Anglophobia is 'bigger issue than Islamophobia in Scotland'

Anglophobia is a bigger problem than Islamophobia in Scotland and should be tackled in the same way, politicians warn

  • Councillors in Moray say more abuse is being hurled at English ‘minority group’ 
  • Group have called for policy to tackle Anglophobia, similar to Islamophobia plan 
  • One Scottish councillor was told: ‘Go back to England!’ due to his weak accent 

Scottish councillors are calling for a crackdown on Anglophobia amid an alarming rise in anti-English sentiment – with one claiming residents face more discrimination for being English than Muslim.  

The calls came as Moray council, in north-east Scotland, adopted a widely-accepted definition of Islamophobia this week when it committed itself to tackling discrimination against its Muslim population.

However Conservative councillors claimed the ‘abuse’ hurled at the English ‘minority group’ is now far more common in the SNP-controlled territory.

One claimed he was told to ‘go back to England!’ when his ‘weak Perth accent’ was mistaken as coming from south of the border – while others said they have received complaints of similar incidents for years now. 

The local politicians called for a fresh strategy to tackle Anglophobia at the council’s corporate services committee on Tuesday. 

Council leader Graham Leadbitter agreed to the idea in principle and said he would be open to implementing such a policy if a definition of Anglophobia could be agreed upon. 

It came after Conservative councillor for Forres Claire Feaver welcomed efforts to root out both Islamophobia and antisemitism, but added: ‘We need to also recognise, together with Islamophobia, Anglophobia.

Conservative councillor for Forres Claire Feaver (pictured) welcomed efforts to root out both Islamophobia and antisemitism, but added: ‘We need to also recognise, together with Islamophobia, Anglophobia.’ 

‘From our point of view as Moray councillors, as a minority group in Moray I get more emails and telephone calls from people who suffer from Anglophobia in Moray.

‘I have actually witnessed Islamophobia in Moray. Luckily, the gentleman involved was quick enough to say “when you want me to go home should I go home to Edinburgh or Pakistan?”… but Anglophobia is there all the time.

‘I have had numerous constituents over the last five years come to me as a minority group saying ‘what are we going to do about this?’.’

Ms Feaver asked for the motion to be amended to ‘acknowledge that in Moray we do suffer from Anglophobia’.

She said: ‘In Moray, the minority group of English people actually do have to cope with Anglophobia.’

Meanwhile Donald Gatt, the Conservative councillor for Keith & Cullen, claimed: ‘I was told to go back to England … probably because I don’t have a particularly strong accent.

‘I was born in Perth so I am as Scottish as anybody else.’ 

SNP councillor for Forres Aaron McLean said Moray has ‘a very diverse community probably because of the two air force bases’ at Lossiemouth and formerly Kinloss, which became a British Army barracks in 2012, reports the Times. 

He added: ‘Those people have loved Moray, decided to stay here and are now part of our community, friends and part of our family in my own instance. 

‘Any abuse of them is of course unacceptable.’

Council leader Graham Leadbitter (pictured) agreed to the idea in principle and said he would be open to implementing such a policy if a definition of Anglophobia could be agreed upon

Mr Leadbitter argued it would be not be appropriate to amend a motion on Islamophobia to include Anglophobia, as ‘there is a very clear and well researched definition of Islamophobia’.

He conceded that ‘any form of discrimination expressed to anyone about where they are from or what their cultural heritage, even if somebody perceived something exists that doesn’t exist, is a particularly insidious form of abuse and is completely unacceptable’. 

He added: ‘I am not averse to having that incorporated into the council’s policies. I just think it needs to be done correctly. 

‘If there is a definition to be incorporated we need to know what that definition is and I don’t want to make that up on the hoof.’

An SNP spokesman said: ‘The SNP believes in equality for all and we’re working hard to deliver a truly inclusive society. 

‘All forms of discrimination and prejudice are completely unacceptable.’

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