English perspective on Scots

[brandycoke]

Sort of following on from the dirty independence thread.

Give us your honest opinion on us, no holds barred.

[kaosmark2]

The only thing about the Scots that bothers me is this idea that the English hate them. I and virtually everyone I know just thinks of them as "like Northerners, but further"*. It seems like the Scots have a far bigger issue about the English than we do about them, and seem to expect us to have some level of antipathy that - for the most part - just isn't there. It's kinda weird.

*for the record I'm not actually a Southern pansy, but all of my friends are and I've now lived down South longer than up North, so I cba to exclude myself.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I admire the Scots. The Romans went on conquering everywhere they strode. That is until they got to Scotland where they had to build a huge wall to protect themselves from the barmy bastards. They eat fried Mars bars for fucks sake. Don't knock with the Scots is my motto.

[Spindles]

To me they are like, well, people with a different accent. You know, lots of individuals with different personalities. Some of them have this idea that there is some kind of rivalry between the English and the Scots, but that's a really one way thing. I would imagine the thing that winds up those that hate the English most is that the English don't really actually care about that, see it as some kind of outdated thing that they don't understand and have no similar dislike themselves.

It's probably easier for the English to have come to a fair conclusion that Scottish people are much like us as there are more Scottish people who have come to England than English people who have gone to Scotland, I expect. I've worked with plenty of Scottish people over the years and that's the conclusion I've drawn, to me it's just another regional accent.

[pink_triangle]

I don't know if a Welsh person opinion on the Scottish is allowed here! While its true that you cant make broad judgements about someone because of their place of birth, there is a tendancy to notice trends. To me it very much depends on what areas of Scotland you visit. If your talking about the big cities then the people are no different to someone from Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle etc.

However having visited the highlands on several occasions, you sometimes do feel like you have gone into a bit of a timewarp. The people there always seemed to me a lot more laid back and almost living in their own old fashioned world without high street shops of coffee chains! It amazes me when I visit how many have never left Scotland.

[metallimuse]

I don't know if a Welsh person opinion on the Scottish is allowed here! While its true that you cant make broad judgements about someone because of their place of birth, there is a tendancy to notice trends. To me it very much depends on what areas of Scotland you visit. If your talking about the big cities then the people are no different to someone from Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle etc.

However having visited the highlands on several occasions, you sometimes do feel like you have gone into a bit of a timewarp. The people there always seemed to me a lot more laid back and almost living in their own old fashioned world without high street shops of coffee chains! It amazes me when I visit how many have never left Scotland.

[t8yman]

I love em, married one of em, and spend quite a bit of time north of the border. Its a fantastic country, with fantastic, incredibly warm people. I have never been made to feel anything but welcome anytime or any place I have been.

Their only negative point for me, is the incredible amount of religious bigotry, and the strength of their religious following tbh. (Thats mainly Glasgow-centric tbh.)

[feral chile]

Is that not the same as the Welsh living in their little villages?I've been told of many stories about English people going to these wee places and not being made welcome.

[metallimuse]

I come from a small island off the coast of Scotland called South Uist and whenever I go home everyone speaks Gaelic infront of me and I'm not a fluent speaker but I don't feel excluded,its just how they speak and what they are used to.Even my mother in the car ride from the ferry to our house spoke in Gaelic the entire time to the taxi driver,didn't understand a word lol.

[Spindles]

In my last job we had customers from South Uist, there's a lovely poetic lilt to the accent when people speak english that comes from speaking Gaelic all the time. It can be hard for English people to understand sometimes, but as a sound to hear them speak it's beautiful.

[metallimuse]

I love our accent,except for the fact that everyone over 50 says "filummm" instead of "film" lol.

[pink_triangle]

Is that not the same as the Welsh living in their little villages?I've been told of many stories about English people going to these wee places and not being made welcome.

[russycarps]

The highlands are my favourite part out of the whole of the uk. The people up there are ace too. I've been to edinburgh and glasgow and they are just like any other british city, some nice people, some not nice people. I dont view going in to scotland any different than I do going into yorkshire, or cornwall or wales, or berkshire etc. I've certainly never experienced any problems with scots (though i have very little interest in sport so that helps).

I would be sad if they left the uk, as I think isolationism is a bad thing. I find borders between countries quite an absurd concept, and it seems even more absurd on an island the size of britain. We are all just human beings.

That being said, the prospect of never having to have a tory government would be quite a strong temptation to vote for independence, but having a hostile tory government on their doorstep - especially if they keep the pound - would be even worse for them I suspect. If I was scottish I would hope the no vote wins and that scotland gets even more powers handed to it, and that the tories dont win the next election.

I hope they vote no, I think they will vote no, but wouldnt be THAT surprised if the yes vote wins.

[eFestivals]

That being said, the prospect of never having to have a tory government would be quite a strong temptation to vote for independence

the thing is, Scotland used to quite regularly vote tory. More damage was caused to SNP votes by the SNP putting a tory govt in power than was caused to the tories by being that tory govt.

What do I think of the Scots? I think they're normal human beings apart from the types who feel the need to ask the question what I might think of them.

Edited March 10, 2014 by eFestivals

[russycarps]

Do you not think Scotland is largely afforded the ability to not concern itself with issue of the Right due to the union and once it has gone Scotland will have to suddenly think very carefully about these issues.

The day after independence the Scottish people are going to have to think very careful about access to benefits, taxation, being business friendly and so on. Its going to be a totally different political situation for Scotland and I don't think you can presume they will continue to vote the way they have done.

[eFestivals]

I don't think you can presume they will continue to vote the way they have done.

I agree. I don't think there's really anything to suggest that there's anything about the Scots which makes them proportionally less conservative than the people of other nations.

From comments on newspapers there's a big belief amongst many yes activists that an independent Scotland will have forever left-leaning govts, and yet the guy at the head of that yes campaign is the UK politician most up Murdoch's arse and is freely stating that one of the first economic acts of an independent Scotland will be tax cuts for the richest.... which is no different to what "Eton" "English" tories say.

[Essex_George]

I agree with you,

[eFestivals]

I can see a lot of people voting emotionally rather than rationally (not being patronising to scots, exactly the same thing would happen in an english vote).

I reckon the best thing to do is to make their decision on their emotions - that they wish to govern themselves whether that benefits them economically or not. They are not voting for policies to make them richer, they are voting to be in charge of their own affairs no matter whether things are good or bad for Scotland.

[Spindles]

To be fair, I agree with what Barry said as well. The world is clearly turned on it's head.

I am neither for, nor against Scottish independence, personally, I think it is for them to decide and that I have no experience of Scottish life to make any judgement, having never been there for myself. I certainly won't form opinions on what I see and read in the media.

[eFestivals]

I certainly won't form opinions on what I see and read in the media.

Make sure you work that one for both sides - there's Project Fear and there's Project Bullshit, both as bad as each other.

[russycarps]

I reckon the best thing to do is to make their decision on their emotions - that they wish to govern themselves whether that benefits them economically or not. They are not voting for policies to make them richer, they are voting to be in charge of their own affairs no matter whether things are good or bad for Scotland.

Edited March 10, 2014 by russycarps

[eFestivals]

Do you think people would call on cameron to resign if scotland went independent?

why would they? It's naff all to do with anything he's specifically done, aside from giving the people of Scotland the chance to vote.

The SNP have existed for nearly 100 years, but it's really only the last 30 years that they've been getting a significant share of the vote. There's lots of reasons for that, but the smallest reason of all appears to be "we want our independence wherever that might lead us".

[Spindles]

Indeed. Single issue politics lends to nearsightedness on all the other issues. Imagine if UKIP were to garner a significant enough percentage of the vote in the next general election to get a few MPs in and be a potential coalition influence, apart from bleating on about the EU and smoking in pubs ( ©2014 Stewart Lee) they wouldn't have a clue on anything else.

I know it is different in Scotland, to be fair, as the SNP have been experienced in Government at assembly level, whether that would work in an independent nation I couldn't say.

Make sure you work that one for both sides - there's Project Fear and there's Project Bullshit, both as bad as each other.

[mrtourette]

The only thing about the Scots that bothers me is this idea that the English hate them. I and virtually everyone I know just thinks of them as "like Northerners, but further"*. It seems like the Scots have a far bigger issue about the English than we do about them, and seem to expect us to have some level of antipathy that - for the most part - just isn't there. It's kinda weird.

*for the record I'm not actually a Southern pansy, but all of my friends are and I've now lived down South longer than up North, so I cba to exclude myself.

Edited March 10, 2014 by mrtourette

[mrtourette]

do most scottish people "hate" england? That would be a more relevant topic than this one, considering the english have no say on this matter. I've no idea to be honest.

Do you think people would call on cameron to resign if scotland went independent? I reckon it would be an incredibly demoralising event if they did break away