Bertie Wooster as a British cultural shibboleth:

A Very British Dilemma

There are current politicians who are known for using ‘false’ names: Conservative Party Chairman Grant Schapps is believed to have used at least three in addition to his own (Michael Green, Sebastian Fox and Chuck Champion), and the revelations of his use of those identities, whilst it has been criticised, has not been suggested to be illegal, and his party has not chosen to discipline him in any way.

There is of course a difference between anonymity and pseudonymity. Withholding your name and details, as Willcock did, is different from assuming a ‘false’ name, as Grant Schapps did and as Andy Smith advocated. However, in a practical sense, when operating on the internet, simply withholding your name is not an option. Online services require usernames and other user information – so to get the protection and rights that anonymity would provide can only be done by following Bertie Wooster’s approach and adopting a false name. Where anonymity is impossible, pseudonymity is the next best thing.