Letter: Cool England

YOU REPORT (2 April) that Panel 2000 has been set up to rebrand Britain for the year 2000. But this is just as the concept of "Britain" is on its way to becoming as obsolete as the term "Soviet Union".

So much of what defines "Cool Britannia" is English, not British. The term was coined by Newsweek magazine in November 1996 in their story about London being the world's coolest city. Since then Labour have been successful in recreating England's rather than Britain's image: the partial independence given to the Bank of England; the Millennium Dome in Greenwich; the creation of a London Mayor; and Tony Blair's personal backing to England's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup.

So the rebranding should be a simple matter of separating the flag of Saint George from the Union Flag.

DES BROWN

Gosforth, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne