"United" Kingdom?

WTF? Where exactly do you go on holidays? And what is that bull about not feeling safe because you are English. That is utter bollocks and I think you should stop misleading people thank you very much.

I think you will find that Scotland and England are seperate on a lot of issues but as SamTheMan stated that is because of their differing policies and the way Scotland moves almost independently. So please do not spout utter bullshit without knowing what you are talking about. We are not big giant ginger monsters who hate the english. We are just like the English. Everyone looks out for their best interests, but there will always be a divide.

Inferiority complex........ poor misunderstood, underachieving neighbours

I dont think its that England dont have a national identity but that it is viewed upon as wrong to show it.....some times seen as big headed and sumtimes even rasist ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Many Scots just can't get over the fact that they are under our mercy since 1707.

Because scottish people have ginger hair and they are jealous of the brits for having brown and blonde hair.
No? Nah, I dunno they just hate us.

They were talking about making a United Kingdom football team, but what Scot would turn up to watch ten English men and Ryan Giggs?

I think there has been a BIG rise in Scottish nationalism in recent years. i grew up in northern England and we didn't have any money to go abroad so my family always went on holiday in Scotland, only a short drive from home. It has changed so much. It has become common for English people to be refused service in bars and restaurants for example, just because they are English. Not in Edinbrugh (never been to Glasgow.) but in smaller towns, all the time. Blatent open hatred. I don't go there anymore. I don't feel safe or welcome. I think if they feel so strongly that they hate the English, we should just cut Scotland loose. Tell them to p*$$ off. They are massively over represented in parliament (Scottish MPs can makes laws in England, but not vice versa.), plus they have better schools and hospitals because they get an unfair share of tax paid by the English! Don't even get me started on the university tuition fees thing! So I say good riddance!

Wales v Ireland was the first ever international match

Sibling rivalry.

Do you think it is fair that scottish students going to uni in England after top up fees are introduced will have to pay the fees up front? I certainly wouldn't be able to afford 3000 pounds per year on top of the living costs.

The Scots have a lot to be proud of, never being beaten by the English, the Romans before then...
I don't quite get why we don't get along better than we do.

For historic reasons the Scots dislike the English. From the Act of Sucession in the early 17th century until the recent passing of the Scotland Act, the Scots have been ruled by what many of them consider to be a foreign and unrepresentitive London government. And they hate us for it.

because they're all narrow-minded people who are still bothered about events that happened 300 or more years ago.

but my question is are Scottish girls any good?

We achieve in other ways. Football isn't everything . And please do bear in mind when saying we're crap at football, we are a really titchy country with only 5 million people. Mind you we do have a terrible team .



Very true. The English national identity seems to have been hijacked by the BNP etc. Although there seems to have been a large positive display of said identity lately with the Euro championships.



Actually it was our king that took over your country, so technically you've been under our mercy since 1603.


Probably quite a lot. We'd be very happy to support a national team that did well. It would probably do a lot to help ease relations and I think if it happened you'd be surprised at how much Scottish support would be behind it.
We don't hate you at all. We just don't love you completely as it often feels you want us to.




I'm honestly sorry to hear of your experiences and I want to say that we're not all like that. I must admit I have heard several stories of the like. However such people do seem to be in the minority, and it does seem to be in certain areas. The vast majority of Scottish people do not hate the English.
We are also not massively overly represented in parliament. Scotland's parliament only makes decisions on certain issues, e.g. education as the Scottish education system is vastly different. So it's better that it gets dealt with in Scotland, rather than ignored in England. Wheras issues that affect the whole of the UK, e.g. the Euro constitution, are voted on by a parliament of MPs from all the countries of the UK. Under this system, England should probably have it's own parliament, but the whole reason for the Welsh assembly and the Scottish parliament was that it's mainly English issues dealt with at Westminster.
And please do cut us loose. Give us independence and we'll happily bugger off out of your parliament. As an independent country we wouldn't have to have debates like this.



It's nice to hear you say that. However I think, as a lot of Scots do, that just because we're beside a country, doesn't mean we are obliged to support them. In Euro 2004 for instance, I'm supporting France, Sweden and Holland, for various reasons (and not because France beat England, although I must admit I relished that game, or at least the end of it). Just because we're neighbours, doesn't bind us to eternal Beckham worshipping (or Rooney, or whoever's still in the collective goodbooks). And the idea that it does pushes more Scots away, festering more resentment.



Wasn't it England versus Scotland?



Probably is. Look at league football. Teams close to one another are more likely to be rivals than support each other. Why it is expected to be different at international level? Just because the Eurovision song contest is supposedly like that?



Hear Hear!!



Yes that's very true except for one crucial fact. The English never captured the Scots. James the 6th of Scotland was the nearest relation after Elizabeth the 1st died, so the English crown went to him. Eventually the crowns were linked.



Neither do I mate, neither do I.



Very true although hate is too strong a word I feel. Resent is more appropriate.



Only a narrowminded person would make a generalisation like that.



Oh we lassies are the best



Apologies for the huge post, but I bet I find some of the things being said about Scots here a lot more insulting than any lack of support in a silly little football game.

Actually it was our king that took over your country, so technically you've been under our mercy since 1603.

I'm honestly sorry to hear of your experiences and I want to say that we're not all like that. I must admit I have heard several stories of the like. However such people do seem to be in the minority, and it does seem to be in certain areas. The vast majority of Scottish people do not hate the English.

We are also not massively overly represented in parliament. Scotland's parliament only makes decisions on certain issues, e.g. education as the Scottish education system is vastly different. So it's better that it gets dealt with in Scotland, rather than ignored in England. Wheras issues that affect the whole of the UK, e.g. the Euro constitution, are voted on by a parliament of MPs from all the countries of the UK. Under this system, England should probably have it's own parliament, but the whole reason for the Welsh assembly and the Scottish parliament was that it's mainly English issues dealt with at Westminster.

And please do cut us loose. Give us independence and we'll happily bugger off out of your parliament. As an independent country we wouldn't have to have debates like this.

Yes that's very true except for one crucial fact. The English never captured the Scots. James the 6th of Scotland was the nearest relation after Elizabeth the 1st died, so the English crown went to him. Eventually the crowns were linked.

It's to reassure themselves of their national identity.
In the UK, Scotland, Wales have a strong national identity. England never really did. Instead of being a big equivalent of Scotland or Wales, we're just what's left of the UK when you take away the regions with a strong regional identity.
Making fun of the English is a way of reaffirming the national identity.

A bit like the way Canada (although they're a sovereign state), make fun of the Americans in their Molson's ads. They get the impression that gives them a national identity

The term British Isles includes Ireland (republic of and NI)

I think this post proves you are exactly the kind of aggressive Scottish Nationalist who makes me avoid Scotland.

Growling at anything in particular?

It's a shame this thread has gone a little out of shape, was hoping for a great debate

Would it not be easier to grant Scotland independence rather than have devolution?

Well, after reading all this, i couldnt believe how much Britain is like Canada.

Well, in canada, we have 10 provinces and 3 territories. Each province and territiory has a legislative assembly. Each province looks after its own health care, education, natural resources and taxes. The federal goverment looks after defence, police, foriegn policy, and trade.

The federal goverment dosnt have much to say on what provinces do, thus sometimes there is a loose bond between the federal on provincial goverments. Sometimes the provinces group togeather and fight eachother or fight the federal goverment.

Cultural differences vary too. We have a provinve called qeubec that has a strong french identity. Many bills had been passed through parliment to please the qeubecers. If you come to Canada, there is french and english T.V., cereal boxes, signs, ect. Also the french canadians get a specail status. They have a totally different law system, cival law. Many times they have tried to split from canada and some extremists formed terrorist orginizations, bombing and kidnaping political officials.

Many english Canadians dislike the french, especially in hockey. The rivalry between the two groups shows its best in the game of hockey.

As you see, Canada has a similar problem

The U.S. is another example. Many southerners dislike the north, and have a different belief systems. Many southernors are more conservative, and some racist, while the north is more liberal.

The United states also has a similar problem too.