The new battle for Berwick

Now Berwick-upon-Tweed has found itself at the centre of a new tug of war … between Holyrood and Westminster.

Just weeks after Alex Salmond led a bid to have the Lewis Chessmen "repatriated" to Scotland, one of his MSPs has triggered bemusement by a call for Berwick to become part of Scotland once again.

And an online poll has suggested 80 per cent of residents are backing the suggestion.

South of Scotland MSP Christine Grahame's bid to return Berwick to "Scottish nationhood" was even featured on the Tonight show on ITV this week.

If Berwick was to come under the control of Holyrood it would need Scottish ministers to strike agreement with Westminster and a redrawing of the Border with England.

Isabel Hunter, leader of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council, admitted many people in the town wanted to enjoy benefits that were available in Scotland, such as free personal care for the elderly and no university tuition fees.

She added: "You can always say the grass is greener, but I think it would just be too difficult.

"Everything here is governed by English law, and Scottish law is different, so everything would have to be changed. It would just be an utter nightmare."

Alan Beith, the Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, said: "Feelings are being inflamed by the fact that we have so much less money for public services than communities on the other side of the Border.

"Moving the Border is not a very realistic option and would take massive negotiation and legal change, so the urgent thing is to give people in north Northumberland services comparable to those in Scotland."

But Ms Grahame yesterday claimed "Berwickers" have seen their status and taxes drain southwards towards London with little benefit flowing back.

She said: "I think there is clearly support for returning the historic port town and placing it under Scottish jurisdiction. It is clear from the feedback so far that Berwickers are seeing the benefits fellow Scots are getting by securing more control over our own affairs.

"Historically, the town does belong rightfully to Scotland. It is very much like a Scottish town architecturally, and if you heard the accent you would not think you were in England."

However, last night, one Labour MSP, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, said: "Christine Grahame has a habit of jumping on silly ideas like this.

"It is a complete distraction from the serious politics that we should be concerned with at the moment.

"We should leave the borders as they are at the moment. The danger with looking at the case for Berwick is that the Norwegians may start pressing the case for Shetland to become part of their country."

Last night, bookmakers were offering odds of 10/1 that Berwick-upon-Tweed would become part of Scotland by St Andrew's Day 2012.

Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg said: "Berwick's return to Scotland would be the latest instalment in the town's chequered history."

TORN TWO WAYS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS

PEOPLE living in Berwick-upon-Tweed have long grown used to the feeling of being in a tug-of-war.

Berwick, which has a population of around 11,600, has a mayor rather than a provost, as there would be in Scotland.

But the town's ceremonial robes are purple instead of scarlet, which goes back to its time as a Royal Scottish Burgh.

It is the only English town with a football team in the Scottish Football League – Berwick Rangers, left, while the Tweed, is recognised as a Scottish river.

Research has found that 25 per cent of the town consider themselves English, 25 per cent Scottish, and half Berwickers.

Berwick, which has an English name meaning "corn farm", began as a small settlement in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria. It was taken by the Scots in 1018 and became a hotly disputed territory. It continued to change hands until 1482, when it was finally confirmed as English and has remained so ever since.