For those who are not familiar with Britain but are intrigued by the 'rule of six', I offer this thread that explains the symbolic significance of the number six in British culture. This is not an arbitrary number that the government has chosen but an important cultural marker

Firstly, a six in cricket is the holy grail of cricket single digit numbers. 'Hitting sixes' is a common phrase in the local language that represents the pinnacle of aspiration and achievement, owing largely to the status of cricket in the British psyche.

Secondly, the number six appears at least once in every British decade, and sometimes twice or three times and, in the case of the 60s, a staggering 11 times! The 60s are a crucial decade in the history of Britain, forming a pivotal point in the transformation of the nation.

The number six also appears dis-proportionally frequently in British history: 1066, the battle of Hastings, 1666, the Great Fire of London, 1966 the only British World Cup victory, and 666 when people spent most of the year commenting on how this will never happen again

Unlike American series, British TV series always have six episodes per season. Have you ever wondered why? While some cynics argue it's because of smaller budgets, the real reason is the cultural hold that this number possesses.

Then there are all the sayings: knocked for a six, six of one half a dozen of the other, six and two threes, six feet under, six ways to Sunday, the number six has an almost total domination in the British language.

Brits also always buy eggs in sixes or multiples of six. When a supermarket tried to switch to an 8-egg pack it sparked the riots that were to ultimately cost Margaret Thatcher her job. Such is the fondness for sixes on this island and some of smaller neighbouring islands.

Not to mention the six wives of Henry VIII. A little known story is that Henry wanted to name himself Henry VI but his advisors felt it would create confusion with the previous Henry VI. The resulting argument led to the split with Rome because of Henry's jealousy of Pope Sixtus