Britain/Great Britain are the name(s) of the island itself. The largest of the cluster of islands there off the coast of France and The Netherlands.
The “countries” of England, Scotland and Wales are located on the island of Great Britain (and several of the smaller nearby islands). These are distinct political regions with their own governments.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the “nation” made up of the three countries of Britain plus Northern Ireland, one of two “countries” located on the island of Ireland. The United Kingdom is the highest governmental body before you hit the international community; the UK has a desk at the United Nations, for example. It’s a “nation of countries” that is bound and fucking determined it’s not a federation despite being built a lot like one.
England doesn’t have its own government and parliament, it’s run directly by Westminster which also runs the UK. Part of the issue with the UK is that they never bothered to introduce a properly federal system, Westminster rules supreme gracing regions with some power to self-administer to lower their discontent but they can also take it away at any time.
Which then also led Britons to have inane takes such as the UK not being sovereign while being in the EU. They simply don’t get (con)federations.
The issue with England in particular is that they don’t seem to be discontent (enough) to demand Westminster devolve some powers, seeing that the country is governed by London for the benefit of London the rest being periphery. See all those English towns suddenly realising that all the money they got to develop were EU structural funds, not Westminster, and then still sticking with Brexit because I suppose realising your mistake is more embarrassing than tripling down. In their mind.
And Northern Ireland doesn’t have its own government (usually) because they can’t agree to form one because reasons.
Britain/Great Britain are the name(s) of the island itself. The largest of the cluster of islands there off the coast of France and The Netherlands.
The “countries” of England, Scotland and Wales are located on the island of Great Britain (and several of the smaller nearby islands). These are distinct political regions with their own governments.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the “nation” made up of the three countries of Britain plus Northern Ireland, one of two “countries” located on the island of Ireland. The United Kingdom is the highest governmental body before you hit the international community; the UK has a desk at the United Nations, for example. It’s a “nation of countries” that is bound and fucking determined it’s not a federation despite being built a lot like one.
thanks i’m calling UK Federal Kingdom from now on
England doesn’t have its own government and parliament, it’s run directly by Westminster which also runs the UK. Part of the issue with the UK is that they never bothered to introduce a properly federal system, Westminster rules supreme gracing regions with some power to self-administer to lower their discontent but they can also take it away at any time.
Which then also led Britons to have inane takes such as the UK not being sovereign while being in the EU. They simply don’t get (con)federations.
The issue with England in particular is that they don’t seem to be discontent (enough) to demand Westminster devolve some powers, seeing that the country is governed by London for the benefit of London the rest being periphery. See all those English towns suddenly realising that all the money they got to develop were EU structural funds, not Westminster, and then still sticking with Brexit because I suppose realising your mistake is more embarrassing than tripling down. In their mind.
And Northern Ireland doesn’t have its own government (usually) because they can’t agree to form one because reasons.
As many times as I’ve had to explain what a state is to a Brit, that tracks.