Londoners more loyal to London than UK

By Ian Dunt

Londoners are prouder of the city they live in than they are of Britain itself, a new poll has revealed.

The YouGov poll, commissioned by Cardiff and Edinburgh Universities and think tank IPPR, found 42% of Londoners were 'very proud' to be of the capital, compared to just 39% for England and 36% for Britain.

"The sense of pride and attachment that Londoners feel about their city is striking – though it is interesting that after London, it is to England and not the UK that most Londoners look," said IPPR associate director Guy Lodge.

Asked to indicate how attached they were to London, England, the UK and Europe, 53% of respondents said they were very attached to their city, compared to 44% for England and 33% for the UK. Just eight per cent mentioned Europe.

The finding led many respondents to demand less UK government influence over London's affairs.

Londoners were critical of the role of the mayor, however, with only 20% of respondents backing more powers for the post currently occupied by Boris Johnson.

Instead, there appeared to be considerable support for local boroughs, which were seen as being more concerned with people’s ‘worries and needs’ and more important in making decisions that impacted on their lives.