of well-founded allegiance amongst the majority of native Britons to the social-intellectual traits (i.e. loosely described as a 'value system') that characterise lifestyle choices of Citizens of the UK.
At the core of these values is support of one-person-one vote, respect for individual faith, support for free speech, right to an education, equality for females with males etc..
Dr John Taylor "very much opposes British values" & wants to see "at least" a "Europeanised psyche".
UK "values" the Dr would have us thrust aside in favour of the multi-cultural EU brand of togetherness in which the term 'majority' as in voting 'against a Constitution' becomes a 'minority' setting up a constitution without recourse to an electoral system! Thus the 'value system' in place is that of the "we know what's best for you" variety and the historical concepts of fairness & justice for each Citizen under recognised legal restraints is completely abandoned!
No, of course Dr that's not (I hope) what you intended to infer, but, it's how it reads.
Afterall, it is the "psyche" of the democratic Briton that has spread across most of the world. It is the the fundamentals of this 'UK value system' that is so much under attack from other cultural entities.
If one looks to Europe, Africa, the Middle East or Asia it can surely NOT be claimed that their paths to enlightenment have encouraged the list of values I began this piece with.
Of course it may be Dr that you do believe a females right to choice on abortion, dress, qualifications etc. should be curtailed as is evident in the value systems produced elsewhere: In which case this is a redundant debate as you would exclude 50% on gender grounds from it!?

Not only should there be many of you Brits upset but us Canadians look to Britannia as the Empire of the New World. Hail Britannia!!

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