I do not feel English. I feel like a Northerner. This is a region with a distinct identity, and its ancient kingdom of Northumbria still seems to pull the overwhelming majority of the weight in the UK’s economy. Yet, everywhere you look, it gets shafted by the central government. Most of all, I feel distinctly like a Yorkshireman.
What if our disengagement is not an accident, but a deliberate act of design? The truth is, the most important topics—the ones that shape our lives and society—are often relegated to the shadows because the powerful have a vested interest in our apathy.