We want a patriotic Left

To The Guardian

John Harris is right. Labour must reclaim Englishness. Shelley expected us to need centuries to evolve true internationalist consciousness. Leftists demand it now, regarding English patriotism as supremacism (wrong, and counterproductive: forced denial of self hardly promotes acceptance of others!).

Fear of self-annihilation and top-down supranationalism caused Brexit. Worse may follow unless Labour listens and addresses the dangerous disconnect from our institutions. Too late on Europe, sadly, but the British entity could be saved by recognising its constituent parts and building a federation (with an English parliament), utilising PR to produce diverse, representative, honest parties, but requiring them to cooperate to govern: more local, responsive, inclusive.

Labour must adapt and lead. To disapprove of celebrating Shakespeare, Tallis, Keats and The Beatles, and taking pride in them being

English, is Stalinist and, frankly, weird. Promoting sensible English patriotism may be the best way to counter racism.

Sadly, Labour now seems too ideologically hidebound to change; too intellectually lightweight to seek imaginative solutions. Advice from this member? Open your ears, eyes and minds, or irrelevance beckons. Tim Thorp, Nottingham