We're not anti-English, honest guv!

I recently received an email from James Doherty at the Dept for Children, Schools and Families who categorically denied that the word 'England' had not been airbrushed from the departmental mission statement, as I had suggested.

This is what Mr Doherty told me:

I am afraid that there is little that I can add to my earlier response on this subject. I can only again state that the amendment to which you refer was only made as part of routine editing of the website. There was no intention to airbrush the word "England" from the mission statement.

Whether intentional or not it is a fact that the word 'England' is a dirty word for the Department of Children, Schools and Families. As the CEP blog points out:

The British Treasury has issued a joint press release with the British Department for English Children, English Schools and English Families announcing that English children will be given compulsory lessons on banking and personal finance.

But this being the British government, there is no mention of the word “England” in the press release. The Press Association’s version of the press release does mention the fact that it only applies to England but only the Mirror seems to have used that version of the press release (almost word for word, in fact). The rest of the media have chosen to use the British government’s version with the result that none of them point out that the British government can only interfere with the English education system. Take note the Guardian, the Times, News of the World, the Telegraph and the BBC.

It is absolutely shameful that the British Treasury and the department responsible for Children and Education in England are unable to use the word England. The likes of James Doherty ought to give some consideration to the exact nature of the regime they are serving under, "just obeying orders" is no defence.