MovieChat Forums > The Girl in the Café (2005) Discussion > 'Isn't that the chancellor of the excheq...

'Isn't that the chancellor of the exchequer?' (?!)


okay, I'm a pretty politically aware American. I know what the G-8 summit is, and could even name all 8 of the Gs. But I couldn't pick the Secretary of the Treasury out of a lineup. (He's sort of the American equivalent to the chancellor, yes?) I find it a bit disingenuous that a girl who's never heard of the G-8 summit would spot this guy entering a restaurant. Am I just being dense? Do most Brits know the members of Parliament by sight? Is the chancellor a bigger deal than I think he is? Did I spell exchequer right?

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McDonald's character Gina was supposed to be British (I think she's actually Scots) and I would imagine that most adult Brits know who the chancellor of the exchequer is. Besides, as I remember, he was pointed out to her by Bill Nighy's character Lawrence.

Yadda yadda yadda

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[deleted]

thanks for clearing that up! had no idea he was that high on the foodchain. I probably should've just googled "chancellor of the exchequer."

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The Chancellor of the Exchequer is definitely a recognisable character in Britain, I'd say he has the equivalent profile of the 'Vice President' in American politics, though a very different role of course.

One reason why a lot of people know him is that he gives the budget reading every year. Even before Parliament was televised there was a famous photo opportunity outside no.11 Downing Street (where the chancellor lives, right next to the Prime Minister) before every budget where the Chancellor comes out and holds up his famous red box, which contains the budget. Invariably the image is on every single newspaper the next day.

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[deleted]

Because thats where the jobs are.

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Britain is one nation. Thus it doesn't matter where you live/work. You’re in the same country!

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I fail to see what place the prince of wales ( yes wales not whales ) has in the uk politics. He is the queens son and represents the royal family, not tony blair or any other pm. I do agree with your scots/english comments as all fellow scots would.

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[deleted]

Points well made, like a lot of other Scots i'm not a great fan of the royal family or any other kind of trophy monarch,a massive overspend in my and thousands of other people's opinion. If the President can manage both in the US then i'm sure a country the size of ours could manage with just a PM and free up tens of millions of pounds for our homeless and children who have no future other than poverty. As for the ommited capitalizations,apostrophes denoting the possessive case or excessive spacing - merely the net-usual case of hasty neglect, not ignorance! in fact they don't even teach that kind of English in the west coast of Ecosse, that must be American English taught in the English CENTER ?

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[deleted]

You still have a right to an opinion as anybody should yank or brit, your point on common law is an interesting one and something that gets taken for granted far to much in this country ( UK not just Scotland ) I dont honestly know enough about the costs of the monarch to have a reasonable debate about the for's and against. I would say that people like Bush and Blair deserve to be listened to after rising to the top of the tree in their chosen field no matter if you like or dislike them. I dont see why the likes of prince Charles or even more annoyingly prince Edward would think anyone would give a toss about what they have to say swanning about in militry uniform, at tax payers expense, commenting on architecture and enviroment when they have country estates and palaces dotted around all over the bloody country ( Scotland also ) I accept the point on tourism Buckingham palace the Queen and all that, in my opinion the only one that lives on the same planet as the rest of us is princess Anne, she does a lot of good, as for prince Phillip. Look up some of his gaffs on the net and you'll see he has offended just about every race and religion in the universe. Anyone else that nut's would have been put in residential care years ago. - in my humble opinion -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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