Editorial: English nationalism is not as strong as it might be, given the way in which even unionists behave at times

​Mike Nesbitt has raised the notion that English nationalism might be the biggest threat to the Union, not republicanism.

​The Ulster Unionist Party leader is not the first supporter of Northern Ireland’s place in the UK to express concern about such a rise in nationalism in England.

There are a few observations to make when such nationalism in the largest of the UK home nations is cited.

The first is that it is surprising that such nationalism isn’t more fervent than it is. England is by far the biggest part of the UK and so has had, and will continue to have, by far the greatest influence and clout in arguably the most influential culture in human history – British culture.

The second is that while it is true that English nationalism does seem to be on the rise, Scottish, Welsh and even Ulster nationalism have played their part in that. All three threaten to break away. In Northern Ireland, even unionists – who want no such separation – often loudly join the chorus for yet more money from London, and agree with nationalists that we do not getting our fair share from the Treasury. A Treasury that is overwhelmingly funded by English taxpayers, who get lower per capita funding than us.

A third point to make about English nationalism is that while many political figures who might lean towards such a ‘little England’ instinct did not stand by Northern Ireland over the Irish Sea border, the matter was hardly helped by some unionists talking about the ‘best of both worlds’, and seemingly being prepared to accept a trade frontier if we were given enough money.

So the oft-mentioned English nationalists might, insofar as they exist, be imperfect unionists, but there are imperfect unionists here in NI.

A last point is this: whatever the risks from English nationalism, they are trifling compared to wreckers of the obsessive, republican strain of Irish nationalism.