it's not that we are actively against a Degree in English Folk Music, an English folk radio programme, an English folk award, or an Arts Council of England, we just don't see the need for them.

We already have all these things, albeit none of them exclusively English. We can argue over whether or not they're doing a good job, but on the whole I find them more interesting than something taking a more narrow view.

For example, Mike Harding plays too much Irish and American music on his programme for my taste, but if he were restricted to only English music then a lot of other good stuff wouldn't get played. Unlike WAV, I don't feel that the other good stuff is a threat to my Englishness or enjoyment of English music.