A Motto - How very Un-British

The British Government is very un-British. Not a very patriotic thing to say. But listening to the last ten minutes of the Today programme on this Saturday morning made me shout out to the radio - "OH GOD NO!".

Apparently the new Ministry of Justice (not a very British sounding department) is wanting a new motto for Britain. Having worked in the IT industry for 12 years, every so often the company decides it needs a new Vision/Mission statement and my heart just sinks. It's all very well to have something to advertise to the outside world with a simple motto, but to the employees it is just an exercise in money wasting for executives who have more important things to do.

So, the MoJ's idea makes me think that the Government is wanting an exercise in money wasting for ministers who have more important things to do.

It is just so un-British, though, and I don't understand how the Government just don't get it. They seem to think that we need a strap-line to define our values, and every house to have a Union flag outside so that we feel British. Well, I understand our values - fairness, quiet determination, pulling together in adversity, stoicism, self deprecation, humour, cynicism of the establishment. I also feel very British as well as English. The very fact that this Government needs to find a statement to define these makes me think that they don't understand Britishness and so are the least able to define what it is.

So if they want a motto here it is - "Oh God No - Not Another Motto".

Squiffy.