Posted by New Statesman editor Jason Cowley has written an important piece on the role of Gareth Southgate’s England team in shaping our sense of English identity.
In the magazine’s front page story Cowley writes:
“Southgate, who is 47, is a patriot but not a jingoist. He is resilient and has self-belief but is never boastful. For him, this latest English awakening is about more than football: it’s about culture, identity and belonging. “Of course, first and foremost I will be judged on football results but you have a chance to affect something bigger,” he said.
[…]
“What’s going on here? How have we reached a state of affairs where the England football manager speaks more intelligently about questions of cultural and national identity than our two main party leaders?”
englishlabournetwork.org.uk 