Read Comment Central: And the winner is...

The people have spoken. After a ground-breaking experiment in popular democracy, readers of The Times have chosen a national motto for Gordon Brown’s New Britain.

Or have they? For, the suggestion that attracted most votes in our poll on Comment Central, a Times Online blog, is perhaps better described not as a motto but as an anti-motto: “No motto please, we’re British”.

In other words, a resounding raspberry to Gordon Brown’s search for a statement of British values that underpin his constitutional reforms.

In truth, the entire outcome makes grim reading for Mr Brown. The two most earnest mottoes among the top ten, submitted from the minority who appeared to treat the exercise seriously, were never in the running.

“Free, tolerant, fair-minded and true” came second from bottom, with a miserly 3.4 per cent of the votes cast; “Britain: the birthplace of freedom” was one place above it with 4.3 per cent of the poll.

The winning entry, capturing an instinctive British suspicion of the very concept of a national statement of values, or motto, led the field throughout and finished with just over a fifth of the votes. Its author, David Bishop, 25, from London, showed typically British reserve in declaring himself “delighted, if a little surprised” at having topped the poll.

Mr Bishop, head of policy for the Airport Operators’ Association in London, who describes himself as a floating voter, said: “The point I was making is, this idea of a statement of Britishness – I cannot think of anything less British than that.”The only suggestion that came close to his was the crisp snapshot of the underbelly of modern Britain: “Dipso, Fatso, Bingo, Asbo, Tesco.”

This entry wins a special commendation, not least from The Times’s headline writers.

The Ministry of Justice took news of the poll with characteristic British stoicism. A spokesman said on being informed on the result: “There are absolutely no plans for a national motto, and there never have been.”

The Top Ten

20.9% No motto please, we’re British (David, London)

18.6% Dipso, Fatso, Bingo, Asbo, Tesco (JCL)

13.5% Try Writing History Without Us! (Simon Ludkin)

11.3% We apologise for the inconvenience (Matthew Bailey)

9.6% Mathematically, we could still qualify (Wobbly)

9.5% Smile, you’re on CCTV (Les)

6.9% Once mighty empire, slightly used (J Harris)

4.3% Britain The Birthplace of Freedom (Kat)

3.4% Free, Tolerant, Fair-minded & True (BENJ)

2% Mind your own business! (Brian Clacey)

Total votes cast: 4,156

Source: Comment Central/Times Online

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