What Everyone Knows About Britain*

by Michael Peel

How do you see Britain? That might depend on your point of view, and as long time British foreign correspondent, Michael Peel has come to understand, it can look very different from outside. It's tempting to think of the UK as a fundamentally stable and successful nation. But events of the past few years, from Brexit to exposés of imperial history, have begun to spark fierce public debates about whether that is true. Is Britain, just a marginal northern European island nation, marked by injustices, corruption and with a bloody history of slavery, repression and looting? And yet UK politics, media, and public opinion live constantly in the shadow of old myths, Second World War era nostalgia, and a belief in supposedly core British values of tolerance, decency and fair play. British politicians regularly exploit a damaging complacency that holds that everything will turn out okay, because, in Britain, it always does. In WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT BRITAIN, Michael Peel digs into the national consciousness with the perspective of distance to pull apart the ways in which we British have become unmoored from crucial truths about ourselves. He shows us that from many perspectives we are no different from other countries whose own national delusions have seen them succumb to abuses of power, increased poverty and divisive conflict. The battle over Britain's narrative is the struggle for its future and its place in the world. So, how do we escape the trick mirror - and see ourselves as we really are?

Genres: Nonfiction, British Literature

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2024

Reviews

[Alexandros Potapidis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The central message of the book evolves around the idea that Britain is on a declining trajectory and that a fundamental overhaul of "business as usual" norms is required to put the country on the right path. The alternative can be explosive and result in the British version of "Arab Spring". Early signs of dissatisfaction with the existing political elite are visible on Politico's intention of vote poll that shows Reform UK leading the race with 30% of vote preference, followed by Labour Party with 23%, and an ailing Conservative Party at 18%, just 4% above Liberal Democrats.

So what exactly is broken? Michael Peel has been the Financial Times correspondent in six countries for the past 20 years and offers some outsider insights in how Britain follows a declining path. First and foremost he situtates the problem in the political elite. Incompetent and out of touch with reality governance on the highest level has damaged Britain's ability to profit from the right policies. These political and media elites have directed the political conversation toward confrontational and unhealthy conversations that spill in the social sphere. Brexit was the low point of such an attitude where all creative political forces were consumed by the fight of remain versus leave, neglecting other important issues.

There is a general perception that the country is going through a rough patch. Political incompetence, Brexit, corrupt practices in the procurement sector during Covid years, high inflation, economic stagnation, along with housing, infrastructure, and healthcare debacles, and now a Trumpian world with its subsequent unpredictability such as high tariffs. The author admits that many of these problems are not uniquely limited to Britain. The world is adjusting to economic and societal disruptions, ranging from the impact of Gaza and Ukraine wars to culture wars that have upended the traditional divide between right and left politics and created new social divisions.

But Britain has some unique historical and endemic realities it has to come to terms with. It isn't only the aftermath of Brexit or the shortcomings of an out-of-date parlimentarian system, but also the country's monarchy and Britain's post-colonial wider role in the world. Peel contends that beyond the arguments for or against the sustainability of monarchy, "its special financial status and privileged protocols feel increasingly uncomfortable in a modern society" that sees many citizens struggling to make ends meet. Especially the material excesses during the coronation of King Charles were a magnifying reminder of the divisions between the rich and the poor in a very open sphere. This is notwithstanding the fact that the royals are receiving preferential tax benefits, secretly lobby politicians, and avoid public scrutiny about their acquired wealth. Peel hints that it is only a matter of time before the changes required to put the country on the right track will further the future of monarchy in question.

He is also adamant about political elites' rotten practices of rewarding their friends and financiers. In countries where democratic norms are questionable it is not uncommon for political elites to reward members of their families with public contracts or positions of power. In Britain this nepotistic but also democratic version evolves around friends of politicians and is institutionalised in the form of hereditary and life peers in the House of Lords. Having unelected parliamentary officials runs against the very nature of democracy. This is highly ironic considering the deeply polarised environment of Brexit campaign where the Leave argument positioned itself against the unelected bureaucratic structures of Brussels.

There is dissonance between reality and public beliefs. On the one hand public opinions about issues such as migration and crime are distorted, on the other hand the political and media elites do not represent what the general population thinks and where its concerns and priorities lie. Nevertheless, there is much more of what unites the country despite the prevalent polirising attitudes. Overall Britain is losing its prominent place in the world, not so much because of its own decline, but because other countries and regions are claiming bigger slices of the pie.

[Ian Grozdanovic-Whittle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of what is in the book I had read or knew before. There was some new material. The target audience should be the people that will never read this sort of book. They are so sure Britain is great, why would they?

[Mark Allinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I broadly agree with the thrust and conclusions of this book, but I didn’t find the argumentation particularly compelling. Yes, the monarchy raises a lot of questions, but I don’t think they’re a particular priority in addressing the UK’s problems. Nor do I find the comparison with the Thai monarchy - or any of the other comparisons with the south East Asian issues about which the author has particular expertise - especially illuminating in a discussion of the UK’s weaknesses. The author promises at the outset not simply to say ‘I told you so’ about Brexit, but inevitably does just that, so that there’s not much new here in the diagnosis of recent British woes. Nor am I particularly convinced that there was some better run Britain just out of sight more than thirty or forty years ago - or that Britain is particularly unusual in it’s inability to find a clear way forward. To suggest this seems to presume just the sort of British exceptionalism that the book generally argues against.

The danger of a book like this to appear outdated is very apparent: the bulk of the work was clearly undertaken in 2023, and while there is recognition of the Labour government elected in 2024, most of the text does not reflect this, or the implications of the rise of Reform.

Even so, much of interest here - mainly about other parts of the world. Even if the ultimate answer looks right, the route to it needed a bit more work in my view.

[Fatguyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

In What everyone knows about Britain, except the British, Michael Peel explores Britain but from more of an outside perspective. He delves into the deepest reaches of the British psyche in an attempt to discover why, as British people, we tend to shy away from the real truths about ourselves and Britain's past.

For me, it's certainly true that us British people tend to avoid these types of discussions. It can be difficult to face up to some of Britain's dark past. It seems there are many people who are just blind to the corruption and greed that has lead to so much injustice poverty here in Britain.

So in this book, we read about how we could change, move forward and see our true selves.

I found this to be an informative read with facts to back up what the author discusses. It's easy to read by most people I think and I read this in two sittings

4 stars from me,

[Peter Gibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing & not as described in the title.
Contains the views of the author and a small number of people who he has spoken to - not exactly "everyone".
My hope was for some insight into what people outside the UK thought about Britain, but I was disappointed.
The irony is that I agree with some of the views.
There are better books to read to get a more international perspective of the UK.

[Mr. S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s exactly what the title says

For people that also read foreign newspapers, the content of this book should not be a surprise at all, as most of its material is already common knowledge. It’s a good “check-list”.

[FlyingBulgarian Svetli H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

insights were somewhat lacking, but overall enjoyable as a Tube-read on my commute to and from the office. Author was adamant at explaining he'd lived abroad (and where abroad) rather than showing this with his writing which also put me off.

[Rosemarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended, easy to read and informative look at Britain and its place in the world today.

[Jennie Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the premise of the book had great promise, and the content was well-organized, it was not written in a compelling way, and I struggled to complete it.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many parallels with what the US is facing; however, the book seems to lack purpose.

[Christine Rodger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up. Just a guys rambling opinions about politics and braging about all the places he has traveled.

[Jonathan Ashby · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting if pretty depressing read about the current state of Britian 😪🇬🇧