Following on from what Michael and Su.Ki have said about Britishness vs Englishness, for many people in Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland, an important part of their identity is the fact that they are not English.

A nice cup of tea. Sense of fair play Being self-deprecating Making humorous understatements. Feeling embarrassed and awkward about everything Not disturbing the status quo Agreeing with all comments concerning the weather, however inaccurate Another cup of tea, perhaps with a biscuit this time.

1. Sense of humour. 2. Beer. 3. Ability to queue. 4. Sense of right & wrong 5. More Beer 6. Working hard 7. ....

You'd have to ask the opinions of Scots, Northern Irish and Welsh people too as they would probably say different things to the English. The British identity as it is perceived abroad is closely related with the social identity of the people of south-east England. Some things not mentioned already is : privacy, trust in public institutions, the rule of law, well-kept gardens, parks and other open spaces.

Michael has also made a key point about trust in public institutions.We believe, on the whole, that we obtain justice from our legal system. We may not always approve of our politicians or the choices they make, but we don't think they are corrupt or untrustworthy. By and large we believe what the BBC tells us. We believe that a British university graduate has gained their degree through merit not through bribery. We have faith in our National Health Service, and would not suspect that a doctor is advising treatment to make money for himself or a drug company. We still have faith, most of the time, that our police will protect us. The British police officer is still seen, by most people, as an essentially helpful figure, and I think it says a lot about British society that the majority of police are unarmed. We have a relatively safe and stable society, and - with exception of a few extreme situations - we expect conflict to be dealt with via reason and law, rather than violence. There is a strong sense of justice and fairness that is intrinsic to Britishness. We believe it goes without saying that the first person who arrives at the bus stop should be the first to get on the bus. We are, on the whole, a trusting nation. We don't expect to be exploited. For example, we take pride in is the fact that we have no national identity cards. There is also a tradition of tolerance and 'live and let live'. While other countries have passed , or are trying to pass, legislation to suppress cultural diversity (such as the ban on religious clothing in French schools), Britain has robust laws against discrimination on grounds of religion, ethnicity and sexuality. Needless to say, we have prejudiced, corrupt, violent, exploitative and selfish people in Britain the same as anywhere else. But our basic sense of faith in our institutions is still there. If you want to get a picture of what is most important to us, trust is a good place to start.