23/01/2012 Newsnight Scotland

less important than the prosperity -- prosperity borne by this strange

mixture of communism and capitalism. On Newsnight Scotland: Is the sense

of Britishness in decline? A report out today suggests talk of

Scotland's constitutional future is creating a stronger sense of

English identity, and increasing demands for England to have its own

parliament. So what do people in England think of Scottish

We've been asking the people of Cornwall to find out. Good evening.

Until now you'd be forgiven for thinking all eyes have been fixed

on the arguments over an independence referendum in Scotland.

Today the focus shifted to a wider consequence of the debate over our

constitutional future. A report from the Institute for Public

Policy Research has found evidence of a growing sense of English

identity, with more and more people south of the border feeling the

current devolved set-up is leaving them short changed. England learned

the hard way at the South African World Cup in 2010 that things do

not always turn out as you want. Their exit at the hands of Germany

was clearly a painful experience. It is not just on the pitch and

terraces that people are questioning themselves, they have

been doing soul-searching on the political front as well. With

devolution an issue for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for

over a decade perhaps now it is their turn. Scotland remember how

painful the ups and downs of national identity can be. As

Scotland prepares for an independence referendum many in

England are asking what this should mean for them. Attitudes towards

Englishness is the subject of a report. The work carried out in

England last summer found that a new angle British identity was

emerging. The current UK structure of Government is deemed unfair and

that an English dimension to the governance of England is needed. If

Englishness in a cultural sense did simultaneously link with both the

Rolling Stones and Morris dancing, what might Englishness in a

political sense mean? The deputy leader of the Lib Dems says an

English parliament would be a start because the current system has

become unjust to England and should not continue. His boss, the Deputy

Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, is not amused. You deputy has called for

an English parliament, do you agree? I do not agree with that. He

has had these used for many years. Do you think England are under-

represented in the system? I think when the argument is about

wrenching Scotland out of the system, let's focus on that debate

and get the SNP to provide basic answers. As we in Scotland prepare

to celebrate our Bard this week, in a country where independence is a

possibility Englishness and Britishness can no longer be passed

off as the same thing. I'm joined now from Cardiff by one of the

authors of the report, Professor Richard Wyn Jones. What do you

think is behind this increasing sense of Englishness? I think there

are a variety of factors at work. Some clearly is a response to the

perceived unfairness of the devolution settlement anomalies.

English voters are clearly very unhappy, increasingly unhappy with

the so-called West Lothian question scenario. There is an increasing

sense among English voters that Scotland and Wales do very well out

of devolution, unfairly well. There is more than that. I think sport is

part of it. National identity as we in Wales and Scotland know is part

of a bigger phenomenon. There are also deeper seated cultural changes

at work at the popular level. One of the fascinating things about

what is a occurring in England is that it is occurring at the popular

level. Very few politicians are comfortable with this. It was

probably being en Nick Clegg's comments, it is not something he is

comfortable dealing with. But is an increasing sense of English

identity the same as an increasing sense of English nationalism?

is an interesting question. What we find in England is that similar to

Scotland and here in Wales most people still have an overlapping

sense of English and British identity. The English dimension of

that is strengthening and crucially, the more English you feel, the more

you feel that the present arrangements are not fear and the

more you want to see what has been called an English dimension to your

politics. -- not fear. -- fare. I am joined now from London by the

Conservative MP John Redwood, who is author of the book The Death of

Britain. It argued that devolution would fuel nationalist movements in

Wales and Scotland. He is one of the party's leading Euro-sceptics.

With identity, do you see yourself as the English or British? Like

many English people, my sense of loyalty is moving. If you asked me

ten years ago, I would not have hesitated by saying British,

belonging to the United Kingdom, proud of my united country. The

more devolution changes the country, the more we say we are English.

Some of my constituents, more and more severe English identity as

being more important than British identity. -- more and more seek

their English identity. A lot of this is connected to the European

Union. It is based on a dislike of an intrusive European Government.

Argue in favour of an English parliament? I favour English boats

bought English issues. -- votes. I would like Scotland to stay within

the Union, but that is for the Scottish people to decide. Some

people within England would like a vote themselves. I do not like

bureaucracy and politicians, there are enough already. I want to see

the English Parliament and United Kingdom Parliament co-existing in

Westminster and English MPs making decisions for devolved England that

MSPs will make in Edinburgh. That will require certification for each

bill and is not as simple as it might seem. Could that then create

different classes of MPs and drive wedges between different parts of

the United Kingdom? I always thought the devolution settlement

would not be permanent, it was always to unstable. That is that

English and Welsh peoples would want increasing power, so it was a

journey at not a settlement, then it could be followed by an English

backlash. People in England would say, we want to make those

decisions as well. Is there an English backlash? Clearly, in this

latest polling, you can see people wanting English votes for English

issues, the same devolution or England as Scotland already has.

You can test which Bill is which, looking at what can be settled for

England or Scotland. Do you think that independence for Scotland is

inevitable? I do not think so. It will be an interesting debate. The

latest polling tells me that it Scotland voted today on it,

Scotland will vote to state in the Union. He said that devolution is

usually a step towards breaking up the Union. That is the danger and

it is what I have argued. Devolution has not proved to be a

settlement, it is a journey and the Scottish nationalists are now in

office in Edinburgh and wished to use their power base over an

extended period of months to campaign for independence and

honestly think, if the vote is delayed and campaigning is subtle,

then the Scottish people can be persuaded to vote for independence.

I believe that is why other parties in the union would like an early

vote, whilst polling shows the Scottish people by a majority wish

to state in the Union. You are in Westminster. Your Government could

call its own vote. It could, but that would be better advised for

the Government to do what it is doing, trying to negotiate with

Alex Salmond and the Scottish Government for mutual agreement.

The legal power lies with the parliament of the union, no one can

deny that, but understanding the legal and political position, most

of us agreed that the main interest is in Scotland and we are happy for

Scottish votes to decide the future of Scotland within the Union. It

then makes sense to me go see it that with Alex Salmond. -- to

discuss that with Alex Salmond. Many of the people in Scotland who

do not vote for the SNP, those people would also like to influence

the question as Alex Salmond would. Why do you want to see the UK to

stay intact? I am a traditionalist and conservative and on the whole

it has been successful. It is only in recent years that it has become

more ragged because of how devolution was handled, not

offering enough to the Scots to satisfy Scottish ambition, not

thinking about the English problem, and also connected with the gross

intrusion of the European Union into our affairs. But its got and

left the UK, or why would the rest of the UK be a less good place as a

result? I think we have been stronger together in the past and

could be in the future. There will be a lot of things to a scramble

that will be difficult. But it is ultimately for the Scottish people

to decide. You will not let me discuss what matters to England.

England once votes on English issues, so we can make our own

decisions, but England deeply resents the European Union's

attempts to break-up England into a series of mock regions we do not

recognise and do not reflect her mac identities. Scotland and Wales

has a single identity as separate regions. We in England are being

attacked, as we see it, by the European Union, but this England

cannot speak its name. That is fuelling the resentment in England.

Some people in your party think that there should be a vote across

the United Kingdom on the future of Scotland. Are you in that camp?

I am not. This is in their interests of the Scottish people

and it would be happy for Scotland to make her own decision. If you

want to break-up the union, looking at current bowling, it would be

wise to have more English people voting, because Scottish

independence seems to be more popular in England. John Redwood,

life at Westminster, thank you very much.

One part of England that has seen repeated calls for a shift in

powers from Westminster to its own assembly is Cornwall. In the first

of a series on how the English see us, Ian Hamilton has been to the

Cornish capital Truro to gauge the strength of feeling for devolution

there. And to find out what they think of the prospect of Scottish

We look to our celtic cousins to support us in our aspirations and

we will support them. Cornwall feels like a long way away.

Compared with Scotland, it is warm or at this time of year. It has a

lot in common with the other Celtic nations. Unlike Scotland, Northern

Ireland and Wales, -- and like Scotland, Northern Ireland and

Wales, there are calls on its own Scottish Government. Mebyon Kernow

is a small and growing presence and the equivalent of the Scottish

National Party. They can only fantasise about the electoral

success the SNP are currently enjoying. We are currently listen

to more by Europe than Westminster. People understand our issues in

Scotland and Wales than in central London. We are a rural, dispersed

community with a range of issues that relate to that and relates to

the fact we are far from the centres of power and governance, so

people in Wales and Scotland will understand that more than people in

London. The Cornish nationalists had a keen eye on what is happening

north of the border. But are locals as interested in nationalism as

politicians? I up come to the Cornish capital of Truro teach you

what people think of Scottish independence. It Scotland can

support themselves independently without inputs from England and

Wales' financially, then Scotland has a good reason to go independent.

I would be concerned about Scotland's economic stability on

its own and funding the NHS. Scotland wants to be separate, I

have no problem with that. This does not exactly have attention of

Scotland against England. This is Cornwell against the English Ladies

of Devon. There is a lot of rivalry. But it is friendly. At you but deep

in any sport is out to win. -- anybody in any sport is out to win.

When it comes to the Scottish referendum on independence, what do

the trick will happen? If the Scottish people want to be

independent, as long as certain things can be sorted, I see no

reason why not. There were discussions years ago about having

a home rule for Cornwall, but we did not have the number of the

population to be able to sustain that. We still rely on the rest of

England to support Cornwall and I think it is the same in Scotland,

there will be a lot of English support to keep them going. Do you

think there is a lot of demand in Cornwall for local support for the

people in Cornwall? I do not think it is as strong as it is dealt in

Scotland. To say the locals are not interested would be an

understatement. What seems to exercise them the most is what we

get bird three mac, such as university education, care probably

elderly and the any case, which they do not get here. -- what they

get or free. Could up at the day exploited by those who want to see

changed to out the UK? incidence of climate change will we

invigorate rural life, and I think that will enforce or strongly

influence a renegotiation of relationships. The days of the

English empire are numbered. I was constantly told that neither

Scotland or Cornwall were big enough to sustain themselves. But

what drives self-determination? A sense of place and being? The

ability to make local decisions? Or is it purely down to economics?

Now a quick look at tomorrow's front pages. The Scotsman looks at

the benefit cap. The same story in the Guardian. And Harry and

Redknapp in court there. That is all for now. You can see us again

on iPlayer. Goodbye. -- Harry Critical and some snow in the

morning across the hills of southern Scotland and northern

England. Some snow as far south as East Anglia and Lincolnshire. A

cold and -- a cold and grey day across the East. For the South East,

expect dull and wet conditions through the afternoon. While there

further west, temperatures into double figures, but still greet

with some mist across the coasts and hills. Damp conditions across

west Wales throughout the day, but milder here and in Northern Ireland.

The West coast of Scotland also grey and damp. There could be some

snow in the East. The weather milder for all places. That is by

Wednesday, but still a lot of cloud and rain. That is particularly

across Scotland and Northern Ireland. The rain creeping into

parts of England and Wales, but much dry but dull. Eastern areas

Maxine higher temperatures on Wednesday. The rain across western