Editing Berwick-upon-Tweed (section)

=== Berwick's identity ===

Berwick is famous for its hesitation over whether it is part of Scotland or England.<ref>{{cite web |last=Woolley |first=Alexander |date=11 September 2014 |title=The Scottish referendum means Berwick-upon-Tweed faces an uncertain future |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/2014/09/scottish-referendum-means-berwick-upon-tweed-faces-uncertain-future |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122033448/https://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/2014/09/scottish-referendum-means-berwick-upon-tweed-faces-uncertain-future |archive-date=22 January 2021 |access-date=20 January 2021 |website=www.newstatesman.com }}</ref> Some people are adamant they are English and their loyalty lies with Northumberland, while others feel an affinity with Scotland.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jan/13/scotland-independence-berwick-upon-tweed |work=The Guardian |date=13 January 2012 |title=Border town where Scottish independence is another dividing line |access-date=2 December 2018 |archive-date=2 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202202704/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jan/13/scotland-independence-berwick-upon-tweed |url-status=live }}</ref> Whilst it has been argued that the town's geographic and historic place between the two has led to it developing a distinctive identity of its own,<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last=MacEacheran |first=Mike |date=28 September 2020 |title=The British town with a third 'nationality' |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200927-the-british-town-with-a-third-nationality |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121172640/http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200927-the-british-town-with-a-third-nationality |archive-date=21 November 2020 |access-date=20 January 2021 |website=www.bbc.com }}</ref> many people in Berwick also have mixed Anglo-Scottish families which contributes to a sense of separate identity.<ref>[http://www.visitberwick.com/what-are-we Visitberwick.com. ''What we are.''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203055624/http://www.visitberwick.com/what-are-we |date=3 December 2018 }} Retrieved 2 December 2018.</ref> Historian Derek Sharman said "The people of Berwick feel really independent. You are a Berwicker first, Scottish or English second."<ref name=":0" /> Former mayor Mike Elliot said "25% of the town consider themselves English, 25% Scottish and 50% Berwickers."<ref>{{cite news |last=Kerr |first=Rachel |date=8 October 2004 |title=A tale of one town |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/3727046.stm |url-status=live |access-date=20 January 2021 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309184809/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/3727046.stm }}</ref> Professor Dominic Watt of the [[University of Aberdeen]] noted that: "Older people view themselves more as Scots than the younger people in Berwick, and this can be heard in their accents."<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |date=26 August 2004 |title=Devolution is silencing Berwick's Scots voices |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/devolution-silencing-berwicks-scots-voices-2509649 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202175202/https://www.scotsman.com/news/devolution-silencing-berwicks-scots-voices-2509649 |archive-date=2 February 2022 |access-date=20 January 2021 |website=www.scotsman.com }}</ref>

In 2008, [[Scottish National Party|SNP]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) [[Christine Grahame]] made calls in the [[Scottish Parliament]] for Berwick to become part of Scotland again.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7237802.stm |title='Return to fold' call for Berwick |access-date=17 July 2008 |work=BBC News |date=10 February 2008 |archive-date=13 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213182608/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7237802.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Liberal Democrat MSP [[Jeremy Purvis]], who was born and brought up in Berwick, asked for the border to be moved twenty miles south, stating: "There's a strong feeling that Berwick should be in Scotland. Until recently, I had a gran in Berwick and another in [[Kelso, Scottish Borders|Kelso]], and they could see that there were better public services in Scotland."<ref>'{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Sunday Post]] |date=10 February 2008 |title=Scots plan to capture 20 miles of England}}</ref> However, [[Alan Beith]], the former MP for Berwick, said the move would require a massive legal upheaval and is not realistic.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hamilton |first=Alan |date=13 February 2008 |title=Berwick thinks it's time to change sides... again |newspaper=[[The Times]] |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3359670.ece |access-date=14 February 2008}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Beith's successor as MP, [[Anne-Marie Trevelyan]], said: "Voters in Berwick-upon-Tweed do not believe it is whether they are in England or Scotland that is important."<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Dawson |first=Katie |date=1 May 2010 |title=Berwick-upon-Tweed: English or Scottish? |work= |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/england/8640148.stm |url-status=live |access-date=20 January 2021 |archive-date=27 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227141730/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/england/8640148.stm }}</ref>