THE BBC's Newsnight programme interviewed people in England about the break-up of the Union last night - and honestly? The results were exactly what you would expect.
In last night's segment, journalist Elizabeth Glinka heads to Grantham, Lincolnshire, to ask people how they would feel about the UK breaking up as a result of Brexit.
Newsnight - the table of English people in Grantham are asked how they feel about the possible break up of the uk... pure arrogance the answers. pic.twitter.com/T94qurQtf2
— The Secret gardener (@ecoscotgarden) November 12, 2019
Introducing the vox-pops, she calls the interviewees' responses "sceptical and defiant" at the prospect of UK nations going their separate ways.
Asked how the idea of the Union breaking up makes her feel, one woman replies: “It’s their choice but I do think it’s sad. It’s breaking up a Union.”
A man then chips in: “They can’t go because they wouldn’t be able to finance themselves. They’re only little bits of Britain. So how can they go?”
Glinka then asks another man: “If those countries, the other countries in the Union, say that’s it we’re off, does that matter to you? Do you mind?”
He responds: “If the United Kingdom finishes, the world will be finished in any case. So it doesn’t matter.”
The journalist then asks: “The world will be finished? You think so?”
The man replies: “Well I’m very proud to be English, I’m proud to be British, I’m proud to be part of the United Kingdom.”
A man who is not in shot then adds: “Who conquered half the world?”
“That’s right," replies the man who claimed the world would be "finished" if the Union broke up.
Later in the programme, Glinka speaks to Father Jonnie Parkin, the interim minister in Earlesfield.
He says he thinks there is a belief that Scotland can "go to hell" in England.
Asked about the rise of nationalism in the wake of the Brexit referendum, he says: “Yeah I think I used to consider myself very very English and I’m considering myself less English as a result. Partly in reaction I think.
“There seems to be this whole oh ‘Scotland can go to hell, Wales can stuff off, Northern Ireland, that’s their own problem’ … it seems that we’re becoming very very small-minded and insular, just thinking about England. But the irony for me is that actually in doing that is we’re going to make England weaker not stronger.”
Listen up England. If you think so poorly of us, and still see yourselves as masters of the Empire, we're more than happy to oblige and leave you to it.
If you fancy checking out the full segment, it's part of last night's Newsnight, available on the iPlayer.
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