Claire’s Column – How Proud Are You?

Published on: 9 Jun, 2018
Updated on: 9 Jun, 2018

In this regular column – a must-read for all those interested in Guildford business – Claire Dee highlights how our town has become a victim of its own success with far-reaching consequences.

A poll released has revealed that young people are less proud to be English than older generations.

Conducted by YouGov for the BBC’s The English Question project, 20,081 people were surveyed via a comprehensive questionnaire on identity and belonging. The findings show that 72% of over-65-year-olds are proud to be English while only 45% of 18- to 24-year-olds agreed.

Interesting, but perhaps not surprising.

And the further away from London those surveyed live, the stronger their sense of identity grows. For example, in Westminster just 43% of people are proud to be English compared to 67% in County Durham.

So how does Guildford fare?

Well, 57% of people are proud to be English, 44% believe the best years are in the past, 67% think the local area is getting worse, and only 24% think they can influence local decisions with 71% admitting their influence was small.

Given some of the issues the town’s business community is having to contend with which directly impacts their employees – from a fractured transport infrastructure to pricey property and pot holes – again, I’m not overly surprised by this.

While Guildford is a hugely successful town, it has now become a victim of its own success and is paying the price. And if things don’t change, the above statistics could make even more grim reading in the future.

For the full survey findings visit the BBC News website.

Claire Dee runs her own communications consultancy near Guildford and is an active member of the local business community, including sitting on the Surrey Chambers of Commerce board and co-chairing the Business Women in Surrey group. To learn more visit www.clairedeecommunications.com