Middle England

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the socio-political term. For the geographical area in the centre of England, see
The Midlands. For the medieval form of language, see Middle English
.
Typically English activities such as village cricket matches popularly evoke an image of Middle England

The phrase "Middle England" is a

traditional conservative or right-wing views.[1][2][3][4][5]

Origins

The origins of the term "Middle England" are not known. Writer Ian Hislop found evidence of the British Prime Minister Lord Salisbury's using the term in 1882, but it did not gain popularity at the time.[6] Modern popular usage of the phrase has been attributed to Margaret Thatcher who, according to the historian David Cannadine, introduced the expression into political phraseology by adopting Richard Nixon's concept of "Middle America".[7] However, Joe Moran found that, although the concept originated in Thatcherism, the term itself was rarely used by Thatcher, or by national newspapers until the 1990s premiership of John Major.[8]

Modern usage

Middle England's political opinions, such as Euroscepticism, are considered highly influential
The Women's Institute is strongly associated with the concept of Middle England

The primary meaning of the term is now a

Holy Communion through the morning mist" (itself based on a quote from George Orwell).[9]

Although Middle England does not refer to a geographical region, it may be understood to refer to the inhabitants of

Tunbridge Wells as the "spiritual home" of Middle England, with particular reference to the popular characterisation of "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells", the pseudonym of an imaginary, incensed letter-writer.[10] Emphasising its lack of geographical location, the writer Nick Inman likened Middle England to J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth: "We know everything about it except where it is".[11]

The term is used by journalists to refer to the presumed views of mainstream English and to a lesser extent British people, as opposed to minorities of all types (the rich or the poor,

right-wing views of those who are not in such minorities.[9][12] The phrase "Middle England" may be regarded by some as interchangeable with "Middle Britain", particularly with reference to political campaigns that seek to include middle-class voters in Scotland and Wales, but commentators such as Cannadine have assessed it as a designation specific to a segment of England, not Britain as a whole.[13] John Major's 1993 speech has been noted for its culturally selective evocation of Britain, omitting inner cities, football, people who are unemployed, coal mines, Muslims, and the other Constituent Countries of the United Kingdom.[14]

People who belong to the Middle England grouping are typically said to be

heterosexual, with a strong work ethic and a highly developed sense of conscientiousness. They may typically read the Daily Mail, a popular British newspaper known for its conservative editorial bias, and are also sometimes referred to as the "silent majority" or "moral majority" in the British media.[7][11]

In politics

In

MORI, Middle England is said to make up 25% of the UK population, its members are not devoted to any particular party and may be swayed by successful political campaigning, and many live in marginal constituencies.[7] Middle England was also considered to be a major force in the vote to leave the European Union during the 2016 European Union membership referendum.[15]

Other institutions

Members of the Countryside Alliance may be considered to be typical of Middle England,[16][11] while members of the Women's Institute have been described as "the backbone of Middle England".[17]

Related terms

Other demographic

pebbledash).[18]

See also

Sources

  • Moran, Joe (April 2005). "The Strange Birth of Middle England" (PDF). The Political Quarterly. 76 (2): 232–240.
    doi:10.1111/j.1467-923X.2005.00675.x
    . Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via academia.edu.

References

  1. ^ O'Sullivan, Jack (29 August 1998). "What is Middle England?". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  2. ^ Cole, Peter (19 August 2007). "Why middle England gets the Mail". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  3. ^ Burrell, Ian (21 May 2007). "Linda Grant: The 'Mail' turns on the charm". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 2022-05-14. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  4. ^ Maconie, Stuart (19 March 2010). "Stop knocking Middle England". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  5. ^ Kuper, Simon (2 August 2012). "Heroes reconquer nation for Middle England". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  6. ^ Moran 2005 p. 232
  7. ^ a b c d Reeves, Richard (25 October 2007). "Middle England. They're nicer than you think". New Statesman. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  8. ^ Moran 2005 p. 233
  9. ^ a b Easton, Mark (6 October 2010). "In search of Middle England". BBC. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  10. ^ "Tunbridge Wells: The spiritual home of Middle England". BBC News. 13 April 1999. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  11. ^
    ISBN 9781905641338
    . Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  12. ^ Adams, Tim (10 April 2005). "This green and pleasant land". The Observer. London. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  13. ISBN 9780141927800
    . Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  14. ISBN 9780521777360
    . Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  15. ^ Buck, Tobias (15 June 2016). "Middle England drives Brexit revolution". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  16. ^ Milne, Kirsty (15 March 2005). "Rise of the press-protest axis". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  17. ISBN 9781317060826
    . Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  18. ^ Moran 2005 p. 237
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