ENGLISH ATTITUDES TO SCOTTISH NATIONALISM.

ENGLAND; SCOTLAND

Given the long history of Scottish and Irish struggle against the English and given the way in which the political independence of small countries often has to be bought with bloodshed, it might be imagined that the aspirations to independence among a large part of the Scottish population would be viewed unsympathetically by the English. The availability of a recent survey of British attitudes in this field makes an examination of this assumption possible. In the survey, samples of the London and Glasgow populations were taken and identical methodology was used. The N was in each case 100. Such surveys have, of course, been carried out before, but a great deal depends on the precise questions asked. Barker and Spencer, for instance, asked if respondents favored "A separate parliament with strong powers of its own" for Scotland. Among the Scots 42% were in favor but in the U.K. as a whole only 26% were in favor. It seemed possible that the alternatives offered to the respondents by the investigators might have been inadequate. The great English tradition of compromise surely demanded that a more moderate (perhaps "wishy washy") alternative also be suggested. In the present survey, therefore, the question was put as follows: As far as the connection between England and Scotland is concerned, do you think: 1. It should remain the same as it is now? 2. Scotland should get greater independence to some extent? 3. Scotland should become completely independent altogether? These might be called the Union, Devolution, and independence options, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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