The Yorkshire Standard

EXCLUSIVE: A petition calling for the north of England to secede from the UK has seen a surge in signatures on a closed petition.

Image: Change.org.

The petition on Change.org, which was created one year ago, saw a rise in signatures after the Conservatives won the general elections.

It reads: “The deliberations in Westminster are becoming increasingly irrelevant to the north of England. The northern cities feel far greater affinity with their Scottish counterparts such as Glasgow and Edinburgh than with the ideologies of the London-centric south.

Image: Yorkshire Standard.

“The needs and challenges of the north cannot be understood by the endless parade of old Etonions lining the frontbenches of the House of Commons. The north of England should join the newly independent Scotland and regain control over its own destiny. We, the people of the north, demand that in the event that Scotland becomes independent the border between England and the New Scotland be drawn along a line that runs between the River Dee and the mouth of The Humber.”

In less than a week, the petition rose from 5,000 signatories to over 12,000.

One person from Shipley, Bradford, who signed the petition wrote: “With Labour once again focussing on the rich, what political force is there left in England for everyone else?”

Another resident from Leeds added: “I’m sick of living in a country governed with only the city of London and the home counties interests being protected, while the north is left to wither.”

There have been calls to re-open the petition or for someone create a new one.

What do you think of the idea? Let us know in the comments.