Is British history something to be proud of?

A sharp fall in the number of people praising our past might not be a bad thing

Illustration of figures and events from British history
Britons are now questioning their past, and 'questions lead to curiosity and creativity'
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

Pride in Britain's history has declined at a "startling" rate, said Philip Johnston in The Daily Telegraph, according to "depressing" findings in this year's British social attitudes survey. According to the poll, only 64% of people are "proud" of Britain's past – a drop from 86% a decade ago and the lowest since 1995, when the question was first asked.

In addition, reported the London Evening Standard, 53% were proud of Britain's democratic system, down from 69% in 2013, and only 44% said they were proud of its economic achievements, "a fall from 57% in 2013".

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us

Elizabeth Carr-Ellis is a freelance journalist and was previously the UK website's Production Editor. She has also held senior roles at The Scotsman, Sunday Herald and Hello!. As well as her writing, she is the creator and co-founder of the Pausitivity #KnowYourMenopause campaign and has appeared on national and international media discussing women's healthcare.