Columnist and foreign correspondent Ian Birrell talks about being educated in Scotland, having a Scottish, Irish and English heritage but identifying with London most of all.

“In many ways I see myself first and foremost as a Londoner, and take great pride in what London is today and that represents me best.”

Richard was born in England, but moved to Florida at the age of two. “By the time I left the United States when I was 11 I definitely identified myself as American.” Moving back to England changed this, however.

The plight of footballer Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest while on the pitch on Sunday, has brought his dramatic life story into public view, says Sunder Katwala

If the Toulouse killings do turn out to change the course of French democracy, that ought to trouble us as democrats. The identity of a violent murderer should not decide a major democratic election, argues Sunder Katwala.

Is Martin Amis’ dispiriting ‘state of the nation’ novel trying to dampen Jubilee joy? It looks like his new novel, about a young lottery-winning criminal, will paint a bleak picture of broken Britain. Sunder Katwala asks if Amis is Britain’s chief miserabilist.

Royal Greenwich needs to clean up its act, and clear up the Silver Jubilee’s Thames Path in time for this year’s celebrations, says Rachael Jolley.

Long-time teacher of English to new arrivals in this country Jo Thorp finds the rewards are great for both students and society, but following funding cuts, there are massive waiting lists for most courses.

The Daily Mail is campaigning against Plastic Brits, but the ugly term, being used to describe people who the newspaper thinks shouldn’t represent Britain, misrepresents the nation’s sporting history.

British Future went to York last week to join the cast of the play ‘Bed’ in a debate about British identity. Before the debate, we asked the cast members about their identity – British, Yorkshire or otherwise – as part of our British Histories series.

From Barbara Miller’s fond memories of chasing swarms of locusts from her garden in Africa to the cast’s unanimous love of Yorkshire, the stories tell strong but varied picture of British identity.