Anti-English feeling 'at its strongest in nationalists'

• Report finds extreme Scottish nationalism is fuelling anti-English sentiment

• SNP voters more likely to be Anglophobic than supporters of other parties.

• High level of anti-Muslim feeling across Scotland

Key quote:

"It is not the case that everybody who is intensely Scottish hates the English, it is just that there is a higher probability that if you are strongly Scottish, you will have a less benign attitude to the English."

Professor John Curtice - Strathclyde University

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SCOTTISH nationalism is fuelling anti-English feeling in Scotland, according to major research published today.

The first detailed analysis of Scottish attitudes, both to the English and to Muslims, found that people with a strong sense of Scottish identity are more likely to be anti-English.

Researchers found that while Islamophobia in Scotland remained at roughly the same level regardless of whether people were nationalist Scots or not, Anglophobia was higher among Scottish nationalists.

The SNP leadership has insisted for years that it represents an inclusive and positive civic nationalism, not negative ethnic nationalism.

The authors of the report, Professor Bill Miller, a professor of politics, and Asifa Hussain, a lecturer in public-sector management, both at the University of Glasgow, pointed out how strongly the SNP pushed this inclusive and tolerant message.

But they also said that those who voted SNP were also more likely to be Anglophobic than those who supported other parties.

An SNP spokeswoman said: "The SNP is proud to be the first party in Scotland to be in the position to elect Scotland's first ethnic minority MSP in Bashir Ahmad and we aspire to lead a Scottish government that will represent all of Scotland."

The research will galvanise the debate over anti-English hatred in Scotland, particularly in the wake of attacks since the start of the World Cup.

Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, who helped compile the book, said: "It is not the case that everybody who is intensely Scottish hates the English, it is just that there is a higher probability that if you are strongly Scottish, you will have a less benign attitude to the English."

Prof Miller and Mr Hussain studied the results of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, and cross-referenced each of the questions to find out whether there were different approaches depending on attitudes Scottish nationalism.

They defined Scottish nationalism as those people who saw themselves as "Scottish, not British" and compared their results to everybody else.

The results showed a relatively high level of anti-Muslim feeling across Scotland. A total of 49 per cent of those asked had a "negative" view of Muslims, while 38 per cent had a "negative" view of the English.

But this anti-English view increased depending on the sense of Scottish nationalism of the respondent. A total of 46 per cent of Scottish nationalists had a negative view of the English and 8 per cent actually said they would be unhappy to have an English relative.

The results were almost as stark when voting patterns were taken into account.

Researchers found Anglophobia was highest among SNP voters and Islamophobia was highest among Conservative voters. Labour voters were in the middle while Liberal Democrats were the most tolerant, with levels of Anglophobia and Islamophobia low among their supporters.