Why does there have to be a Scottish/English rivalry?

To counter your point that people are irritated by having another country plastered all over their home country. Most people (unfortunately) don't give a ****.

In my experience, the "rivalry" exists mainly in the fevered imaginations of SNP activists, and more generally in the less well-educated echelons of Scottish popular discourse. This article is more a reaction to the current situation, the upcoming referendum, and so on. For the most part, English people simply don't think about Scotland that much.

On the other hand, many Scots buy into a kind of glib Scottish nationalism that has emerged in the last couple of decades, which the movie Braveheart exemplifies (hence the SNP promoting Gaelic as the native language of Scotland, when in fact the majority of that country's inhabitants spoke Scots, a language that's basically English with a few dialect variations. Also, the tendency to behave as though the Highland culture is authentic Scottish culture, and completely ignoring the lowlands Scots). This is a kind of bastard nationalism that views itself primarily through the prism of Scotland's relationship with England and a sense of grievance arising thereof, rather than a positive nationalism based on a healthy respect for one's own country and culture.

Being originally from Australia, it reminds me a lot of the putative rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. Melbournians have a huge chip on their shoulder, and are constantly comparing their city to Sydney and blathering on about how Sydney is superficial and status-obsessed etc. Sydneysiders rarely think too much about it, and see Melbourne as a nice place to visit, but they don't obsess over it. It's also a lot like the anti-London sentiment in the North, many Northerners go on and on about how awful, crowded and status-obsessed London and the southeast are. Londoners simply don't think about it that much.

To the extent that a rivalry can exist, it should be a kind of sibling rivalry; the kind of banter-y, good-natured and ultimately familial relationship you see between the UK and Australia. The SNP tendency to view the union of England & Wales, and Scotland, as exploitative, and the English as carpetbaggers and jack-booted conquerors, is juvenile as it is misconceived.

It was in reference to being told to support another country at the World Cup. I'd have no problem having an EU or Union Jack flag in Leeds/London/Edinburgh, because England & Scotland fall under Europe & the UK. But I would be peeved if, for example, we were told to support Scotland for an event instead because England didn't make it.

If you come to Glasgow, I'll literally take your heart out of your chest and eat it.

It's definitely more a sporting rivalry than anything else, same as we English have with the Welsh and Irish. Even that can be overcome though - I don't think anyone is as proud of their national football or rugby teams, for example, as they are of Team GB at the Olympics who were truly world-beaters. When push comes to shove, both England and Scotland proudly share the same democratic, tolerant values, for which we have fought side-by-side over the last few hundred years. The rivalries, while heated, are all good-natured

In my experience, the "rivalry" exists mainly in the fevered imaginations of SNP activists, and more generally in the less well-educated echelons of Scottish popular discourse. This article is more a reaction to the current situation, the upcoming referendum, and so on. For the most part, English people simply don't think about Scotland that much.

On the other hand, many Scots buy into a kind of glib Scottish nationalism that has emerged in the last couple of decades, which the movie Braveheart exemplifies (hence the SNP promoting Gaelic as the native language of Scotland, when in fact the majority of that country's inhabitants spoke Scots, a language that's basically English with a few dialect variations. Also, the tendency to behave as though the Highland culture is authentic Scottish culture, and completely ignoring the lowlands Scots). This is a kind of bastard nationalism that views itself primarily through the prism of Scotland's relationship with England and a sense of grievance arising thereof, rather than a positive nationalism based on a healthy respect for one's own country and culture.

Being originally from Australia, it reminds me a lot of the putative rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne. Melbournians have a huge chip on their shoulder, and are constantly comparing their city to Sydney and blathering on about how Sydney is superficial and status-obsessed etc. Sydneysiders rarely think too much about it, and see Melbourne as a nice place to visit, but they don't obsess over it. It's also a lot like the anti-London sentiment in the North, many Northerners go on and on about how awful, crowded and status-obsessed London and the southeast are. Londoners simply don't think about it that much.

To the extent that a rivalry can exist, it should be a kind of sibling rivalry; the kind of banter-y, good-natured and ultimately familial relationship you see between the UK and Australia. The SNP tendency to view the union of England & Wales, and Scotland, as exploitative, and the English as carpetbaggers and jack-booted conquerors, is juvenile as it is misconceived.

Because England is better than Scotland.

Not our fault they're worse at everything.

Not our fault they're worse at everything.

Can one not be Scottish and British in the same way that I would consider myself English and British? It seems to only be Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon and a few of their supporters that don't feel this is the case.

George Osborne is correct on the pound. Thought I'd chime in with this as well.