Queen Mum, Singer Halt Sale

The British government’s drive to sell public assets has plenty of foes, but this time the opposition may have been too formidable: Queen Mother Elizabeth and Dame Vera Lynn.

A proposal to sell the historic English Channel port of Dover stirred outrage, particularly since England’s old adversaries, the French, were potential buyers. But reports Friday indicated that the government would back down.

War-time singer Dame Vera Lynn joined the campaign to keep Dover in British hands on Thursday.

Earlier, the queen mother had told government officials that local residents were alarmed by the plan to sell off the historic port.