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spider wrote:

> Does that include friends from the Republic of Ireland?
>
> Are they British too?

No of course not and they'd probably be upset if you said that they were.

"I am bollocksed as to why people cannot get this correct."

If you are English you cannot be English and British. You can only be British if you are with Welsh, Scots and term yourselves collectively as British, but singularly as your own nationality, Scots, Welsh or English.
The Yanks and The Canadians always refer to us as Brits. The Aussies and Kiwis though always referred to us as English Scottish or Welsh. It would appear that they are more discerning when it comes to the national accents.

As far as I understand Britain is a 'country' and England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are 'principalities' within it. Someone couldn't technically refer to any of the principalities within Britain as 'countries' but often do. The British Isles, I think, includes the whole of Ireland (Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) whereas the United Kingdom excludes The Republic of Ireland. That is a strange one because the Republic of Ireland is obviously a separate country with its own government but it is included as part of the British Isles.

I thought England, Scotland and Wales combined was a union (Great Britain) and England, Scotland and Wales were individual countries within that union.

max_tranmere wrote:

> As far as I understand Britain is a 'country' and England,
> Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are 'principalities'
> within it.

No, you misunderstand. Wales is a principality hence the Prince of Wales but England and Scotland are not principalities ? there is no Prince of Scotland, per se. And Northern Ireland is not even in Britain.


Someone couldn't technically refer to any of the
> principalities within Britain as 'countries' but often do

They could and be right because the other two are not principalities but indeed countries.


. The
> British Isles, I think, includes the whole of Ireland (Northern
> Ireland and the Republic of Ireland)

Correct.

whereas the United Kingdom
> excludes The Republic of Ireland.

Correct.

That is a strange one because
> the Republic of Ireland is obviously a separate country with
> its own government but it is included as part of the British
> Isles.

That is because the British Isles is a geographical term not a political one. It's the same reason why Canada and Mexico are in North America although not part of the USA.

I am British.

[quote]If you are English you cannot be English and British.[/quote]

Yes you can. That's like saying you can't be a 'cockney' and be English at the same time.

the Prime Minister of?

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.