A survey conducted by the National Center for Social Research showed that less than half of respondents in England (44%) consider themselves primarily British. In 1996, this figure was 52%. The remaining respondents say they are English. Separatist sentiments have always existed in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, but now they are growing in England, the political and economic center of the United Kingdom. For example, football fans of English teams at international competitions increasingly prefer the flag of St. George (a red cross on a white field) to the official red-white-blue flag of Great Britain.
Commenting on the 300th anniversary of the union of England and Scotland, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown warned of the danger threatening the integrity of the state. According to the official, Great Britain could “turn into the Balkans.” The reason for such concerns was the same surveys, according to which supporters of a unitary state are fewer than separatists. Tony Blair's successor as Labour Party leader, Brown, believes that today Great Britain is setting an example for the world of peaceful coexistence of various ethnic and religious groups and uniting them around common values of freedom, democracy, and social responsibility.
In addition, a public opinion survey conducted in all regions of the country addressed issues of national security. It turned out that Britons agree with restrictions on civil liberties if necessary in the fight against terrorism. 7 out of 10 agreed with the need for identity cards, which are actively opposed by civil liberties groups.
It also turned out that the UK population supports euthanasia, which is banned in the country. Four out of five Britons believe that a doctor should be allowed to relieve the suffering of a terminally ill patient.