Anyone who isn't proud to be British after our performance in Rio

[Pat Vegas]

Ah, I see. It's not actually a tax though, is it?

A pound for a dream, a. Cheap at half the price.

It's £2 now and they made it even less likely you'd win.

[Sir C]

Well so could anyone else if they bothered spending the same amounts of time and money on it. That's not a source for national pride, it's a question of priorities. Personally, I would question the logic of spending these quantities on what amounts to a national vanity project, but there you go.
If you choose to invest this vanity project with some personal meaning that's up to you, but the fact that they mean fùck all to me doesn't make me a foreigner or a *****.

If that is so, (and it may well be), what you have proven is that any and all concepts of 'national pride' are essentially meaningless, for we are not, as you have pointed out, unique.

Is this why you refuse to defend the colours?

[Ash]

Well our economy is neither mediocre nor backward

Aww look, we've been bumping along the bottom for just about a decade now. I gather that productivity and investment are at low levels, which is not a sign of an advanced economy, and the balance of payments is terrrible. We need to start making things again. If Johnny German can do it, so can we. I don't buy this stuff about not having enough engineers. ~80% of the F1 industry is British, and you don't get much more engineery than that.

Of course, it could be worse. We could be unable to set our own interest rates and float our currency, but we shouldn't be subsisting on retail, call centres and finance.

[Burney]

If that is so, (and it may well be), what you have proven is that any and all concepts of 'national pride' are essentially meaningless, for we are not, as you have pointed out, unique.

Is this why you refuse to defend the colours?

We are unique in some things - as are other nations - but the ability to chuck money at sporting endeavour and thus improve results is not one of those things. Chelsea and Man City have been doing it for yonks and we don't see that as admirable.

I simply think that if you want to feel national pride, then there are better and more valid sources for it than our Olympics performances.

[Ash]

Ah, I see. It's not actually a tax though, is it?

A stealthy one imo.

A pound for a dream, a. Cheap at half the price.

I'm bloody tempted to start buying tickets, tbh. It could be ME!

[Sir C]

We are unique in some things - as are other nations - but the ability to chuck money at sporting endeavour and thus improve results is not one of those things. Chelsea and Man City have been doing it for yonks and we don't see that as admirable.

I simply think that if you want to feel national pride, then there are better and more valid sources for it than our Olympics performances.

Isn't the issue with Chelsea and Man City that they have vastly more money to throw at the issue than anyone else? One finds it hard to imagine that, overtly or not, China and Australia spend less than us on elite sport, which would suggest to me that we have excelled on a relatively level playing field.

wd us.

[Burney]

Aww look, we've been bumping along the bottom for just about a decade now. I gather that productivity and investment are at low levels, which is not a sign of an advanced economy, and the balance of payments is terrrible. We need to start making things again. If Johnny German can do it, so can we. I don't buy this stuff about not having enough engineers. ~80% of the F1 industry is British, and you don't get much more engineery than that.

Of course, it could be worse. We could be unable to set our own interest rates and float our currency, but we shouldn't be subsisting on retail, call centres and finance.

Most of the world would kill to be 'bumping along the bottom' as we are. Also, we do produce engineers, but the best and brightest of them get sucked into the City, which pays them vastly more than any manufacturing or engineering concern ever will. Those engineers who end up in F1, defence or aerospace are the ones who have either resisted that siren song or never got the offer in the first place.

[Burney]

Isn't the issue with Chelsea and Man City that they have vastly more money to throw at the issue than anyone else? One finds it hard to imagine that, overtly or not, China and Australia spend less than us on elite sport, which would suggest to me that we have excelled on a relatively level playing field.

wd us.

I would agree that, if you deem Olympic success to be a worthwhile ambition (I personally don't) it was pretty clever to introduce a bounteous income stream for investment in sport that isn't reliant on taxation. I would also agree that the process of picking winners and funding them to the almost total exclusion of anyone else is an effective (if rather ruthless) process.
And in fact, Australia has spent nowhere near as much as we have on their Olympic team (about half, I believe). It's impossible to say with China because it's China.
These are where we have done things well. However, I don't see them as particularly a source of national pride since I don't believe the game was worth the candle.

[Sir C]

I would agree that, if you deem Olympic success to be a worthwhile ambition (I personally don't) it was pretty clever to introduce a bounteous income stream for investment in sport that isn't reliant on taxation. I would also agree that the process of picking winners and funding them to the almost total exclusion of anyone else is an effective (if rather ruthless) process.
And in fact, Australia has spent nowhere near as much as we have on their Olympic team (about half, I believe). It's impossible to say with China because it's China.
These are where we have done things well. However, I don't see them as particularly a source of national pride since I don't believe the game was worth the candle.

There are all sorts of sports at the Olympics, old chap. I mean, a fellow might not be keen on synchronised swimming or BMW biking, but surely amongst the myriad other sports on offer you can find something worthwhile?

Are you of the view that cricket is the only worthwhile sport? If so, may I congratulate you on this perfectly remarkable exhibition of single(narrow)-mindedness?

[Mo Britain less Europe]

Some people like the feeling of being a bit ****. I don't. Sports as we know damn well is not just sport, it's business. So if our sportspeople are doing well it's gotta be good for this country.