People in and around London were generally less proud of being English
A new BBC survey, conducted by YouGov, has revealed the varying levels of patriotism across England. Although not the least patriotic, Brighton and Hove sits 11% below the average.
The average for the country is 57% of respondents per area showing pride at being English. Brighton and Hove’s 46% shows a marked drop-off from this.
Why is the city so far below the average?
Various reasons are found to justify this disparity.
Firstly, the age of respondents majorly affected their answers. 45% of those aged between 18-24 showed pride in being English. This varied greatly from the 72% of over-65s who answered similarly.
The stance one takes on their historical outlook of Britain also changes by age. 60% of people aged 65 and over say England was better in the past. Only 28% of the 18-24 demographic shared this view, with 28% saying England’s best days were ahead.
The average age of Brighton residents is 37, falling between these two contrasting age groups, with the large student populace also influencing results.
Another major factor is political leanings. 54% of those who identify as Conservative showed pride in being English. Just 24% of those who identify as Labour said the same.
Given that Brighton and Hove is constituted of 2 Labour seats and 1 Green, this justifies the below average pride.
One of the seemingly key factors is where one is situated in relation to London.
The further away from London a city lies, the more it identifies as English. This might be because people outside of the South feel disenfranchised compared to London.
Traditionally left-wing cities like Liverpool (59%), Manchester (54%) and York (56%) all came closer to the average. This is despite their strong Labour leanings.
Was Brighton the least patriotic?
Despite polling far below the average, the city was not nearly the least proud of being English.
Parts of London polled massively below 46%.
Hackney and Lambeth, for example, were at 37% and 38% respectively.
However, outside of London 46% is still a high divergence from the national average.
This solidifies Brighton’s reputation as a left-wing haven.
