David Warren

Getting the change message across

I've been down to the southern city of Fukuoka to talk to the local Japan-British Society on "Britain Today".   The idea of Britain in the minds of some Japanese can be very old-fashioned.   Many Japanese who have studied in Britain have an attachment to the traditions of the country, and this can take the form of thinking of the UK in terms of the old concept of the "Eikoku shinshi" (English gentleman), more familiar to the Victorians and Edwardians.  It comes with deep affection and respect for Britain, but part of my job is to explain the way Britain has changed and is changing - becoming a more diverse, less deferential, less hierarchical society - how the structure of government has changed with devolution, how the role of the Royal Family has changed over the last 50 years. 

The figure I quote of 40% of all Londoners having been born outside the UK makes quite an impact - Japan has a very low level of immigration, and a public debate is beginning on how sustainable this is, considering the long-term demographic trends of a shrinking and ageing population.  I point out that my own grandparents were immigrants to Britain - from Russia - over 100 years ago.

Posted at 14:11 22 May 2009 by David Warren  |  Comments[1]