I no longer identify as Nigerian, Badenoch says

[SerendipityJane]

"...for a pocketful of mumbles such are promises ..."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24z77yg16eo

Up to her, isn't it? Not sure why it would be a huge issue.

Completely up to her. I was born in Ireland to Irish parents, and lived there until I was 20, but I definitely feel more British. The UK is home, Ireland isn't. I've lived in the UK for 25 years so been here longer anyway

Agree. My parents were from Pakistan, I’ve never lived there only visited on holidays as a child. I haven’t been as an adult. Pretty much next to no family left there. I still enjoy Pakistani food and culture but am I entirely Pakistani? No.

So what?

I can't stand the woman or her politics but I think she is entitled to identify in whatever way she wishes. Identity is a very personal thing, and I won't judge her for that.

That is what true integration is surely- My family (great grandparents on one side and grandparents on the other) are immigrants- as soon as they arrived they anglicised their names, didn’t pass their language onto their children-only spoke English to them, gave their children English names and as a result all the descendants consider themselves to be 100% British and I’m sure they saw themselves that way too. I have never even been to their home country and have no interest. It is just an interesting bit of my family’s history. I am 100% British though and consider British history to be my history

what has it got to do with you or do you think only white people can be British? Vile

My parents were irish. Me and my siblings were born in London. We were very much brought up to be proud of our Irish roots, which we are. I've got 2 passports, UK and Irish, and descrbe myself as irish descent. However I feel more British because I've never lived in Ireland. Doesn't mean I'm not proud of my irish background.

I’ve lived in Scotland for thirty years, but it’s clear to me that I am English.

I know that she is very unpopular with many Nigerians .

But she does identify as working class. She is a spectacularly stupid woman imho.

She was born in the UK and, after a brief spell abroad as a child has lived here for the last 30 years. Her husband is British and her three children were born here.

Can't stand her politics, but if I can see exactly where she's coming from on this.

Although, of course, it would be fine for her to say that she feels more British than she does Nigerian.

I’m more worried about her recent announcement that she would ban doctors from going on strike, just as working for a living gets shittier than ever.

People used to call Britain a free country once. We had rights and a desire, at least, to create a meritocracy. Now all there is is money and power, none of it accessible to plebs.

😁DH is the other way round. 30 years of living in England and he would definitely still consider himself Scottish, not English or British.

He lived in Scotland til his late 30s so has never lost his accent or his identity.

She has every right to recognise her identity is based on her experiences. It’s not as if she has no right to any of the identities.

I don’t understand. Is this a problem of some kind?

I don't understand why you've used that quote OP.

This is why punctuation helps me. Surely, the OP is “I no longer identify as Nigerian”, Badenoch says? Because I read it as her telling you you didn’t, which would be harsh!

Aye.

What's the problem

So what? She was born here and has spent most of her life here, she's married to a Brit, has British kids and a British passport. TBH, I'd be more surprised if she said she did identify as Nigerian.

I'd be much happier if she said she was going to live in Nigeria or anywhere else really.

If she was white, I bet it wouldn’t have occurred to you that she might identify as anything other than British. She was born in Wimbledon and has lived in this country for most of her life.