New Motto for Britain

LONDON (Reuters) - A motto for modern Britain in five words or fewer? How about "In America we trust" or "At least we're not French", or "Land of yobs and morons".

As Prime Minister Gordon Brown seeks to capture the public's imagination with a search for a national motto, cynicism and subversion are emerging as the most prominent national characteristics.

Readers of The Times have posted hundreds of suggestions on an Internet blog asking for a motto to sum up modern Britain.

For some, it is an opportunity to express pride and confidence:
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Some are wary of any sign of nationalism, warning: "Pride comes before a fall".

And others have grabbed the chance to have a dig at Brown and the Labour government.

"Taxation without Representation is Tyranny" is one of the more political suggestions, along with "Created by heroes, destroyed by Labour" or "Our government no longer listens".
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"Drinking continues until morale improves" says one. "Our glass is half empty", says another.

The sentiments expressed in the suggestion of "Fat, rude arrogant, racist, selfish" are put into a more modern socio-political setting with: "Dipso fatso bingo asbo Tesco".

One contributor says Britain's motto should be: "Sorry, it's all our fault", another suggests "We apologise for the inconvenience".

One reader suggests Britain should be summed up with the words: "No balls, nerve or glory".

If I were British I'd have a hard time trying to convince the world we're not just a bunch of nancys, especially with a Prime Minister who's name is Gordon.

A name like Gordon is more suited to someone who is a florist, or an accountant or maybe a bus driver!!

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - More Australian voters would like to see Labor Opposition leader Kevin Rudd naked than their current prime minister, John Howard, a poll showed on Sunday just two weeks out from a hard-fought general election.

The question was posed in a Galaxy poll of 1,200 voters and published in Zoo magazine, the Australian Associated Press reported.

The survey found 34 percent of respondents wanted to see Rudd, 50, with his gear off, more than double the 16 percent who said the same thing about Howard, 68.

Even Howard's usually strong following among the over 50s slipped, with the poll showing just 16 percent wanted to see him naked compared with 27 percent for Rudd.

"No one wants a prime minister who doesn't look good naked," Zoo editor Paul Merrill was quoted as saying.
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