Pulaski

That's interesting, because I would consider that several others, perhaps most of them, would stand out like a sore thumb from the group, but I suspect it is what personally "grates" that makes a difference. Essex accents for me are awful, as are Birmingham accents, and perhaps in sympathy with you, the worst excesses of a Sheffield accent also sound hideous to me, despite coming from there myself.

SultanOfSwing

They may be, in comparison with other, nicer regional English variations but throw wee Billy from Sandy Row in there and all bets are off

Sally Redux

It's a trap!

SultanOfSwing

Exactly

Lothianlad

I am a Scot now "repatriated" down to this part of England...about as stereotypically English as England can be on the edge of Cotswold country, home to may posh types with posh accents living in posh houses in posh little villages full of Olde English pubs and Olde English tearooms.

I go back home to Edinburgh on average about three times a month and from casual observation, and prompted by myself I ask for opinions both down here and up there on the forthcoming Scottish Independence issue.....very little concern or interest among a susprising number of people down here in this part of England until pressed for an opinion.

More forthcoming as you would expect back home in Edinburgh but what is surprising though is that there really appears to be more support, in some cases very much so, here in England than there is in Scotland itself.

Some of the more vocal English people say that they would really like to see:

1 The end of Scottish "leeching" off the English taxpayers and the English social welfare programs

2 The end of Scottish MPs voting on English domestic issues in the Westminster Parliament while at the same time English MPs have not been permitted to vote on Scottish domestic issues under any circumstances..these being represented at the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood (the same applies for Welsh MPs as well for Wales in Cardiff!)

3 The end of Scottish MPs sitting in the Westminster Parliament......44 of whom are Labour MPs therefore substantially reducing the chances of a Labour Government being elected for England and Wales in the future (and presumably Northern Ireland) at Westminster.

You can well see that they have a point!

scrubbedexpat099

I is arguable.

The others are logical. But if you go down this route where do you stop?

Pulaski

Independence of my housing estate from the tyranny of the city council?

holly_1948

My guess, only a guess, is that if Scotland were independent and Wales decided they were next, then Wales would want to form a nation in union with Scotland rather than each independent.

Celtic?

At that point Liverpool would want "in" and Westminster just might be happy to see them go! However, Liverpool being bigger than Cardiff (in spite of Liverpool being only half the size it was before the war) I can't see Plaid Cymru being too welcoming.

neilcumming

I hope not,thats all we need more politicians!Scotlands a pretty small country I wouldnt think it needs to give devolved powers to its regions.

neilcumming

Good post.Im from Edinburgh too,lived in Northants for 11yrs so I know where you are coming from,I experienced this too,it was more in the south of England,the north of England the people were more down to earth ,they seemed to have a better idea of things.

Pulaski

FIFY

neilcumming

What does FIFY mean?

Pulaski

Google is your friend.

scrubbedexpat099

Scotland is nearly 3x the size of say Belgium, and there has been long term issues between the north and the south.

Scotland, well you have the Borders, Lowlands, Highlands, Islands and would for example Aberdeen want to be tied in with Glasgow?

Steerpike

I just looked up the population of Scotland ... 5.25 million; about the same as the population of the San Francisco Bay Area metro, or the Phoenix Metro, and less than the population of Greater London ... yikes, what a big to-do about nothing ...!

As you were ...