Tony Blair says he is a socialist. William Hague says he is a Thatcherite leader of the Tory party. The Lords Saatchi and Palumbo say that British contemporary art is new and exciting. Margaret Thatcher is said to have brought down the Berlin wall. Salman Rushdie believes that pop music had more to do with bringing down the wall.
Critics say that English novels, art and films are flourishing as never before.
Scots say that Scotland is undergoing a cultural efflorescence. Which is logical since, as of last week, Scotland remains in the United Kingdom, and everyone says the British are enjoying a renaissance in the arts. What these claims have in common is that none of them is true. Everyone in Britain appears to be playing some kind of game, and our culture of pretence is not confined to right or left. The British Party of National Make-believe is open to all comers.