Why do so many posters on here seem to be struggling to accept that the U.K. doesn’t just include England?

[Rhine]

And that we have different rules regarding Covid?

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve seen so many comments from posters asking rather aggressively why others posters are still meeting up, going for meals, to the pub, for drinks, to the gym etc ‘when we are in lockdown’? Well actually no, England is in lockdown. I’m in Wales and we are not in lockdown. Scotland is not in lockdown. I believe Northern Ireland wasn’t but is about to go back into it. The U.K. doesn’t begin and end at the borders of England...

I’ve just seen one thread where a poster continually pointed out she was in Scotland but that didn’t stop the ‘ we are in lockdown’ remarks.

Please educate yourselves. It’s annoying.

Thats still 10 MILLION people in the non England category. That's a lot of people.

It's not numbers, it's attitude. The English are insular and inward looking, as a whole. They know little and care less about the countries surrounding them. Not all, of course, but as a national characteristic I think it's accurate.

Have RTFT but 85% of the UK population live in England... So its a fair assumption to make.

@LoveandHateWhatABeautifulComb

Thats still 10 MILLION people in the non England category. That's a lot of people.

It's not numbers, it's attitude. The English are insular and inward looking, as a whole. They know little and care less about the countries surrounding them. Not all, of course, but as a national characteristic I think it's accurate.

I find most English people give no shuts about whether someone is English, Welsh, Irish or Scottish - however the Welsh/Irish/Scottish often go to great lengths to make a point that they are seperate to the English. I say this as someone who is Scottish!

I find most English people give no shuts about whether someone is English, Welsh, Irish or Scottish - however the Welsh/Irish/Scottish often go to great lengths to make a point that they are seperate to the English.

Again, you've included Irish in their as if they are analagous to Scottish or Welsh: constituents of the UK.
Ireland is NOT IN THE UK.

Well of the 66 million people in the UK, over 56 million live in England.

Therefore the majority of people live in England and it is a sensible assumption to make.

an arrogant assumption to make.
It shows that some English people do not care about the United Kingdom, and adds fuel to the fire of seperatism.

People mentioning the Irish in the same sentence as the Welsh and the Scottish does not automatically mean they don't know they aren't part of the UK.

@lazylinguist

People mentioning the Irish in the same sentence as the Welsh and the Scottish does not automatically mean they don't know they aren't part of the UK.

Oh you’d be amazed. I know someone who went to Dublin and was shocked that she’d need her passport because ‘Ireland is in Britain isnt it?’. No hun it’s not, and for gods sake don’t say that while you are there.

@LoveandHateWhatABeautifulComb

I find most English people give no shuts about whether someone is English, Welsh, Irish or Scottish - however the Welsh/Irish/Scottish often go to great lengths to make a point that they are seperate to the English.

Again, you've included Irish in their as if they are analagous to Scottish or Welsh: constituents of the UK.
Ireland is NOT IN THE UK.

Irish is acceptable in that context as NI people can be Irish, British or both but it should also include British for unionists who don't see themselves as Irish.

@lazylinguist

People mentioning the Irish in the same sentence as the Welsh and the Scottish does not automatically mean they don't know they aren't part of the UK.

I've had many a discussion with English customer service people who really struggled to understand that no, really, Ireland is not part of the UK.

And I'm using English deliberately as I've never encountered a scottish, welsh or NI person who was confused.

No more annoying than the media all thinking that nowhere more than 30 miles of Buckingham Palace has any relevance at all...

Oh you’d be amazed.

Oh no - I fulky realise that there are people that don't know. I'm just saying that doesn't mean that everybody who makes any kind of comparison between anything to do with Ireland and anything to do with other parts of the UK thinks that Ireland is part the UK.

Enjoy living without the taxes raised by London

How arrogant and stupid do you have to be to believe this?

Irish is acceptable in that context as NI people can be Irish, British or both but it should also include British for unionists who don't see themselves as Irish

It's not. NI people can consider themselves Irish, but that does not mean that you can use the term "Irish" to mean part of the UK. If you are talking about the components of the UK, it is never acceptable to use Ireland or Irish, ever. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, Ireland is not.
The feelings regarding identity of people in the 6 counties of Northern Ireland has not effect on geography or legally defined countries.

So, because a few annoying posters on MN make assumptions, English people are ignorant and you basically dislike everyone in England?
I'm always stuck between being amused and offended with posts like these, that let's be honest, just gives everyone a chance to chip in with how they can't actually stand England or the people living here.
I didn't even finished secondary school, and I probably know more and seen more of the UK than a lot of people, so I'm definitely not ignorant. I've been spoken to like absolute shit in Scotland and Wales. In fact, the only place I didn't feel judged just for breathing, was right up in the Highlands. I could actually have a conversation up there and not walk away feeling guilty for having an English accent. Ignorance is everywhere in the UK

@LoveandHateWhatABeautifulComb

Irish is acceptable in that context as NI people can be Irish, British or both but it should also include British for unionists who don't see themselves as Irish

It's not. NI people can consider themselves Irish, but that does not mean that you can use the term "Irish" to mean part of the UK. If you are talking about the components of the UK, it is never acceptable to use Ireland or Irish, ever. Northern Ireland is part of the UK, Ireland is not.
The feelings regarding identity of people in the 6 counties of Northern Ireland has not effect on geography or legally defined countries.

We'll have to disagree on that one as I know a number of people from NI who would be most annoyed to be referred to as anything other than Irish.

I do think that the sentence as constructed could be offensive to unionists who see themselves as british and so, should have included british to be correct.

@MumbleBee20

So, because a few annoying posters on MN make assumptions, English people are ignorant and you basically dislike everyone in England? I'm always stuck between being amused and offended with posts like these, that let's be honest, just gives everyone a chance to chip in with how they can't actually stand England or the people living here. I didn't even finished secondary school, and I probably know more and seen more of the UK than a lot of people, so I'm definitely not ignorant. I've been spoken to like absolute shit in Scotland and Wales. In fact, the only place I didn't feel judged just for breathing, was right up in the Highlands. I could actually have a conversation up there and not walk away feeling guilty for having an English accent. Ignorance is everywhere in the UK

How funny, you complain about us accusing English people of being ignorant (not what we have said at all) whilst claiming that you yourself are definitely not ignorant. Then in the next breath claims that Scottish and Welsh people have been rude to you just because you are English, without any examples. Maybe they were just rude because they are arseholes? Or maybe it just didn’t happen?

I’m surprised you didn’t trot out a story about Welsh people daring to speak Welsh in Wales. An old favourite of Little Englanders.

You're not paying attention. This is about geography, not identity.

NI people can feel as Irish as they like, but NI is in the UK, and Ireland is not. Therefore, do not ever refer to Ireland as a component of the UK. if you mean NI, say NI. Ireland is a distinct and separate entity that is not interchangeable with NI.

This is not opinion, it is fact, and you don't get to disagree.

So to sum up....

People in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and everywhere outside of the U.K. must ANNOUNCE their location in every single thread and post because we couldn’t possibly expect English posters in England to consider, before responding, that the poster might not live in their immediate area....

So the onus is on everyone else to make things as easy as possible for them.

Okey Dokey.

@Rhine I only read up to page 3 before replying. More than 1 person had commented that English people are ignorant and inward thinking. Note, they didnt say some, just 'English people'

I can say without doubt it was because I'm English, due to being told to fuck off back to England and another time being asked why I was even there in the first place...

Why would I have an issue with people speaking their language, no matter where they are? My grandad is from the valleys, I speak some Welsh myself. I'm half Irish and I've also visited many places between east Anglia and the highlands of Scotland.

I've always been respectful in every place I've been. I've never tried to be the superior English person, I love learning about the differences and similarities. I've also been treated like shit. So I stand by my point, ignorance is rife in every country of the UK, not just England.

@ConstantlySeekingHappiness

So to sum up....

People in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and everywhere outside of the U.K. must ANNOUNCE their location in every single thread and post because we couldn’t possibly expect English posters in England to consider, before responding, that the poster might not live in their immediate area....

So the onus is on everyone else to make things as easy as possible for them.

Okey Dokey.

Ridiculous isn’t it? Imagine being so small minded that you don’t realise that other places exist and do things differently to you.

Why don't you call these people out individually as you see it? A few ignorant people on an internet forum don't make up a whole country.

Mumble its not just a few ignorant people on the Internet.

Its been happening my whole funking life.

It ain't new.

My moment of irritation is on quiz shows. Let's say there's 3 contestants from England and 1 from Scotland. They'll say where in England they're from, even if its not well known.
Contestant 4 though, is from the city/town/village of Scotland.

In a quiz the other month a woman was asked . Strathclyde university can be found in which city in Scotland ? Now getting it wrong fair enough. However she could not name a Scottish city.

I think some people seem to have no concept of the geography of the British Isles.

Being a bit of a map nerd I like to see where everywhere is, especially when reading fiction. I am currently reading a Shetland book set in Unst, so the first thing I did was look to see where it was.

I'll get me anorak

@Torvean32

My moment of irritation is on quiz shows. Let's say there's 3 contestants from England and 1 from Scotland. They'll say where in England they're from, even if its not well known. Contestant 4 though, is from the city/town/village of Scotland.

In a quiz the other month a woman was asked . Strathclyde university can be found in which city in Scotland ? Now getting it wrong fair enough. However she could not name a Scottish city.

Yes Yes

Welcome Jim from Smalltown Dorset, Janet from Fulham, Dick from village on the wold. And then Hamish from Scotland

When I was at school we used to score out England in our WW1 and 2 history texts.

And my current pet peeve on here, the posters moving from some village and looking to move to "Scotland". As if Morningside had anything in common with Coaltown of Balgonie