WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T SPECIATE:

Anti-Scottish feeling laid bare over question of next Prime Minister (HAMISH MACDONELL, 10/16/06, The Scotsman)

The poll, for the More 4 show Starkey's Last Word, provides the first real evidence of just how strong anti-Scottish feelings are in England.

A total of 59 per cent of English voters said they would be "influenced" at the next election by the presence of a Scottish Labour leader.

Of these, an overwhelming 93 per cent said they would be influenced in a negative way, and only 7 per cent said the influence would be positive.

The anti-Scottish feeling was even more pronounced among older people. Of the English pensioners who would be influenced by a Scottish Labour leader, 97 per cent said that influence would be negative.

Mr Brown is well aware that he cannot afford to lose the votes of any wavering voters in England. Of the 75 Labour marginal seats - defined as those where the party's majority is less than 10 per cent - 71 are in England.

The backlash has been caused, in part, by what is seen as the unfairness of the devolution settlement, which allows Scottish MPs to play their part in imposing domestic policies on England that are not imposed on their own constituents.

This so-called West Lothian Question, and the perception that Scotland does better financially than England, have caused resentment.