Britain is a nation obsessed with fame and celebrity while gorging on a diet of junk food.
It is also the fastest growing market in the world for internet porn.
These are just some of the more damning observations foreign
visitors will get reading the latest Lonely Planet guide to Great Britain which is published today (Wednesday).
The 1,O16-page book says: “It is a telling indictment that more people vote in TV talent shows than for their country’s leaders.”
It goes on to say that Brits top the charts in the unhealthy eating stakes, consuming more junk food and ready meals than the rest of Europe put together.
“Without doubt you can find great food in Britain, it’s just that not all the Brits seem to like eating it.”
The seventh edition of the guide does, however, highlight a cosmopolitan society which is heavily influenced by its multicultural population where “many are happy to revel in this diversity”.
Highlighting that Britain is having an identity crisis, the book says: “It’s difficult to generalise about a British national psyche – mainly because there isn’t one.”
Co-ordinating author David Else said: “Although Britain’s had a reputation for being multicultural for decades, this has escalated in recent years and the impact of these different cultures has become more widespread and significant.”
London is praised for its “vibrant multiculturalism” while Birmingham ” once a drab, grimy urban basket case has spectacularly reinvented itself as a vibrant, cultural hot spot”.
The guide has praise for many British cities. Swansea, for example, is described as heading full-speed into the 21st century – “admittedly Parisians, New Yorkers and Romans can sleep easy, but it’s now perfectly possible to stay in the city and have a good time.”
By Phil Davies
