Jeremy Clarkson
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A big and important lord has suggested that British schoolchildren should swear an oath of citizenship, perhaps in the hope that they’d put down their machineguns, stop stamping on old ladies and all become beefeaters.
Unfortunately, if such an oath is to be introduced, someone’s going to have to decide on the wording. This means the government will have to set up an “inclusive” committee that represents all of Britain’s “communities”. And can you even begin to imagine what that’d come up with?
“I apologise for my country’s shameful involvement in the slave trade. I vow to be homosexual whenever possible and to burn anyone driving a Range Rover. Long live Al Gore and death to the infidel.”
In these difficult times, it’s tricky to do better. In America, schoolchildren stand to attention every morning and say: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and burgers for all.”
Sadly, that sort of thing wouldn’t work here because the flag’s seen by Channel 4 News as racist and God’s a hot potato. What’s more, we’d have to substitute “the Queen” for “the republic” and I’m afraid that’s a big nono because, we’re told, she has little resonance if you’re a Lithuanian living in a tent in East Anglia.
This might make you seethe. Perhaps you go all prickly-haired and teary-eyed when they start singing Land of Hope and Glory at the Proms, in which case you might say: “Look. It’s jolly easy to say what defines us as a nation. The Daily Telegraph letters page. Frank Whittle. And all those bronze men with feathery hats in Trafalgar Square.”
Hmm. Fine. But before you force every single child in the land to swear allegiance every morning to Major-General Sir Henry Havelock, you need to be aware that, if your skin is brown, Sir Henry probably killed your great-grandad.
This brings us on to the biggest problem of them all. In America, it doesn’t matter whether you are a topiarist or a hedge-fund manager, a petrol-pump attendant in Arizona or a retired Jewish lady in Miami; everyone is united by the American Way. The country is seen as a place where you can get on, where you will be rewarded for hard work, ambition and drive.
There is no sense of that here. In his first budget, Alistair Darling announced that if you’re too stupid and lazy to get off your fat arse and do any work, you will be given free loft insulation; and that if you are honest, and industrious, you will be financially raped.
There’s more. I listened last week to a debate on the Jeremy Vine show in which callers suggested that the McCanns – whose daughter, remember, is missing – got so much press coverage only because they were middle class. This was such awful, heartless twaddle, I was nearly sick with rage.
It’s not just a class divide either. What common bond can be found between a Pakistani shopkeeper in Bradford and the people you see building Huf houses on Grand Designs? What unites a Filipino chambermaid in Abergavenny with Prince Andrew? Unless something can be found, the oath will remain an unrealised dream.
Perhaps it’s a good idea to view Britain from the outside. How do foreigners see us? Well, as drunken football hooligans mostly, and I don’t think that’d work. Having children swear an allegiance to Millwall every morning is a nonstarter.
A bestselling American book called The Geography of Bliss suggests that British people are unified by a general grumpiness. Eric Weiner, the author, says we don’t just enjoy misery; we get off on it. “For the British, happiness is a transatlantic import. And by transatlantic, they mean American. And by American, they mean silly, infantile drivel. Britain is a great place for grumps and most Brits, I suspect, derive a perverse pleasure from their grumpiness.”
I don’t disagree. But I can’t see us promising every morning in school assembly to remember that while the weather might be nice now, it’ll almost certainly be drizzling and cold tomorrow. Unless of course we all catch cancer and die in the night.
So what one thing cuts through the political correctness and leaves nobody feeling alienated in their own country? Something that unifies us all, something that’s recognisably British and universally seen as harmless, but also wholesome and good? You might imagine the answer is David Attenborough. But, sadly, people die. We need something that will be with us for ever.
The only thing I can think of is HP Sauce. The label features the Palace of Westminster. It contains no meat, which will keep Paul McCartney happy. It can be used to enliven a Melton Mowbray pork pie, and bring a sheen to coins of the realm. And best of all, it absolutely defines the British.
The French have their frogs’ legs. The Japanese have their whales. We have our brown sauce. We are the only people on earth who eat it.
Yes, I know it’s made in Holland these days by an American company, but so what. Finally, I have the oath. “I pledge allegiance to the sauce of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, and to the nation for which it stands, one sauce, in two distinct flavours, with nourishment and joy for all.”
Or we could drop the whole scheme and try to remember we’ve gone for a thousand years without an oath so why the bloody hell do we need one now.
Jeremy Clarkson's career as car reviewer and BBC Top Gear presenter has made motoring into show business, but he has earned himself the description of an "equal opportunities loudmouth" for his opinionated commentary on all aspects of life, appearing weekly in The Sunday Times.
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The oath should be the Parrott Sketch or Always look on the Bright side of life. Nothing sums up the true Brit than those two!
John, London,
We couldn't have Marmite - we'd be forever inundated with Australians claiming mistakenly that Vegemite came first, and that's more punishment than any nation should be forced to bear - their whingeing is the only thing more annoying than their superior cricketing and rugby abilities.
Jonathan, Cardiff,
Gosh, no. HP won't work. We eat it over here in Canada, too. Probably not as MUCH as you Brits, but it's certainly consumed. How about Marmite?
Christine, Up North, Canada
I have just turned a teenager and when listening to the radio a few weeks back I heard of how they were planing to make us swearalliegence to the Queen I went mad. In school we had a discussion about the Queen as we were supposed to write a letter to the Quen to say what wew would like changed I suggested banning bendy buses, the congestion charge, and banning Ken Livingston,(perhaps borris as well unles he stops high emissions tax!).In the end we all said the same things "what does the Queen actualy do apart from attracting tourist and giving a speech at chrismas?". My guess is most kids in secondry schools would just say "Oh my days, why should I swera to the Queen!!". Nowdays most kids don't care for the Queen or politics wich is slightly worrying!Half the students in my class don't even know who runs the country, but I do, lets make Jeremy run England, so we can use nuclear power and drive gas guslers and swear to HP sauce. Heres to HP sauce and Jeremy Clarkson!Hip, HIP.. HOORAY
JOHN, London,
er....just because the americans have bbq sauce that is brown, doesnt mean it is actually 'brown' as in HP sauce...that's a one off, british delicacy...GO BRITAIN...the one and only!
carly - brit in the us and hating it, washington,
Dear Jean Paul, although we still enjoy HP sauce in Malta, I wouldn't say it's "better than any American BBQ liquid"- haven't you tried Hunt's BBQ sauce?
Why not an allegiance to the English language itself?
Oh wait, that's already gone to the dogs.
David Schembri, Zurrieq, Malta
the bristish have their mint sauce, difficult to find in any other country (hopefully)
remy, liverpool,
In Malta we still enjoy HP sauce (must be a remnant of our colonial past) and it's much better than any American BBQ liquid.
Jean Paul, Malta,
Sadly HP sauce is now made in Holland, not Birmingham.
khanie, Cork, Ireland
Why not have a pledge of allegiance to Queen Victoria? She's very traditional. A footnote on HP sauce could be added for those who were properly addicted.
Peter, Bangkok, Thailand
In Americuh, we have brawn sozz as well: iss called bbq sauce, suh.
Harald, Portland, OR
James - You're glad you left the UK 20 years ago....to go and live in China???!
Nick, Guildford, UK
I am so bloody glad I left the UK 20 years ago!
James, Zhuhai, China
Pledging an Oath in a land without a Constitution? One might as well sign a blank cheque for one's total assets -- in the Republique du Chad.
Dazza, Hockerill, Herts
Actually in Japan they have brown sauce. It's called Tonkatsu sauce. Quite good...
Zeke, Rotterdam,
It is not liberty and burgers for all Jeremy. It is liberty and cheeseburgers for all.
Dale, Boulder, CO, USA
Hey, we got HP brown sauce in Mexico too!
Mind you, it costs a lot and it stays mostly abandoned on high-priced supermarkets, but that counts, right?
Love the columns, by the way, keep them coming, Mr. Clarkson!
Samuel Valdes, Mexico, Mexico
"I swear by God and the queen/king to struggle to uphold the right of the upper classes to hunt, shoot and fish as many of our four-footed, feathered or finned members of our wildlife as they so shall choose."
Venise Alstergren, Melbourne 3142, AUSTRALIA
As an Irishman (southern tribe !), I view the English as being generally civilised, friendly in a reserved way and very tolerant. I do not care for "New Labour" but then, I do not see them as representative of British people as a whole. Britain to me is not drunken soccer hooligans but rather the music of the Beatles (timeless), the humour of Monty Python or Faulty Towers (very funny) and the bulldog spirit in adversity (resilient). Yes, that's it, Britain is timeless, funny and resilient - it will be there long after bullshit oaths !
John Mallon, Cork,, Ireland
HP sauce used to be quite spicy and tasty. Today its so stuffed with sugar its taste is diminished and sweet. More spice to life needed!
Paul Davis, York, uk
Does anyone really see us as a nation of oath takers.
Surely Thomas More's experiences under Henry VIII must teach us something about this sort of tosh.
You could just about imagine an oath to serve Elizabeth II, but Charles III, I wouldn't stop laughing and would keep thinking about him chatting to flowers.
David, Dubai & PL2, UAE & England
I pledge allegiance to Jeremy Clarkson and Geoff from Bromsgrove...
Epimethean, Reigate,
Jeremy has summarised pithily reasons why the 'oath' was dropped within 1 hour of being suggested-and he never even got to how the Scots/Irish and Welsh (some of the most rabidly racist mainland Britons about) would baulk. Unfortunately Britain today is run by multicultural marxists who hate everything that makes Britain- a Christian vicar was beaten up by Asian thugs in front of his own church this morning -the immediate response from the 'authorities' was denial it was a hate crime, that the attackers were just thugs - despite them yelling that the church should be a mosque! I'm a white Christian Englishwoman of French, Jewish, Scots, Irish and Welsh (yes, I have as much right to be there as you lot) descent, and I've long since been a victim of bigotry in my own country - like last week when my GP admitted I'd only get the NHS surgery I need if I were a lesbian/benefit-scrounger/muslim/illegal immigrant/chain-smoking/obese/binge-drinker but a White British taxpayer? Dream on, girl
Ysabel, Nottingham, England
Frankly I gave up on all this nonsense years ago.
I am English. Real English, not someone whose parents were born in Lahore.
I mix with my own kind - meaning Northern Europeans - celebrate my own culture and history with no sense of shame and have no desire to slaughter goats or stone adulteres.
I avoid no-go areas. I support nothing that this vile government does.
If the rest of us just turned our backs on all this multi-culti nonsense and refused to comply with their stupid laws and brainwashing it would fade out in a year.
Geoff , Bromsgrove, England
Rather than getting children to take an oath why dont we have one for the polititians...
"I swear allegiance to the men and women I have sent to war,
I will enusure the are properly equiped and paid and that their families do not live in derelict houses while they are away.
I pledge that when they return they will be cared for properly, their injuries, mental or physical, will be treated with the priority and dignity they have earned."
Just as much chance of this being adopted as the one for kids, and just as much chance of it making any difference.
Mike, Plymouth,
JC may define himself by all the people & things he hates --but their are millions & millions of Britons who don't.
Frank Talk, callington, cornwall
I agree with your argument, Jeremy. On the one hand, the government encourages diversity and on the other it enforces unity upon us - which side are we meant to fall on?
Richard Scotney, Cottingham, East Yorkshire