"I mentioned the fact that Ireland and Scotland value their folk heritage far more highly, but it has taken their own revivals and substantial government investment to make this happen. The response was a load of waffle from MPs who are afraid to have this conversation, because they are afraid to talk about what being English might mean in the context of a multi-cultural society."

Sobering and worrying too - it's precisely this kind of spineless political shuffling around anything 'English' that plays right into the hands of hard right-wing nationalists..

Anyway, thanks for your considered response.