MPs calling for return of town to Scottish rule

9:20am Monday 11th February 2008

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SCOTTISH MPs are calling for the border with England to be moved south to take in the town of Berwick.

Days ahead of an unofficial referendum on the town's future, eight Scottish Nationalist MSPs called for a return to government from Edinburgh.

One of them, Christine Grahame, called on Berwick to "return to the fold".

The referendum, being staged by ITV's Tonight programme, is said to be split 50-50.

But some Scottish politicians are getting even bigger ideas, demanding the border be moved south 20 miles, taking in large tracts of North Northumberland.

Lib Dem MSP Jeremy Purvis said: "The big debate in Scotland should not be about independence, it should be about Scotland being bigger."

However, Berwick Borough Council leader Elizabeth Hunter said: "I cannot see it happening.

"It keeps popping up every ten years or so. The question is where do you stop? There has got to be a border somewhere.

"I would say it is about 50-50 whether people feel English or Scottish. It depends who you talk to.

"I think if you come into contact with the NHS, you want to be Scottish, but lots of people call themselves Berwickers. They do not feel we belong to Scotland or England - we are out on our own."

The debate has so ruffled feathers that the Scottish First Minister issued a statement, saying: "The Scottish Government has no territorial demands on our friends and neighbours in England.

"The future of Berwick is best left to the views of the people who live there."

Berwick, with a population of nearly 12,000, is a mile from the Scottish border. It changed hands between the two countries at least 13 times between 1296 and 1482.

It has been English since then, but Berwick Rangers play in the Scottish football league.

There are also concerns that plans for a unitary council for Northumberland could result in power being moved to Morpeth - nearly 50 miles south.

The ITV Tonight programme, revealing the result of Berwick's unofficial referendum, will be screened on Monday, February 25.