The English Democrats

[emmie]

did anyone see their party political broadcast on tv last evening, interesting to say the least, they are English not British, and most definitely not European, fun watching, not sure i would give them a vote though

http://www.englishdemocrats.org.uk/

[pixie373]

How can British be an abbreviation of the UK?

[Zeuhl]

emmie

I suspect if you had /Donald Trumps billions, or even a small share/ you would be able to find yourself a very nice pad in one of the many nice parts of what is still one of the greatest and most beautiful cities in the World.

[emmie]

Zeuhl,
British applies to the people not the country

[Zeuhl]

It is an abbreviation of

/United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland/

The clue is that the word Britain is a component of the longer version

The word England isn't

[Kromovaracun]

"Could you please explain why, since there isn't such a country as 'Britain'? "

Sorry AOG I didn't actually see your question until now.

Well, I was born in England - but my family is Welsh on my father's side and Irish on my mother's (although she was born in London). So while I could call myself English, it wouldn't feel very complete to me.

I suppose to be more precise, I identify more particularly as citizen of the United Kingdom, but there isn't really a word for that, and I find "British" pretty much substitutes for it.

[Zeuhl]

/British applies to the people not the country /

Yes indeed

it applies to the people and component parts of the country of Britain

which is the abbreviated form of the country named on our passports - not England as you rightly pointed out

[pixie373]

Zeuhl, it doesn't even cover the same countries. British doesn't include Northern Ireland

[jno]

British (ˈbrɪtɪʃ)

—adj
1. relating to, denoting, or characteristic of Britain or any of the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of the United Kingdom

[Zeuhl]

/British doesn't include Northern Ireland/

Indeed

except that the Unionists are the Northern Irish people who consider themselves 'British' and want want that part of Ireland to remain part of 'Britain'

Brits not 'Ukkers' (???)

[emmie]

no i wouldn't, i was down and around Walthamstow market earlier, don't ask, and believe me wander at your leisure, then find someone who gives an approximation of English, British, perhaps a few hardy souls, then Afro Caribbean, Africans, Chinese, Asians, and anyone in the middle, the area is not alone in its huge ethnic mix up, and getting more so. Unless you live in a penthouse and don't come down from your ivory tower you wouldn't know what its like. and i have no plans on living in a glass penile structure like the shard, ta ever so.

[emmie]

that would be Britain, not British,
my passport doesn't say British on the front
it says as already mentioned

United Kingdom of Great Britain, and Northern Ireland
of course there will be hell to pay when the great salmond breaks up the union with his Scottish Independence, or perhaps that's no bad thing, as long as he has very deep pockets, as he can't expect the rest of us to damn well bail him out

[pixie373]

Sorry zeuhl. Jno is right. The definitions I've found do use British to include Northern Ireland- although seems illogical to me!

[Zeuhl]

LOL emmie

I can't see Trump living in Walthmstow

I still have friends with houses in my old stomping grounds and they still seem very nice;

Chelsea? South Ken? Hampstead? Holland Park?

You wouldn't say no to a nice 5 bedroom with gardens and off street parking would you?

[emmie]

we already have the delights of
Asian British,
White British,
Black British,
and so forth, at least on the forms you are asked to fill in from almost any government department,

once upon a time the peoples of these Islands called themselves
Irish, Welsh, Scots, English, many though not all classified themselves also as British. not any more it would seem

[pixie373]

What price?

[Zeuhl]

I know pixie

/although seems illogical to me! /

that is the problem with 'English' as a definition

Many of us are born within the boundaries of England -

and therefore 'English'

but it doesn't express the complexity of our own personal heritage or the shared experience of our combined countries

[Zeuhl]

... cheap at half the price LOL

and an excellent investment ....

[emmie]

zeuhl, i find it absurd to contemplate the idea of paying 5 million for a semi swanky pad in Kensington, or maybe high end Hampstead, many of the lower end of the scale areas are also now quite pricey.

with that money you could buy yourself a nice château in France, or better still a Tuscan villa and have some sun along with your favourite tipple.

[pixie373]

No, probably not. I'm Bucks-ish.

[pixie373]

Are you selling it zeuhl? Lol. I wouldn't live in London if you PAID me £5 million.