An English border town has voted to join Scotland so it can enjoy better public services, it was announced today. Six in ten residents of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland supported a switch in allegiance from Westminster to Edinburgh, in an unofficial referendum organised by ITV1s Tonight show. The programme makers said the yes vote reflected clear concerns in England about better services north of the Border, such as free personal care for the elderly and free school meals in primary schools. The SNP has been quick to capitalise on the results with Scotland Nationalist MSP Christine Grahame calling on Berwicks council to organise an official referendum, which would cost £10,000, to give locals their say. But last night her boss, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, was accused of cynically exploiting the poll to try to recapture lucrative North Sea energy and fishing rights from Westminster. In a move certain to infuriate Gordon Brown, Mr Salmond promised to make the necessary representations to make Berwick Scottish if residents voted in favour in a full referendum. Critics believe growing pressure by Nationalists to redraw the Border is driven by a desire to grab valuable offshore mineral and fishing rights. At stake is control of thousands of square miles of British waters, including numerous oil and gas fields, income from future wind farm developments and one of the North Seas richest fishing grounds at Berwick Bank. In the survey carried out for this weeks Tonight programme, to be broadcast tomorrow, more than 60 per cent of those polled in Berwick backed a proposal to return to Scotland. Organisers of the TV programme said the poll turnout of 1,957 votes compared to 3,800 in the last local elections. It followed a similar online survey held by local newspaper, The Berwickshire Advertiser, last week that revealed 78 per cent of residents backed reunification with Scotland. A similar poll 10 years ago divided the towns 12,000 residents with the slimmest majority when just 51 per cent said they were in favour of returning to Scotland. Former policeman Michael Ross who headed the pro-Scotland campaign in the latest poll, said: Berwick is a very special place and I think it is largely forgotten within England. I believe we would be the jewel in the crown of Scotland, I believe our economy would be better understood and better looked after by the Edinburgh government than it is by Westminster. But former school teacher Barbara Herdman who campaigned to stay part of England said what was needed was a change in how public spending is allocated across the UK. She said: Its so unfair what is happening at the moment. The Scots are getting more money than we are. Im not saying that the Scots should not get what they get, but that we should get the same. Historically, Berwick Upon Tweed has changed hands between the two countries at least 13 times, but has been under English control for the last 500 years. Reaction to a motion by Miss Grahame in the Scottish Parliament calling for the town to return to the fold has not all been favourable. The towns Lib Dem MP Alan Beith and council leader Isabel Hunter have both warned it would be too complicated and cause a massive legal upheaval.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 20:49:38 +0000
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