Middle age hasn’t withered Billy Bragg, as MATT CLARK discovers.

POLITICS and music have always been essential bedfellows for Billy Bragg. In the 1980s he was a member of Red Wedge, a left-wing collective of musicians that included Paul Weller and Tom Robinson. And while the Bard of Barking may now own a grand seaside pad in a sleepy Dorset village, he dispels any notion of mellowness in middle age.

“The end of the Soviet Union gives the young generation a chance to articulate compassionate ideas that are not tainted by totalitarianism,” he says. “My generation’s role is to encourage without telling, and without using Marxist rules.

“It’s also about connecting the present generation with those who in the past also fought the good fight.”

The trouble is he believes there’s nothing to choose between the main political parties.

“At least with Margaret Thatcher you knew what she stood for. You can’t expect a young generation who haven’t been through something like the miners strike to just get it.”

So, like his hero Woody Guthrie, he reflects the world as he sees it, while letting others make up their own mind on how to deal with the issues he raises. But since the Berlin Wall came down, he says it’s no longer about old-fashioned political terms.

“People shouldn’t get hijacked by 19th century definitions. It’s hard for people who have grown up in the Marxists tradition because, for them, it’s been like a faith, but you need to step out of that and start afresh.”

Still anti-establishment, he famously refused to pay his taxes earlier this year in a protest against bankers’ bonuses and now he is adamant that English nationalism needs to be addressed squarely. Bragg believes this issue has become a taboo, one people won’t speak of for fear of giving a platform to nationalists.

And despite his famous line, Bragg is still looking for a new England. He wants to see a party of civic nationalism that puts forward the progressive ideas of the Scottish National Party, including such policies as free prescriptions and university fees.

He also says we should reclaim our flag. “It either belongs to all of us, or none of us, just like the rights we inherited from Magna Carta.

“I believe it’s about where you are, not where you’re from. How my kids are going to get along with other kids and I’m not prepared to see them intimidated by some skinhead claiming to own our flag.”

For Bragg, music is still a relevant medium to convey messages, such as those expressed by the Occupy London movement. For him the culture of dissent has always been the key vehicle for fundamental change in society.

“I’m very encouraged by the protests in London. There is a new generation out there who want to change the world. But for them not using drugs and violence is very important. It’s not about destroying things and to me that’s real anarchy.

“During the August riots, the real anarchists were those who cleaned up the following day; it’s all about organising communities.”

Bragg is not without his critics: 30 anonymous letters were sent to fellow villagers this year, demanding they oust him for being a hypocrite by living a celebrity lifestyle despite having strong socialist views.

But he believes cynics like those are the true enemy. “You have to deal with the contradictions and stay true to what you’re saying. If I was born in France and moved here when I was 25, I’d still be French wouldn’t I? My first 25 years were spent in dead-end jobs. I won’t ever forget that.”

Pocktoberfest events

Saturday, 1pm to 10pm

• Day one concentrates on the more traditional element of the beer festival, but with the bonus of various local musicians performing on two stages.

The full line up is: Neo Soul, the evening headliners who plays Motown, soul and disco; The Habitual Drunkards – a mixed bag of folk, country and pop; The Antigua Jazz Band, featuring former members of Pocklington School Jazz Band; Miles Cain, the York-based musician, storyteller and writer; and Tristan Clopet.

To see which ales are on offer visitpocktoberfest.co.uk

Sunday, 2pm to 11pm

Line-up includes Billy Bragg, Seth Lakeman, Hayseed Dixie, Thea Gilmore, 3 daft Monkeys and ahab. A bus shuttle from York station (Memorial Gardens) leaves at 1pm, 3pm 5pm and 7pm, returning at 6pm, 9pm and 11pm.