Dead right, Eliza C - it's artificial and repressive to deny English vernacular culture its place: there's no way this can help apologize for an empire which also rode roughshod over the poor of its home country.

But ... Celtic Connections isn't a festival of English music. Granted, it's not a festival of nu country either, but presumably they have to face up to the economic realities that a few non-Celtic big names - wherever they hail from - will help ensure the festival's survival. So this year, the English representation is limited ... but Billy Bragg certainly stands out as a shining example of non-Celtic crowd pulling - and he remains fantastic whatever label he fits or doesn't fit. You get at least a handful of these anomalies in every big festival. It's just so much more interesting when it involves the raw nerves and old enmities between Scots and Sassenachs.

By the way, does anyone else think there was a question that should be asked about the interview on the Culture Show that started this thread? Did the guy jump or was he pushed? Something tells me that the producer was looking to find an angle and provoke a controversial statement - what better way than to roll out the old "England has no culture" warhorse for the millionth time? We do (self included) all take the bait whenever it's thrown at us - but whatever keeps it alive, eh?