Tucked away on the BBC News website is a video mentioning the results of the Future of England Survey conducted by the Universities of Cardiff and Edinburgh for YouGov.
With the Scottish independence referendum a month away you’d thing a poll on English attitudes to devolution, independence and the relationship between Scotland and England after the referendum would be major news but no, it’s hidden away in the video “features” section. I can’t find an actual article about the poll at all, just this video which is using a new interactive video format the BBC are trialling which doesn’t work on mobiles or in Internet Explorer, thus limiting the already limited prospective audience who watch video even further.
The findings of this survey are very interesting and as far as I’m aware it’s the only survey of English opinions on the subject of Scottish independence and English governance that have been carried out during the run-up to the Scottish independence referendum.
[fruitful_tabs type=”accordion” width=”100%” fit=”false”]
[fruitful_tab title=”English Identity”]
| Which, if any, of the following best describes the way you think of yourself? |
| English not British |
11 |
| More English than British |
20 |
| Equally English and British |
41 |
| More British than English |
12 |
| British not English |
6 |
| Other |
4 |
| Don’t know |
5 |
| Recently, people in England have become more aware of English national identity |
| Agree strongly |
11 |
| Tend to agree |
34 |
| Total Agree |
45 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
27 |
| Tend to disagree |
16 |
| Strongly disagree |
4 |
| Total Disagree |
20 |
| Don’t know |
8 |
[/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Independence”]
| Should Scotland be an independent country? |
| Yes |
19 |
| No |
59 |
| Don’t know |
22 |
| Should England be an independent country? |
| Yes |
22 |
| No |
59 |
| Don’t know |
18 |
[/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”What if Scotland votes yes?”]
| An independent Scotland should be able to continue to use the pound |
| Agree strongly |
9 |
| Tend to agree |
14 |
| Total Agree |
23 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
15 |
| Tend to disagree |
18 |
| Strongly disagree |
35 |
| Total Disagree |
53 |
| Don’t know |
9 |
| People should be able to travel between England and Scotland without passport checks |
| Agree strongly |
45 |
| Tend to agree |
24 |
| Total Agree |
69 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
11 |
| Tend to disagree |
6 |
| Strongly disagree |
7 |
| Total Disagree |
13 |
| Don’t know |
6 |
| The rest of the UK should support Scotland in applying to join international organisations, like the EU and NATO |
| Agree strongly |
9 |
| Tend to agree |
17 |
| Total Agree |
26 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
26 |
| Tend to disagree |
16 |
| Strongly disagree |
20 |
| Total Disagree |
36 |
| Don’t know |
12 |
| The UK’s standing in the world will be diminished |
| Agree strongly |
9 |
| Tend to agree |
27 |
| Total Agree |
36 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
24 |
| Tend to disagree |
19 |
| Strongly disagree |
10 |
| Total Disagree |
29 |
| Don’t know |
10 |
| Relations between England and Scotland will improve |
| Agree strongly |
3 |
| Tend to agree |
7 |
| Total Agree |
10 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
26 |
| Tend to disagree |
35 |
| Strongly disagree |
18 |
| Total Disagree |
53 |
| Don’t know |
11 |
[/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”What if Scotland votes NO?”]
| The Scottish Parliament should be given control over the majority of taxes raised in Scotland |
| Agree strongly |
11 |
| Tend to agree |
31 |
| Total Agree |
42 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
21 |
| Tend to disagree |
17 |
| Strongly disagree |
8 |
| Total Disagree |
25 |
| Don’t know |
12 |
| The Scottish parliament should be given the power to decide its own policies on welfare benefits |
| Agree strongly |
11 |
| Tend to agree |
29 |
| Total Agree |
40 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
22 |
| Tend to disagree |
17 |
| Strongly disagree |
9 |
| Total Disagree |
26 |
| Don’t know |
11 |
| Would you say that compared with other parts of the UK, each of these gets pretty much their fair share of government spending, more than their fair share, or less than their fair share? |
| England |
| Gets their fair share |
25 |
| Gets more than their fair share |
8 |
| Gets less than their fair share |
31 |
| Don’t know |
36 |
| Scotland |
| Gets their fair share |
20 |
| Gets more than their fair share |
38 |
| Gets less than their fair share |
4 |
| Don’t know |
38 |
| Levels of public spending in Scotland should be reduced to the levels in the rest of the UK |
| Agree strongly |
25 |
| Tend to agree |
31 |
| Total Agree |
56 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
21 |
| Tend to disagree |
6 |
| Strongly disagree |
3 |
| Total Disagree |
9 |
| Don’t know |
13 |
| Scottish MPs should be prevented from voting on laws that apply only to England |
| Agree strongly |
35 |
| Tend to agree |
27 |
| Total Agree |
62 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
15 |
| Tend to disagree |
9 |
| Strongly disagree |
3 |
| Total Disagree |
12 |
| Don’t know |
10 |
[/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”English governance”]
| With all the changes going on in the way different parts of the United Kingdom are run, which of the following do you think would be best for England? |
| For England to be governed as it is now with laws made by all MPs in the UK Parliament |
18 |
| For England to be governed with laws made by English MPs in the UK Parliament |
40 |
| For each region of England to have its own assembly |
9 |
| For England as a whole to have its own new English parliament with law-making powers |
16 |
| Don’t know |
17 |
| Thinking about possible arrangements for making laws for England two options are often mentioned. If you had to choose which ONE would you prefer? |
| For England to be governed with laws made solely by English MPs in the UK Parliament |
36 |
| For England to be governed with laws made solely by English MPs in the UK Parliament |
25 |
| Keep things as they are at present |
22 |
| Don’t know |
17 |
| A Secretary of State for England in the UK cabinet |
| Agree strongly |
22 |
| Tend to agree |
31 |
| Total Agree |
53 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
23 |
| Tend to disagree |
7 |
| Strongly disagree |
4 |
| Total Disagree |
11 |
| Don’t know |
12 |
| UK government ministers for each of the regions of England |
| Agree strongly |
18 |
| Tend to agree |
33 |
| Total Agree |
51 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
22 |
| Tend to disagree |
10 |
| Strongly disagree |
6 |
| Total Disagree |
16 |
| Don’t know |
11 |
| An English Parliament |
| Agree strongly |
26 |
| Tend to agree |
28 |
| Total Agree |
54 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
20 |
| Tend to disagree |
9 |
| Strongly disagree |
6 |
| Total Disagree |
15 |
| Don’t know |
10 |
| Changing the rules in parliament, so that only English MPs can vote on laws that would apply only in England |
| Agree strongly |
40 |
| Tend to agree |
29 |
| Total Agree |
69 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
14 |
| Tend to disagree |
5 |
| Strongly disagree |
3 |
| Total Disagree |
8 |
| Don’t know |
9 |
| England and Scotland will still continue to drift apart |
| Agree strongly |
8 |
| Tend to agree |
29 |
| Total Agree |
37 |
| Neither agree nor disagree |
29 |
| Tend to disagree |
17 |
| Strongly disagree |
4 |
| Total Disagree |
21 |
| Don’t know |
13 |
[/fruitful_tab]
[/fruitful_tabs]
There is clear support here for preventing MPs not elected in England from voting on English laws and for cutting the amount of taxpayers’ money Scotland gets so England gets its fair share. Most people want to keep open borders with an independent Scotland but don’t think they should be allowed to keep the pound. The majority are in favour of Scotland getting more powers over taxation and benefits spending and think England should have its own parliament. Over half think each English euroregion should have its own UK government minister but less than 1 in 10 think England should have regional government.
So, if the UK was a truly representative democracy with a government that listened to what people wanted and acted on it we would have a devolved English Parliament with a Secretary of State for England in the British government along with a minister for each English euroregion and the £11bn or so subsidy that’s given to Scotland would be abolished and shared equally with England. What we have instead is an ever increasing bill for Scotland’s profligate spending, MPs elected in Scotland making laws that only affect England, no English government of any sort and a sustained campaign to break England up into artificial regions.
