Anglophobia a bigger problem than Islamophobia in Scotland, claims Tory councillors

17 March 2022, 14:37

Conservative members of a Scottish council are calling for action against anti-English abuse on par with attempts to tackle Islamophobia.

Moray councillors have said they receive more complaints of Anglophobia than cases of Islamophobia. They are calling to treat issues of anti-Englishness alongside discrimination rooted in racism.

They said that abuse toward the English "minority group" is now far more common in north-east Scotland, where the council is based.

'Anglophobia' is defined by some as the dislike, fear of, or prejudice against England or Britain.

Council leader Graham Leadbitter said he would agree to the idea in principle, and is open to implement a policy if a definition of Anglophobia could be found.

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It comes after Moray council adopted a widely accepted definition of Islamophobia, and said they were committed to tackling issues of discrimination in Scotland.

The motion was put forward to strengthen the council's equality responsibilities.

Councillor for Forres Claire Feaver praised the decision to increase the efforts to tackle Islamophobia, but said there must be an awareness of anti-English racism.

"We need to also recognise, together with Islamophobia, Anglophobia."

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"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."

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Ms Feaver said there needed to be an accepted definition of Anglophobia introduced by the council.

She added: "In Moray, the minority group of English people actually do have to cope with Anglophobia."

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."

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Mr Leadbitter said he would not amend the current Islamophobia definition to include Anglophobia, as "there is a very clear and well researched definition of Islamophobia".

"We would all agree any form of discrimination is completely unacceptable. It's a particularly insidious form of abuse," he said.

"But we are at risk if we randomly add bits to this motion because there are many areas it could cover.

"I'm not averse to having [Anglophobia] incorporated into the council's policies, I just think it needs to be done correctly."