Can union-based identity be stronger than national identity? In this interview, asked to choose between categorising himself as Scottish or British, the choice for this interviewee is: British. Not because Scottish identity doesn’t resonate—but because, for him, the shared (and unifying) of the UK holds more meaning; what connects over what separates. It’s an understanding of national identity not as something fixed by borders or birthplace, but as something larger—built across difference, roote

Should identity be shaped by history? This interviewee describes herself as British—but never English. For her, ‘English’ carries nationalistic connotations and feels tied to the history of colonialism, while ‘British’ feels broader and less exclusive. It raises bigger questions: how much do historical associations shape the way we define ourselves? Can a national identity ever be separated from the weight of its past? What do you think? Can identity and history be untangled—or are they always l

Is race linked to national identity? Born and raised in West London, our interviewee says he feels English—which he then qualifies, indicating that that’s despite “his blood [saying] otherwise”. By referencing ‘blood’ he seems to be implying that, on some level, national identity is related to genetics—and, by extension, to ethnicity, to race. Whatever his intent, it’s language with a very particular (and problematic) historical pedigree; language suggesting a relationship between nationality/na