Corby by-election background: Little Scotland built on steel industry links

CORBY is known locally in Northamptonshire as Little Scotland because of the large number of Scots who came to work in the town’s steel plant.

The Stewarts & Lloyds company, nationalised in 1967, was based in Corby, but had numerous plants across Lanarkshire and Glasgow, particularly in the Motherwell area and the town of Bellshill.

According to the 2001 Census, there were 10,063 Scottish-born people in the Corby Urban Area – amounting to 18.9 per cent of the population.

It has been further estimated that a third of Corby’s total population is Scottish or of Scottish descent.

Scottish heritage in the town is underlined by Corby having a Rangers and a Celtic supporters’ club and supermarkets with signs in Gaelic and Scottish food sections. Corby also has a Stewarts & Lloyds football club.

There is also an annual Highland Gathering featuring Scottish music and dancing.

Underlying Corby’s Scottish cultural roots is the fact that it is the only town in England outside London which has two Church of Scotland churches.