The national story of Danny Boyle's opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics still unites us, even after a bruising and divisive four years in British politics, writes Sunder Katwala
On Sunday 21st July 2013, 12,000 people flocked to the Olympic Stadium to take part in a five mile run, which traversed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park before reaching a thrilling conclusion on the track inside the stadium. Annabel Harbord was one of the participants. It was a very memorable day, Annabel Harbord reflects.
While the whole world flocked to London to witness the buzz of the Olympic summer 2012, north-east England felt somewhat excluded and not just in terms of geography. However, an Olympic legacy lives on, even if not as pronounced as hoped, writes Next Generation blogger Matilda Neill from Whitley Bay.
The popularity of the armed forces as an icon of British pride among young people shows the value of seeing members of the military out and about in our regular lives.
British Future's first year has been an eventful one. The success of the Jubilee and the Olympics made 2012 a year to celebrate being British, and British Future followed this success through the year. We would love to thank everyone who has been involved with our work - from those who joined us in a bed in Yorkshire to those who ate food from around the world and painted their faces at our refugee Jubilee street party in Brixton. And we would also like to say thank you to everyone who worked on our publications and research. But mostly we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and a happy new year.
When the parents of Olympic champion Jessica Ennis, who are from Jamaica and Derbyshire, met in Sheffield in the 1980s, a majority of the public opposed to mixed race relationships. This is no longer the case, shows the new report from British Future The Melting Pot Generation: How Britain became more relaxed about race.
How does class affect British identity? What do the Conservatives have to say about immigration now? And how can ethnic minorities feel like real citizens when their parliament and judiciary aren't representative? These were some of the questions put to the panel at British Future and Bright Blue event The New Patriotism: Beyond the Spirit of 2012.
Where have the events of 2012 left British patriotism? British Future and thinktank Bright Blue held an event talking about whether the Olympics, Paralympics and the Jubilee have left us with a strong new sense of national pride, or whether the hype of 2012 was just that, and we're still just a country unable to deal with its history.
The Olympics, Paralympics and the Jubilee...has 2012 seen a new patriotism emerge in Britain? British Future and thinktank Bright Blue held an event where the debate spanned from discussing Olympic pride to how to deal with the spectre of the Empire to Conservative attitudes to the NHS. The panel included Isabel Hardman, Editor of the Spectator blog Coffee House, Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng, and British Future Director Sunder Katwala. The event was chaired by Ryan Shorthouse, Director of Bright Blue.
As Scotland's Olympic parade kicks off in Glasgow today, British Future publishes our parade video, finding out from those welcoming the athletes home what they thought of the Olympics and the Paralympics, and what they wanted to happen next.
2012 has brought Britain together. The Olympics, Paralympics and the Jubilee combined to provide the most inclusive celebration of who we are that anyone can remember, says Sunder Katwala. But what happens when the flame goes out?
One in three of Team GB's record medal haul were the product of Britain's history of immigration and integration. That's because our Olympic team reflects the country that we have become, says Sunder Katwala.
There's been a great Scottish contribution to the Team GB medal haul, but just 5% of the Team GB medals were won by Scots alone, with the others being made up from teams from across Britain, according to new British Future research.
As Chris Hoy bids for gold on the cycling track today, Robert Outram taps into the Scottish Olympic sentiment.
Young football fans Rana and Hannah from Birmingham said the Olympics were a good chance for everyone to come
It's all just about to start, the Olympic moment is here, but this is also a time to assess what the Games mean to us and what they say about modern Britain, says Sunder Katwala.
Most people think the Olympics will begin with Friday's Olympic Opening ceremony. But London's 2012 Olympiad will actually begin in Wales.
Unbelievably, the Olympic opening ceremony takes place two weeks today. Even amidst last minute concerns about security and the weather, there is still a growing excitement about what the first two weeks of August will bring, both in terms of sporting achievement and national esprit de corps.
One of Refugee Week's Unsung Heroes Kolbassia speaks about his support for Team Great Britain and his long-term involvement with the Olympics.
Design and development by Soapbox
By Tags
#positiveTwitterDay, #RememberTogether, #WeAreAllEngland, 1914, 1948, 1992, 2010, 2011 Census, 2012, 2012 Olympics, 2013, 2014, 7/7, About us, adoption, Afghanistan, Africa, America, Andy Murray, anger, Anglo-Irish, anthem, Anthony Clavane, anti-prejudice, anti-Semitism, antisemitism, Archbishop, architecture, armed forces, art, Article 50, asylum, attitudes, Australian points-based system, awards, Ballymena, Bank of England, BBC, Belfast, belonging, benefits, Bikers, Birmingham, blog, Blue Labour, blue plaque, BME, BNP, bookshelf, Boris Johnson, Boston, Boy, bradford, Bradford City, branding, Brazil, Brent, Brexit, Britain, British, british army, British Asians, British business, British Empire, British Future, British Histories, British Histories: What's Your Story?, British history, British identity, British monuments, British troops, British values, Britishness, broken Britain, Brussels, Bulgaria, business, by-election, Calais, Caribbean, Carswell, Casey, CBI, celebration, CentreForum, changing nation, Channel 4, Children, Chinese community, Christianity, Christmas, citizenship, city of london festival, civic identity, civil service, civility, civillity, Clacton, cohesion, combined regional authorities, combined regional authority, comedy, commemoration, common ground, Commonwealth, community, community relations, comprehensive immigration review, connectivity, consensus, Conservative, Conservative party, Conservative Party conference, ConservativeHome, Conservatives, contact, contribution, countryside, Coventry, cricket, Crossing Divides, Croydon, cuisine, culture, Cyrus Todiwala, Daily Mail, David Cameron, David Ward, decade of reconnection, democracy, deputy mayor for integration, Derry, devolution, Diamond Jubilee, Diane Abbott, discrimination, disproportionate, diversity, division, Do Mention The War, doctors, Dr John Carlos, Dungannon, East Anglia, EastEnders, economic, economy, Ed miliband, EDL, education, EEA, EEA minus, election, Election prediction, elections, employment, England, English, English anthem, English Football, English for Speakers of Other Languages, English identity, english language, Englishness, Enland, Enoch, Enoch Powell, entrepreneurs, eqality, equality, eric pickles, ESOL, Ethiopia, ethnic minorities, ethnicity, EU, EU citizens, EU migrants, EU nationals, EU referendum, Euro 2016, Europ, europe, European elections, European Union, event, events, extremism, Fabian Society, Fabio Capello, fairness, faith, Family, Family history, family reunion, far right, fascism, Festival of Britain, FGM, film, first, first world war, first world war centenary, first-time voters, food, football, foriegn-born, forum theatre, France, free movement, free speech, Fringe 2012, future, Future Majority, gender, General Election 2015, General Election 2017, general elections, Generation 2012, George Osborne, Gerald Scarfe, Glasgow, globalisation, Great Get Together, Great War, green paper, Hackney, Hampton Court Palace, hate crime, hate speech, hatred, Headstart, heritage, Hindu, hiring, Hispanics, history, Home Affairs Committee, home office, Home Secretary, house of commons, housing, Hull, ian birrell, Ian Blair, iconic, identity, immigrants, immigration, immigration restriction, inclusion, inclusive nationalism, inclusiveness, India, Indian Comforts Fund, industry, inequality, inquiry, integration, inter-racial marriage, interfaith, intern, international students, interview, ipsos mori, Ipswich, Ireland, Irish, Iron Maiden, Islam, Islamism, islamophobia, island life, Israel, itegration, Jack Wilshere, Jamaica, James Bond, James Forsyth, Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Ennis, Jewish, Jewish community, Jewishness, Jim Murphy, Jo Cox MP, job, jobs, Jubilee, Khudadad Khan, King, Labour, Labour Party, Labour Party Conference, language, Larry Rach, launch, Leave, Lee Rigby, Leeds, Leicester, let refugees learn, letter, Levi Roots, Lewisham, Lib, Lib Dems, Liberal Democrats, Lincolnshire, Lionel Asbo, literature, local election, local elections, local government, London, London 2012, London Borough of Brent, London Marathon, London Museum Docklands, London Olympics, Londonderry, Lord Ashcroft, Luton, MAC, Malaysia, Manchester, manifesto, manners, Mario Balotelli, Mario Creatura, mark sedwill, Martin Amis, mary riddell, Mayor of London, Mayoral election, media, Meghan Markle, melting pot generation, Merry christmas, metling pot generation, metro-mayors, migrants, migration, Migration Advisory Committee, migration impacts fund, military, Millennium Stadium, minorities, mixed race, mixed race marriage, Monarchy, Muamba, multi-culturalism, museums, Muslim, muslim community, Muslims, National anthem, National Conversation, National Conversation on immigration, national identity, nationalism, net migration, net migration target, new patriotism, newcastle, NHS, Nigel Farage, Niqab, No place for prejudice, Norfolk, Norman Lamb, Norman Tebbit, north England, north-east, Northampton, northeast, northern, Northern Ireland, northerness, Norwich, office for citizenship and integration, Olympic Ceremony, Olympic Games, Olympic torch, Olympics, ONS, Opening Ceremony, opportunity, optimism, Pakistan, Paralympics, Paris, parliament, Party Conference, patriotism, Paul Dacre, people smuggling, persecution, Philosophy, podcast, points-based system, Poland, policy, Polish, political discourse, politicians, politics, polling, Poppies, poppy, populism, populist politics, positive, prejudice, Premier League, preservation, presidential election, pride, Prime Minister, Prince Harry, priti patel, Progress, Promised Land, public attitudes, public engagement, pubs, Qatada, Queen, Queen's Diamond Jubillee, race, racism, reading list, recruitment, referendu, referendum, refugee, refugee action, refugee resettlement, refugee week, refugees, regional identity, relationships, religion, Remain, Remember Together, Remembrance, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday, representation, republicans, review, right wing extremism, Rio, Rivers of blood, Rochdale, Romania, royal, Royal Baby, royal family, rugby, rugby league, Russia, Sadiq Khan, Saint George's Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Sajid Javid, salford city reds, sanctuary, school, schools, Scotland, scottish, Scottish identity, scottish independence, Scottishness, second world war, Select Committees, shared history, Shoe industry, Sikh, Sikhs, Singapore, single market, Six Nations, skilled migration, skills, Skyfall, social connection, social media, society, Soldiers, Somme, Southampton, Spain, sport, sports, St George's Flag, St. George's Day, State of the Nation, statistics, Stephen Lawrence, Storify, Stratford, street party, students, Summer riots, Sunder Katwala, syria, Tate Britain, Team GB, Team GB: How 2012 Should Boost Britain, Tebbit, Tebbit test, television, Tennis, terrorism, Thanet, Thank You, the arts, The Forum, The Great War, the left, the queen, The Royal British Legion, The Voice of a Generation, Theresa May, thinktank, thinktank of the year awards, This Sceptred Isle, Tier 2, tolerance, towie, trade, Trevor Phillips, tribalism, Trump, trust, Trustee, tweet, twitter, uk, UK economy, UK General Election, UKIP, unemployment, union, Union Jack, unionism, United Kingdom, unity, universities, University, Unknown and Untold, US Election, US politics, USA, VC, Veil, Victoria Cross, Vinnie Jones, visa regulations, Voice of a Generation, Votes for schools, voting, Wales, WalkTogether, Watford, welfare, Welsh, West Midlands, white working-class, Willesden, William and Kate, Wimbledon 2013, windrush, Windrush Day, Wolverhampton, Women, Woolwich, work, workplace, World Cup, World Cup 2014, World Food Night, World War I, world war II, WW1, WW1 Centenary, WW1 Centenary. Islam, WWI, xenophobia, York, Yorkshire, young people, Young voters, youth, youth unemployment, Ypres, Yvette Cooper, Zadie Smith
Commitment to NHS founding principles remains high in UK
The NHS beat both the monarchy and the Olympics to take gold in the patriotism stakes, as Ipsos-Mori's polling for British Future's new State of the Nation 2013 report shows.
0 Comments
Tags: British Future, Monarchy, NHS, Olympics