If you're in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, do you still feel part of a 'united' kingdom?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

I'm in Wales, with family in England. Obviously I've always been aware of the divide (with some aspects more divided than others) but I feel increasingly like I don't even recognise England. It doesn't sound safe, the government is so chaotic it's not even funny any more, and now yesterday. Does anyone else feel like England's handling of the pandemic will permanently and fundamentally change the dynamics of the UK?

Even today after the death of Sean Connery Ian Blackford and NS were dropping the fact he was an avid supporter of Scottish independence into their condolences. He lived in the frigging Bahamas! If he lived Scotland so much he would have stayed

Have a go at Michael Caine, the Beckhams, Mick Jagger etc etc...........not to mention half the Tories whose investments are all off shore or in Europe (despite dragging us out of it).

Why is that a problem. Lots of celebrities live abroad! Doesn't mean you hate the place of your birth. Lots of ordinary people live outside the country of their birth - to work or for a host of other reasons. Doesn't mean they can't have an opinion on their native country.

@StoneofDestiny

I think you are missing the point. Why did they bring it up ? Every opportunity the SNP is pushing for independence.

And yes I think if he doesn’t live here his opinion is not relevant. Does anyone really care if Beyoncé is an avid supporter of Scottish independence?

[quote BashfulClam]@crazyfrogs no because it’s asking how the other 3 nations feel not how people in England feel. This is what I detest, we ask about the other nations who are an afterthought and people from England get the hump![/quote]
The question says nothing about Nationality so maybe you should think before you slag another poster off.

Why did they bring it up?

No I'm not missing the point. His love of the land of his birth and his desire for its Independence was an important aspect of his life. Some praised and some criticised him for it, but it shouldn't be ignored. He put it at the forefront of his life.

I feel that there’s been a sizeable shift in feeling about this topic during covid. In the way that the world wars brought about big societal changes (votes for women, the NHS for example) this pandemic will bring about changes - remote working being the most obvious example but also I think that the union as we know it may be liable to change.

I’m English with all my family in England but I have lived in Wales for years. I have always regarded myself as British.

I don’t feel part of a ‘United Kingdom’ any more, which really saddens me. This pandemic started off with briefings which applied to us all and then suddenly one week they didn’t and now it feels like we are totally separate.

I have felt it on here too recently.

Well Im Scottish first but I would feel more part of Great Britain if everything wasn't geared towards England first.

I'm born in Scotland with a Welsh family. Have felt very Scottish and very Welsh, but not once have I felt part of the UK.

I'm Scottish. Never felt British, ever.

Im in Northern Ireland, Brexit is the biggest threat to the union here. Ive been increasingly pissed off by the media focus on lockdown in England... One correspondent actually wondered whether the 3 devolved regions would follow England after BJ announcement ffs we've had localised lockdowns in Northern Ireland for well over a month (Derry and Strabane),& a province wide lockdown for a fortnight.
It's not even that though. There was absolutely no money to extend furlough, nope none at all. No money for Manchester and the parts of the North of England either.. It's only when the lockdown hits London that Rishi checks down the back of his sofa. It's shameful. It's not a UK anyway it's just a corrupt government sorting out their mates interests and bollix to the rest of us

Feel part of the UK? HA HA HA HA. Errrr, no. I am Scottish, and feel more so daily at the moment thanks to that Westminster shit show that we Scots didn’t even sodding vote for!

I am Scottish, I'm proud to be Scottish, always have been no mater where in the UK I have lived. I do not however, believe in an independent Scotland. I feel the SNP and their followers are extremely divisive. The hatred and vile comments I have had hurled at me on social media are vile just because I don't agree with their political views.
So many people nowadays seem to have absolutely no ability to see both sides. They are completely ingrained in their hatred for conservatives and I find that extremely scary. The Ian Blackfolds of this world certainly do not speak for the 'people of Scotland' as he so likes to tell everyone. He says it so often that he has pissed off so many English MPs they have come to the belief that England would be better off without Scotland - aka Ian Blackford et al.

Scottish and European.

Have never 'identified' as British and never will. Independence can't come soon enough, as sorry as I will feel for my English family, friends and colleagues.

I'm in Scotland and no, I don't feel part of the Union. I can't even get into all the reasons because it makes me angry and sick and it's bedtime.

But no, I certainly don't.

Look at furlough, Scotland has been told we will only get furlough till 2 Dec same as England, so if we did want to lockdown later we'd be stuffed.
I couldn't despise this government more, but at least we have a fair chance of independence this next time.

@Corcory

I am Scottish, I'm proud to be Scottish, always have been no mater where in the UK I have lived. I do not however, believe in an independent Scotland. I feel the SNP and their followers are extremely divisive. The hatred and vile comments I have had hurled at me on social media are vile just because I don't agree with their political views. So many people nowadays seem to have absolutely no ability to see both sides. They are completely ingrained in their hatred for conservatives and I find that extremely scary. The Ian Blackfolds of this world certainly do not speak for the 'people of Scotland' as he so likes to tell everyone. He says it so often that he has pissed off so many English MPs they have come to the belief that England would be better off without Scotland - aka Ian Blackford et al.

Ian Blackford runs rings round them down there, who are you kidding

No, I don't. European and adopted Scot, I voted for Independence first time, will do the same again.

Yes, I am in Scotland and feel very much part of the UK.

TV, culture, language, history - everything really. Differences to other parts of the UK, but still making it up as a whole.

I've never felt less British, due to Covid. At the start it was we are all in it together.

After the initial lockdown things became very different.

In my experience Scotland has had some of the most stringent rules and regulations.
Tiers come in this week. Of coure NS had to have 5 tiers. The city I live in had 38 cases in the most previous week. This is a city of just under 240 000. So we got put in tier 2 , when we should be in 1. Also nobody can be a 0 yet.
I'm sick of ppl saying politics have no play at all.
One day when this is passed, NS will use statistics over Covid in her speeches. I'm really finding her over bearing right now.

So yes I dont feel very British right now. However I will not vote for an SNP run independent Scotland.

Welsh. Never British. Even more so now.

I’m Welsh but have always felt ‘British’. It saddens me to see the change in attitude and division between nations over the past few months. However, I can’t say I blame people’s frustrations when BJ has shown little regard for the leaders of the devolved nations, with Drakeford admitting that they barely communicate. You would think that it would be more important than ever to at least speak to each other!

It’s also interesting to see the lack of knowledge people have about rules/COVID restrictions in the other nations (myself included). Wales started getting a lot of attention in the UK media for our ‘firebreak’ lockdown but we’ve been in local lockdown for 7 weeks in my part of Wales, which was less widely reported.

It’s interesting to see how it’s all playing out quite differently but I have a feeling that, by the end of the month, we’ll all be back on the same page again as we move towards Christmas. It would certainly be easier to keep a track of things.

No

Recent years and isolation style politics and voting trends have made me feel less and less connected to England even though I mostly grew up there

I'm a Scot born in and living in Scotland now, but as an army brat lived all over england and occasionally in Wales. I've many friends in England I am still in touch with but they're increasingly clueless about the effects such things as Brexit and covid management are having on the devolved nations

Not just the devolved nations either but also other parts of the union that Westminster may consider part of England eg Cornwall, Isle of Man etc

@BashfulClam I’m not sure that is the sole reason, I think it’s at least partly as it would be “poor optics” calling for a ref at the moment even though it would likely result in landslide victory for independence

Are the views of people in England not valid then?

🙄🙄🙄

No! The op wants to know how people In devolved nations feel about whether they feel part of the union.

That’s the premise of the thread.

If you wish to start one asking English folk how they feel about devolved nations remaining part of the union that’s absolutely your right to do and could be very interesting, but don’t try and hijack a thread aimed at those of us who are of devolved nations

An English person who’s always lived in England can’t possibly know what it’s like for those of us with devolved nationalities.

Geez talk about england centric derailing!

Regarding London and Brexit almost 40% of London residents were born outside the Uk, I’m struggling to find the stats regarding the % of London residents born OUTSIDE London but INSIDE the Uk and if anyone can help there I’d be very grateful (I’ve tried several different search terms and it only gives me international stats which is very annoying and I’m genuinely interested). I was once one of those myself living in London almost 2 years at one stage. Certainly then I met very people who were “genuine” born and bred Londoners and even fewer who were 2nd or 3rd generation born Londoners.

I'm quite jealous that Scotland have the opportunity to become independent, I'd love the same for NI but we couldn't survive on our own on another similar thread a united Celtic kingdom was suggested containing at least wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and possibly other Celtic parts of the Uk and maybe a few “honorary” celts! From that idea the way things are going Westminster will be lucky to be left ruling a single county!

But if you'd won the referendum you wouldn't have been in Europe any more why not? We could join the eu as an independent nation or even simply be recognised as such following independence from Westminster

Well yeah the English are paying for the English lockdown

Why would you think it fair England pays for the welshscotish the Irish as the English lock down?

Now I’m fairly sure you’re just being goady!

The Uk are paying for the English lockdown just as the uk would have been paying for the welsh, scottish and NORTHERN irish lockdowns out of taxes raised in all 4 countries

Why should welsh, scottish and northern irish taxes pay for English lockdown if Westminster won’t use those same taxes for ours?!

You’ve just illustrated perfectly the insular view that so many seem to have that England = UK yep! And a bit of ignorance on basic Uk political geography too!

As for the supposed northern irish poster who thinks the eec still exists... I’m genuinely stunned!

@sashagabadon - a very long OPPRESSIVE shared historic, England have never really been KIND to the devolved nations in any meaningful way but have used, abused and scapegoated us plenty!

It’s FAR from just Johnson or even THIS Tory govt that have been totally shitty in the way they’ve treated us, it goes back throughout the entire history of the union! For us Scots as far back as James vi’s betrayal!

even if it wasn’t all friendly all the time please DO point out when Westminster govt was particularly friendly to ANY. Of the devolved nations?

The odd Scots Mp accessing Westminster is largely irrelevant and definitely anomalous, I think I’m right in saying only one welsh pm and certainly no northern irish ones I don’t think!

BJ needs to exert more leadership over the devolved nations absolutely dreadful idea! Would go down as well as a cold cup of sick!

@Bidl - and exactly what IS our place? Doffing our caps to johnson for whom we did NOT vote? Subjugating OUR needs to Westminster’s? I think NOT!!!!

Well in Scotland NS has her own agenda of course she does! She’s a politician! This is no less true for Johnson ffs! Connery was a staunch supporter of independence, I agree hypocritically so but they’re not daft in promoting that fact given that he was a highly prominent actor! Johnson would do EXACTLY the same and worse!

Plenty of pro Brexit celebs don’t live in the Uk OR. Europe either and haven’t for decades!!

Nah the union is dead, it just needs burying before the stink gets too much!

I'm English but live in Wales and married to a Welsh man. There is definite relief where I live that we have Drakeford who for his failings at least seems to be trying hard to listen to science and trying to be honest. Unlike Boris. I have for the first time ever been looking at the Wales section of the news rather than the UK. And I've felt strange when hearing all the briefings with Whitty and Valance which have discussed England but not the rest of the UK. I suppose for the first time I feel other to the rest of the UK and that concerns me.

I feel the SNP and their followers are extremely divisive. The hatred and vile comments I have had hurled at me on social media are vile just because I don't agree with their political views

I'm certain SNP supporters are getting vitriolic and vile comments made to them by Unionists. In fact, some of the anti independence banners you see at marchers are plain scary - fascist rants no less.