Britishness in five little words

I want Comment Central to be at the cutting edge of participatory democracy. That's what the interweb is all about, according to someone in the office who has been on a course.

Following Matthew Parris's column this morning, please join in with the Prime Minister and other TV celebrities in an exciting new consultation launched by Gordon Brown and his friends.

And don't take this lightly. The consultation is the product of almost a decade of intense thought about the contents of a post-Blair agenda.

Help identify a new national motto!

Here's how the winning entry will be chosen:

Insiders said the motto will be chosen by a "citizens' summit" of 1,000 people for it to be "truly representative" of Britishness rather than be imposed by ministers or dreamt up by a team of highly-paid consultants.

Members of the public will be asked to come up with five or six-word slogans, perhaps based around ideas of fair play or national pride.

Sources described the plan as a "once in a lifetime chance" to capture Britishness in a few words.

I've thought of a two word reply. I'm working on the other three or four words.

I look forward to your contributions.

UPDATE: What was America's first national motto?

UPDATE: Top ten Aussie mottos

UPDATE: Vote for your favourite national motto

Comments

[Andy]

How about
"Britishness cannot be captured in..."

[Richard, Wales]

"embracing the tawdry and second-rate"

[Chris C]

Is "E pluribus unum" taken?

What about "Magnus frater spectat te"?

[William]

West Lothian Was My Undoing.

[Mike Giggler]

"Chicken tikka masala, chips and rice"

Right there you have multi-culturalism, the need to enjoy life, the importance of the service economy and a nod to our expanding waist-lines.

[Richard]

"We shall not cease"

[Baskerville]

"Yeah, but no, but, yeah."
"No, please, after you, honestly."
"That's really most awfully kind."
"You're having a laugh, mate."
"Pride comes before a fall."
"God Save Our Gracious Queen."

[Tom]

"We strive for valliant defeat"

[Pete]

"Let's discuss it down the pub."

[PK]

Pride, passion, history, monarchy & exploration

[Tim Brookshaw]

"past my sell by date"

After living in the US for 20 years we went back to the UK the year Blair was elected (personal reasons - not due to Blair). What a mistake - after 6 years we couldn't wait to get out and come back to the USA. Big Brother, Nanny State, sky high taxes, and people's answer to everything from city salaries to the weather was "the government should do something".

OK, so here in the States we have Dubya and not everything is rosey, but the England I knew and grew up in is long gone and I neither like nor belong in what has replaced it.

I wish the UK all the best, but high taxes and high government spending don't create wealth or improve living standards.

[Philip Wright]

Perhaps we should all adopt the Broon's motto - "I know that I am right"!

[Joe K]

A few too many words, but "Kept in the dark & fed on $#1t"?

Or, if you want Latin,

"Ex scolae, morionis"

[Douglas Ellison]

Oggy Oggy Oggy: Oi Oi

[Derek Storey]

Christianity, cricket, warm beer, rejection of state controls, English language

[Rick]

Your nation, ruined by Labour

[Matthew Bailey]

"We apologise for the inconvenience"

[Ian]

Our glass is half empty.

[Archimedes]

Either

'We're British - we don't do mottos'

or

'My word is [still*]my bond'

*except for Labour Party manifestos

[Lilly]

"National mottos are for wimps".

Probably sounds better in Latin.

[Mohammed]

"Football is coming home..."

[Chris Gillibrand]

Now New Labour with its idea that the past counted for nothing is now history, how about.

Ave Britannia! Vivat, Crescat, Floreat!

Hail Great Britain, live, develop and flower.

It has the advantage that those of the left can take it in one sense and those on the right in a slightly different one. A bit like liberty, fraternity and equality of the French revolution. The fact that I render it in Latin first gives a clue from which side of the political spectrum that I am approaching the problem.

[Home Rule for England]

England must leave the Union.

[david lovibond]

Britain and none other, always

[ibbo]

Britain is dead long live England!

[Brian Clacey]

Mind your own bloody business!

[Charles]

"Surrender? Not bloody likely!" - a sergeant, Gandamak 1842

[aDM]

"Tim Brookshaw was here"

"Keep Tim Brookshaw types out of UK"

"Ex Home of Meldrews, hurrah!"

"Britain is better without Tim"

[Simon]

"Britain; Live wrong and prosper!"

[Simon Lewis]

Some chicken. Some neck!
Keep a stiff upper lip. (Anyone got the Latin for this one?)
Wallowing in a post-colonial miasma.
This is not my England.
Full service will soon resume.

[nozza]

britain will always be england.

The other countries are always neglected when England has smething to celebrate. They then want us Scots to celebrate with them. Aye right

[rm]

It's all in the letter 'i':

Illusive, intellectual, inventive, ignominious, indomitable and isolated. Oh sorry, that was Britain only seventy years ago.

How about:

Ingratiating, ignorant, irrelevant, insipid and immigrated, ill-governed and maybe: irrecoverable.

Brown: immature, inflexible, impish, illogical, illiberal and this last one, from the thesaurus: incongruous. A fantastic word which actually is a complete definition of Brown:

http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/incongruous

Adjective overload!

[Guessedworker]

I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK

[Emma]

How about: Enigmatic, Erudite, Elusive, Eccentric, Elucidatory.
:)

[Bill Turner]

"Well we screwed this up"

[Jim]

"THIS was their finest hour!"

[John Bard]

I agree with Tim Brookshaw.
Having lived in the USA for a couple of years, I think that despite the many, many problems (and George Bush) that exist in America, it is still a far more pleasant place to live than the over-run, chaotic slum that Britain has become. And as for ADM who slagged off Tim's comments - when you're up to your neck in shit you really shouldn't criticise people with a better perspective than yours.

As for the motto - and trying to be positive - how about...
"Great Britain - Past, Present and Future!"

[Gadgie]

britain is expensive for England

[jay]

No balls,nerve or glory.

[Eileen]

Great people, Great country, Great Britain.

[mark day]

Fat,Rude,Arrogant,Racist,Sefish

[Maggie Millington]

Land & sea
we'll stay free !!

OR

Freedom for all !

[Linda]

Big Brother Is Watching You.....

[Garry Young]

Anti-English state ruling England as a colony.

[David Hoare]

Hey! We made this Game!

[Geoff Miller]

Decent, inventive, civilised native British

[Norman]

Arrogant, ignorant, greedy, selfish and dull.

PS - and I'm British

[brian]

Democracry for all, except England.

[Laurence Eyton]

My country, right or wrong!

[mark joint]

sorry, is this the queue?

[TxB]

"Liberty and justice for all."

oh, wait...already taken.

[Rob]

I respect who you are

[rob]

Oggie,oggie,oi,oi,oi!

[Sarah Phillips]

"Every man has two countries..."

Thomas Jefferson: (cont, "...his own and France."

[Jonathan Selby]

Growth through commerce, cohesion through humour

[Michael James]

simply

"England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland"

[KH, USA]

How about "At least we're not American".

[Freddie]

Drinking continues till morale improves

[Jake]

Land of yobs and morons

[Martyn Webber]

"Did you spill my pint?"

[steve]

no country mine, no more.

[Andy]

Yer've got to larf, aintcha?

[Edward]

How about a famous phrases whose initials are F.U.B.A.R.?

[Dominic Brennan]

"the plucky country"
or
England OK,BTC (bugger the celts)

[Jim MacDonald]

Britain no longer exists.

[Roberto Marchi]

Insula, in solis, isolated, island, iceland.

[Andy]

Hanging on in quiet desperation

[Cyril Berkeley]

I know my rights

[M. G. Stevenson]

High taxes,big spending, nanny state, and the concept of 'we must look to the government to do something' have held sway in the U. S. long before Mr. Bush as Meessrs. Brookshaw and Cade (?) suggest. I think it began with FDR.

[Neil]

We didnt win. Never mind.

[Erik Kowal]

"The land of Orwell welcomes you."

"We're just closing. Come back tomorrow."

"We live here so you don't have to."

" 'Ere mate, can you spare a quid?"

"Where gracious living comes to die."

"We love not having constitutional rights. Shouldn't you?"

"Après Blair arrive Scrooge."

"Buy one, get one free! -- Yep, just BOGOF."

"Your humility does us proud."

"It's more than my job's worth."

"Britain: Where being cheap still costs dear."

"Let Britain, like Lazarus, rise again! -- Without all the unseemly poverty, obviously."

[Brendan from Melbourne]

"Did you spill my pint?"

[John Lynn]

Americans who missed the boat

[Gareth]

English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish.

[Paul]

Health and safety, political correctness

[Luke Slayton]

"Taxation without Representation is Tyranny"

[David Cunard]

"In America We Trust"

[ColinB]

Is it because it's unoriginal that no one's yet suggested:
"Nemo me impune lacessit"
which loosely translates as:
"None provokes me unpunished"
but which most Brits articulate as:

"Sorry, that was my fault!"

[Peteran]

"Awfully sorry but I'm British."

[Mad_Tony]

Government thinks it knows best

[D paterson]

United we fall ,Divided we stand!

[Patrick]

How about -"we dont want to be british - love The Scots"

[Peter]

Britisness cannot be summarised.
There you go - that's in four!
Folk have written entire books on the subject and still failed to capture what Britishness is. What would work for the English would probably not do so for the Welsh or Scottish - and why should it.
Why should we waste time trying to copy the concept of the Gettysburg address. That was a speech for a new nation, not for one as established as ours.
Most of us know what it is to British, or Scottish, English,Welsh or Irish more importantly. However, we have been encouraged to feel somewhat ashamed of who and what we are, and indeed what has shaped us, by a do-good, liberal minority who can only view history through contemporary lenses. Now we are afraid to state what it is to be us for fear of offending minority interests.

[Richard Marriott]

Britishness - created by heroes, destroyed by Labour!

[Simon James]

Wet and Windy.

[Drew Murray]

It can ONLY be:
God Save Our Gracious Queen!

[Andy Bowles]

It's only four words, but how about "I hate the French"?

[Andy C]

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

[James]

What it means to change...

[Tom Freeman]

"Promoting ahistorical unity myths since 1066."

[laurence]

"impossible to not be cynical"

[Ros]

The world's dustbin & EU funder

[NPC]

"Please turn off the lights"

[John Marshall]

Britain is great without a motto.

I may have the spelling wrong, but...

"illegitimi non carborundum"

or

"Corruptio optimi pessima"

or

"O tempora, O mores!"

with thanks to /www.latinsayings.info

Maybe even:

"Ours is yours, please take"

[James]

Afraid we already have one.

'Dieu et mon droit'

Case closed.

[Mikey]

'Tolerant, Decent, Xenophobic'

[Alex S]

How about:

"Bear and bulldogs called nelson"

It collaborates our love for alcohol, pets and national historical pride, whilst appealing to the pop culture of the day...evryone has a little bobble head dog on their monitor.

[Chris Bowman]

Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland.

Kind of sums Britain up :-)

[R]

Born here, but not British!

[GAIRKHATA]

I'm sorry, I haven't a clue.....

[Sam]

Drink 'till you drop.

(Command)

[Ellie Major]

Please keep 'Posh' and Becks.

[P Hodge]

'i'm alright Jack'
More than 50 yrs ago this was the REAL brit thing, but now its true in a very different way
Me, Me,Self Self, Holidays, Fast Food,Drink,Fat Brits Dont bother with Friends,ME ME
i'm all right jack is back

[Guy]

"Open for Business As Usual."

It has unflappability, a commercial spirit, a nod to history, and a certain level of defiance to any obstacle.

[Alex S]

that was beer, not bear!

[andrew]

A Country so brave and true

[Tom]

we is ripped off innit!

[ken]

British and proud of it

[Frank Upton]

What worries you, masters you.

(John Locke)

[ailean]

england, scotland, wales, northern ireland

Get Us Out Of Here.

[Rogan Dwyer]

"Britain - where freedom reigns". What is wrong with you people and why are you complaining? We have the luxury of being a complacent democracy who seem to take our liberties for granted. It appears that we show our best nature in adversity but take a look around and appreciate what we have without the threats from other nations/cultures. I like Guy's post too.

[Hilary]

Britain, a terribly nice place

[dave]

"this country is a JOKE"

[josh]

happy to help . . .oneself.

Bleeding hearts, breeding tarts.

me, myself and aiiiight!

inbred and in the red.

the people's police state.

Robbin' hoodie and Jade Goody.

Plucky escapologist turned apologist.

The back door is open.

C. C. T. V.

Tracksuit dapper happy slapper.

wasted on chavs and Slavs.

Still waters. Still laughing . . . just.

What you lookin at?

[Brian Naylor]

Who took the Great?
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
Where government is always right.
Bring us your poor...

Twll Tin Pob Sais

[Oscar]

"continuing to fail in good spirits"

or just:

"failing; but in good spirits"

'reworded' from Robert Louise Stephenson

[Ravenwoman]

It's simply not cricket.

[Jack in the box]

"England´s gone to the dogs!"

[Dave Mills]

The chavs are in charge

[Sig]

At least we're not French.

[Mr Haines]

To all those Whingers and doom mongers.... why don't you do us all a favour and emigrate to France or Spain creating your own 'liitle Britain' of 50 years ago to which you aspire and of which probably didn't exisit in the first place, and leave the nation to those who recognise the difficiencies but love our country nonetheless! - The Irony is you are making me whinge!! Britain's Dad, Immigration, ASBO's, Yadda Yadda Yadda! Bore off!

[Dave Mills]

Have a cup of tea

[Dave Mills]

One nation under the thumb

[James Turner]

"Better than the other lot"

[Rich]

Welcome to the new Mecca

[Ken Hall]

I would like to add one that is patriotic, proud and inspiring, but after 10 years of new labour misrule, I can only add:

Up sh*t creek without Paddle!

[ACH]

One step above the Brits.

[Ken Hall]

" "Liberty and justice for all."

oh, wait...already taken.

Posted by: TxB "

Never mind, it's not like the Americans are using it anymore, like their constitution and bill of rights, we may as well have them too.

[michael]

political correctness will end us

i think that about sums it up?

[Brian]

"War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength."

[CG]

"Guns for criminals not Christmas."

[CG]

"10 mile journey; license gone."

[Mark Synge]

Care, responsibility and fun.

[Gus]

The Yobbos stole my freedoms

[Angus]

"Swirling round the plug hole"

[KipEsquire]

Great once, and great again.

[Cameron Ells]

Freedom's friend.

or

Freedom's friend - Law for all.

[Alex]

how about:

our government nolonger listens

Democracy with only one party

invade or immigrate here.

"Occupied"

Live here become a drone

[Cerium Tiger]

Welcome to Monty Python's 1984

[Simon]

Stuff mottos - we're British!
(I keep thinking there must be a better first word.)

[AP]

"Laugh in the face of adversity"

or

"Always look on the bright side of life" - inspired by the article of the same name in today's Times.

Actually, now I come to think of it, Monty Python is definitely the place to look. How about:
"I fart in your general direction"

[Tom]

"Insiders said the motto will be chosen by a "citizens' summit" of 1,000 people for it to be "truly representative" of Britishness rather than be imposed by ministers or dreamt up by a team of highly-paid consultants"

Who said the aforementioned members of a "citizen summit" actually want, need or really give a stuff about about a "national motto".

[Darren]

Pink Floyd got it right:
"Hanging on in quiet desperation"

Other candidates:
"Got any spare change guv?"
"hand over your wallet, or else."
"Did you spill my pint?"
"Once upon a time: GREAT Britain!"

[Tony]

Could be worse

[Harry Feltersnatch]

At least we're not France!

[Mike Richards]

Britain : it sucks a bit

[JHarris]

Once mighty empire, slightly used.

[Disco]

Smog and aggressive, violent drivers?

[Dave Proctor]

"Sorry, it's all our fault"

"Britain - taken for a ride"

[jmsq]

U.K.We Band of Brothers.

[Raf]

"Dentistry is not our forte"

"Third World nation, First World prices"

"This is all so dreary"

"Stop making a fuss, you twit"

"Five quid a beer? Blimey!"

[Mohammed]

I've thought of the best one..this has to win! :-)

"The land of milk and honey"

[BENJ]

"Freedom, Tolerant, Fair-minded & True"
"av' a nice cuppa tea"
"Dieu et mon gauche"
"Greatness was invented here"
"Oooh, not too bad thanks"
"The Greatest nation on earth"
"For training and security purposes"
"Our Ceasesless Quest"
"Not Invented Here"
"Vale Valiance, Vale Valium"
"This ceaseless quest"
"NOT Germany, France, Russia nor America"
"Floreat Britannia"
"Work makes you free"
"Your mottos may be monitored"
"Gordon Brown, George Bush, Great Britain"
"Our Bulldog spirit"
"Out! Damned spot"
"The Unlucky country"
"Humour, Passion, Questing spirit, Tolerant"
"Have fun"

[Volochine]

Seems an unbritish approach but if you really need one I suggest:
"The beginning of the end"

[JCL]

Dipso, Fatso, Bingo, Asbo, Tesco

[Fred]

"Still needs a violent revolution"

or

"Thatcher won, run away fast"

[Steve]

How about: "Bog off Gordon et al."?

[Bob from Indiana]

How about: Move along citizen...

[Joshik]

SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM, SPAM!

[Cameron Ells]

Where Freedom Reigns - Justice Rules

[Warren]

What's wrong with 7p tips?
At least we're not French.
At least we're not Americans.
It's not charming, it's decrepit.
Cradle of game shows.
Lousy football fans, worse teams.
Screwing each other since 1066.

And, finally from this Yank after reading so many of the above:

We'd whinge in Eden, too.

[Eduardo Molinillo]

Eric Blair captured the essence way back in 1948: "Ignorance Is Strength"

[zahid]

what about

britain,britain get drunk go home beat up wife get drunk no money claim benefits blame immigrants

[Mike from Michigan USA]

Britian Forward!

[DickW]

World's largest industrial heritage park.

[John George]

Where's the benefit's office?

[Michael Scott]

"An Fhírinne in aghaidh an tSaoil!"

Historical note: The United States of America came within an eyelash of actually using Brian Clacey's motto: "Mind your own bloody business!". Benjamin Franklin seriously proposed that the motto for the USA should be, "Mind your business." Ach! If only we had listened!

[MP]

Police state but no law

[D R Roberts]

No Retreat!, No Surrender!, EVER!...

There'll Always Be An England!

Lions Roar, The EU Croaks!

Be excellent to each other.

Sex, Drink, Death and Taxes.

Lookout for Anti-brainwashing Brainwashing.

You Are What You Perceive.

Everything Suffers All The Time.

Welcome To The Western Sector.

[phil]

"this motto may be recorded..."
"teasets, etc"
"here stood once a paragon"

[David in New York]

Bingo wings and other things

[Harry Johnson]

At least we're not France

[Lance Mayhew]

At least we aren't Americans!

[Jack]

Like Europe, but in English

[Jack]

It's pronounced pasty, like nasty

[Rupert]

Being British meant something once
or
Social order will be maintained
or
We British don't like mottos
or
Condescension and exploitation since 1066

[Tim Stephens]

We're all moving to France.

[John Gregory Flinn]

Britain, that other EU, English-Union.

Britain - colonists rule OK.

Britain, the end is nigh!

[Harald Kasper]

"Silly Twits Who Worship Queens"

[Rupert Spice]

Englands green and pleasant lands.

Englands green and unpleasant Lands.

Stand in a line please.

Morning, lovely day isn't it.

Whats the Polish for Tea?

[Dex Torricke-Barton]

For honour and for freedom

[Paul from New Jersey]

You are taking the piss.

[James phillips]

Britain - a place to emigrate from

[Oliver Twist]

Enoch Powell, all is forgiven.
No sex please, were British.
Britain now the 51st State.

[Gerard]

Drink as much as possible

[Born Again Savage]

Be free and be fair

[Jake]

Will that be good enough?

[sometwit]

ALLAH AHKBAR

[Kevin Coyle]

Bud bud ding ding £2.99

[Gareth]

We're safe because they're watching.

Who ever needed freedom, anyway?

A camera on every corner.

[John W]

How about:

By Blood, Parlance, Loyalty (&) Fidelity,

[Harald Kasper]

Britian - America's Sychophantic Partner

[Harald Kasper]

Is Princess Di still dead?

[Jeremy]

"Mind the Gap"

or

Great Britain 2, Germany 0

or

Thank you for not smoking!

[Drew]

Divided we stand, united we fall

[Marc]

WISE: Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England

[VANCE]

Not minding its own business

[MOGGEE]

Where the Girls "Put Out"

[Jerry Fine]

In the wake of the 7/7 trials, England's motto can only be:

"Allah is Great! Accept it"

[Elizabeth]

"Nice while it lasted"

"Land of the, ... everyone really"

"Britain, Great people, feeble government",

"Thank you and goodnight"

[Elizabeth]

Since this government is so smitten with doing everything the US asks, would not an appropriate motto/hommage be;

"E unum, pluribus"

[Elizabeth]

I forgot the obvious!

"Cool Brittania, yeah, right, whatever ..."

[john sheppard]

STUFFED BY LABOUR

Not sure what the Latin would be

[Al Read]

"I won't take my coat off, I'm not stopping"

[Dominic Stockford]

God, Queen & Saint George.

[Jez W]

I want to move abroad.

[andrew]

this space intentionally left blank

[Justin Healey]

Great Britain our hearts conviction

[Jane]

"Smile, you're on camera."
"Can't be bothered."
"We don't like garish colours."
"Yeah, lovely, innit?"
"God shave the Queen"
"Firmly sitting on the fence"

[Paolo Bagarino]

"Let a thousand Chlamydias bloom"

"Don't frighten the horses"

"Over-priced, over-weight, over-crowded... over."

[Al Read]

"I won't take my coat off, I'm not stopping"

[rationalexpression]

Nationalism is stupid. Er, Britain!

or,

Our country is better than your country.

[Nick Byrne]

This seems very appropriate.

"Where most people can't count."

Bond. James Bond.

[Blake Ross]

1. Once Great: Britain

2. Britain - More than 1000 years old and *still* not as swishy as the French.

3. Come for the Weather, Stay for the Dentistry(and the cooking).

[englishman]

God is an English Man

[jeremy]

seriously complacent, doggedly liberal, decidedly vague

[Mike S]

I am not a EUropean.

[John]

Free then socialist now Islamic!

Note: Don't protect your culture, don't discriminate... let them ALL in and just become nothing.

[Nick Mann]

Mon, the weather here sucks.

[Nick Mann]

Move along, nothing to see here.

[Corey]

Britain:

It could've been really great.

or

What's up with the royalty?

[Jack]

Mother should I trust the government?

[tim]

Anglophile American chiming in:

The Future is Unwritten (Joe Strummer)
or:
Oportet non criminor!

basically, "Mustn't Grumble!"

"Less stuffy than we sound"

[Bob]

"Glad I live in America" And how sad is that?

[Stu]

Shoe shop on every corner

[Stu]

Thank you, may I have another?

[Neil]

Britons are WISE
(Welsh, Irish, Scottish, English)

[Rowan]

Squeeness in Potter and Who

[Gwynn Jones]

England uber alles.

[Tony Pritchard]

Britain, run by incompetent politicians.

[garth]

At least we're not American

[Jason]

Once great empire, now crap.

[Doug George]

Wanting to be British says I'm a foreigner

[laurence]

to all the people proposing
"At least we're not France"
how about
"We wish we were France"

[Hiram]

British..but ashamed of it.

Proud to be the world's dumping ground.

Welcome to Pakistan North.

[Nick, Fareham]

Fancy a cup of tea?

[paul chandler]

overpriced,poorservice,bad weather,overcrowded and only allowed an opinion as long as it is P.C.

civil servants who frankly if they worked for any other buisness would have been unemployed a long time ago.

The poor man of Europe !!!!!!!!!!!! 5 words

[Steve]

All the best have left

All your doctors are foreign

You all want Australian citizenship

[Pat]

Hi all,Welcome to Benefitland.
or,Welcome to the home of PC.

[ernie pryor]

Dummies R us.

[Ian Kemmish]

I was going to suggest

- It's how you play the game

but having scanned this list I'd like to also cast a vote for

- We're British - we don't do mottos

As for real mottos, my favourite is Rhodes' (I think) "Remember that you are British, and have consequently already won first prize in the lottery of life." This is ambiguous enough to capture both the best and the worst of us....

[chasg]

Have I offended you?

My other car's a Porche

My other motto's an icon

Are we there yet?

Turned out nice again

Do we take sugar?

[Eugene]

Our past is our future.

[Matt Frazer]

Always hate all other cultures.

[ethel cardew]

It's hot down here

[George]

Stubborn to the point of greatness

Evolving and Involving, Remembering and Planning

Ancient but Modern, Natural but built by hand.

[Miland Joshi]

Fairness for all.

But we could also have:

Ne illegitimi te carborundorum.
God bless America, God help us.
No ID cards.
Personal integrity expected of politicians.

[Rory]

All people do is moan.

[Stephen Hopkinson]

"Mostly sunny, patches of rain."

[Michael Fagan]

Auld Lizzy gave me herpes!

[Cirep G Nol]

Avoid offending anyone until drunk

This because I think as a nation we tend not to say what we really think for fear of offending and so bottle things up, then when a bit drunk it can all come out in an unfortunate, horrible, ugly and incoherent rant - I'm not speaking about myself of course, just generally.

[David S]

Never underestimate the British ability to win sooner or later

[tamara]

Ruined Britain not Great Britain.

[Frances Truscott]

Courage,Reason,Humanity,Democracy,Monarchy

[Mike Jones]

This countrys down the drain

[tamara]

Ruined Britain not Great Britain.

[charbob]

Land of Hope and Glory

[ptw]

Britishness: no way!

[conor]

A Nation once again,
A Nation once again,
And lreland, long a province, be
A Nation once again!

And from that time, through wildest woe,
That hope has shone a far light,
Nor could love's brightest summer glow
Outshine that solemn starlight;
It seemed to watch above my head
In forum, field and fane,
Its angel voice sang round my bed,
A Nation once again!

[Carlisle Mack]

"Run along and play nicely!"

[David Masu]

Lessons will be learned.

[Josephine Leigh]

Civil war now - or die!

[Anthony]

Someone get me outta here!

[Dave]

nil illegitemi carborundum

papieren bitte

[Edmund Burke]

Painting your face isn't done.

[Mike]

"Dude, I lost my Country"

[dev rios]

"too bad we're not american"

[Dave R]

going down with Brown..

[jim]

"What's all this then?"

"Where Bob IS your uncle."

"Keep Buggering On"

... greetings from NEW England.

[Godfrey]

James is absolutely right, again.

[Michael]

A Nation Of Suckers

[Disillusioned]

Lessons have not been learnt!

[Bob]

Lets get pissed and have a fight.

[Michael Povey]

Hypocrisy at all costs

[Voland]

"Bluster and do Bugger All"

[Adam]

In Arcady life trips along

[Terry Nicholas]

Ditto " Mind your own bloody business "

[Mark Hardman]

How about....
Let's start again on Mars (& not invite the Welsh, Scottish and Irish this time!)

[Pam from JAX]

From one, many. (E unum, pluribus... I think!))

[Justin Clark]

Still Britain, but not Great.

[Jan]

We are all doomed. OR

England is full, try Scotland

[j clark]

boozy boorish, banal, boring, British!

[N Wilson]

How about......

Expulsion of all Muslims

[F Kimbal Johnson]

Who would be anything else?

[paul howell]

"lets all get drunk instead"
"excuse me, sorry, terribly sorry"
"some one should do something"
"I told you not to"
"pardon me, excuse me, sorry"
"not what it once was"
"shame about the weather"
"lets all get drunk instead"
"isn't the countryside lovely"

Having spent a while in the US, I have to agree with other comments, the UK is going down and no one seems to mind...the first thing I noticed when returning to clifton in bristol was a posh student, at 5pm, relieving himself whilst drawing cash from the ATM...whilst the police issued parking tickets 20 yards away...

[H Scott]

Wha daur meddle with me?
Cha togar m'fhearg gun dioladh
(nemo me impune lacessit)

Scotland's national motto (Britishness, whilst we should treasure it, is not a nationality).