Scottish, not British: how the nation sees itself

THE number of Scots who say they are Scottish rather than British has reached record levels.

A survey of social attitudes north and south of the Border has revealed a doubling since 1992 in Scots who have turned their backs on the idea of being British.

Asked about their national identity, 37% said they considered themselves Scottish rather than British. When the same question was asked nine years ago, only 19% gave that response. Taken together with those who feel more Scottish than British, the number - of those who feel ‘predominantly Scottish’ - rises to 68%.

The research also reveals that the area closest to England, the Borders, is the most nationalistic. Pro-British attitudes appear to be strongest in the Highlands.

The SNP was delighted by the findings, claiming they showed that support for the Union was weakening. The party believes its use of Sir Sean Connery during the vote on devolution and the elections to the Scottish parliament made Scots more aware of their national identity.

Meanwhile, the English - traditionally lukewarm about English nationalism - have also changed their attitude. In 1992, only 21% put their Englishness above being British. That has risen to 34%. The number calling themselves ‘English not British’ has risen from 7% to 19%.

John Swinney, the leader of the SNP, said: "This is devastating news for the Unionists. They believed that the Scottish identity could be corralled into the hamstrung political settlement of devolution.

"This is the driving force behind moves to see Scotland take for itself the normal powers of self-determination and the full powers of an independent Scottish parliament."

Labour said the poll results showed that Scots were increasingly confident in their own country while generally supporting the idea of union.

A spokesman pointed to the Nationalists’ poor showing in the 2001 general election, which saw their vote slump and their seats at Westminster fall from six to five. He added that Labour’s share of seats in Scotland held steady at 56 seats.

"It is excellent news that Scots feel secure in their Scottishness, while still voting for the Union," he said.

Phil Gallie, the Scottish Conservative spokesman on constitutional affairs, said he was disappointed by the findings.

"There’s a huge element of sadness that people’s feelings have changed towards their Britishness," he said. "I think there’s a huge split within society, with the younger generation, who do not recall such things as the war, less likely to feel themselves as British.

"It is now important that those of us who stand for the Union must do our best to make devolution work."

In the study, interviewees were also given a "forced-choice national identity" question, meaning they had to decide between describing themselves as British or Scottish.

In this case, 80% of Scots said they were Scottish, a huge rise on the 57% recorded for the same question in 1992.

The study also reveals large differences between regions of Scotland. In the Borders, 45% of people believe they are Scottish rather than British. The north-east and central belt are between 33% and 36% but in the Highlands the figure drops to 31%.

Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, one of the academics involved in the research, said: "The decline in Britishness did not begin with devolution. It was already well in train before devolution ever became a reality."

But he warned that the figures did not imply an automatic link between feeling Scottish and supporting independence. "Evidently even a majority of those who say they are Scottish and not British do not back the idea of independence."

The findings are in a book to be published tomorrow on changing social attitudes on both sides of the Border. New Scotland, New Society? examines how views of the Union are changing and whether they will lead to the break-up of the UK.

The surveys show voters want Scottish MPs at Westminster to be forbidden to vote on English matters. Two-thirds of English voters, and 53% of Scots, want a ban.

New Scotland, New Society? Are Social and Political Ties Fragmenting? by John Curtice, David Crone, Alison Park, and Lindsay Paterson (eds) is published by Polygon, priced 14.99.