PlayEngland v Scotland
Published: Monday, 18 February 2008, 11:40AM
It’s changed hands between England and Scotland no less than 13 times, but after 526 years of English rule, ‘Berwickers’ have voted in their droves to signal their desire to be governed by Scotland once again.
In a special referendum held by ITV1’s Tonight programme (screened Monday 18 February at 8pm ITV1 and 19 February at 10.30pm on STV), just over 60 per cent of people voting in the border town said they wanted Berwick to become part of Scotland and to have the same free public servicdes currently enjoyed by the Scots.
Impressively, 1,957 votes were polled for the TV referendum, compared to some 3,800 in the last local elections. 1,182 (60.4%) voted ‘Yes’ to becoming part of Scotland; 775 (39.6%) voted to stay English.
Presenter Jonathan Maitland staged the referendum in Berwick to highlight concerns about the inequalities between Scotland and England’s public services: with the Scots getting free personal care for the elderly, free higher education, prescriptions and better access to new medicines – exclusive benefits all subsides by English taxpayers.
Former Diplomatic policeman Michael Ross from Berwick headed the pro-Scotland campaign for the TV vote. “Berwick is a very special place and I think is largely forgotten within England,” he said. “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.”
Former Berwick school teacher Barbara Herdman campaigned in the town for a pro-English vote and for a change in how public spending is allocated across the UK. “I think that Berwick should stay part of England because it’s so unfair what is happening at the moment. The Scots are getting more money than we are. I’m not saying that the Scots should not get what they get, but that we should get the same.”
“The government funding formulas for the national regions are increasingly a subject of great debate for politicians and social commentators, particularly since the SNP – who are campaigning for Scottish independence - came to power.”
Latest public spend figures indicate that each Scot now gets £1,500 more per head spent on them from public funds than their English neighbour.
Benefits exclusive to Scotland include:
• Free University fees
• Free Personal care for the elderly
• Free central heating installation for pensioners
• Free school meals for some Scottish children between the ages of four and seven-with plans to extend to children of all ages.
• More readily available specialist drugs for many serious illnesses, such as cancer, sometimes free
• Free prescription charges for all by 2011- as announced by First Minister Alex Salmond
• Free dental check-ups and eye tests
Tonight talks to English and Scottish people whose individual circumstances and public service needs are similar, but who face very different levels of benefit – including two students from Berwick equal in their ability and desire to study the same University course, one of whom lives a mile or so over the border in Scotland and therefore will study for free, while the student residing in England faces £3,000 a year in fees.
Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council http://www.berwick-upon-tweed.gov.uk/
Scottish Parliament http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/
Scottish National Party http://www.snp.org/
The Scottish Government http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Home
Directgov – public services all in one place http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm
Patients Association http://www.patients-association.org.uk/
The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation http://www.roycastle.org/
Age Concern www.ageconcern.org.uk/
Help the Aged www.helptheaged.org.uk/
Alzheimer’s Society http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/index.php
With thanks to students from of Communication and Public Relations at Northumbria University www.northumbria.ac.uk/icm