The English elephant stirs - FT.com Rhodri Morgan, former first minister of Wales, likens the UK to "an elephant and three Celtic fleas." As the Scottish flea bites harder, is the elephant of England finally rousing itself? According to the Institute for Public Policy Research, 40 per cent of English voters say Englishness is more important to them than Britishness, with just 16 per cent taking the contrary view. Almost one in four want to bid farewell to the Scots, while four fifths support "devo max," giving financial autonomy to Scotland, because they think Scotland gets an unfair share of public spending. It has always seemed a bit un-English to trumpet pride in being English. Many might have agreed with Cecil Rhodes, the Victorian imperialist, that to be born English is to have "won first prize in the lottery of life," but to say so was too vulgar. That reticence can seem like smug superiority to others. The English, with more than four fifths of the UK's population, for years regarded "English" and "British" as synonymous. They have no Shakespeare Night to match Burns Night. St George's Day is not much celebrated. There was no need: the English did not feel their identity threatened by a powerful neighbour. Something is changing. According to the IPPR, 36 per cent want a devolved English parliament. Some Tory MPs no longer see the union as sacrosanct. Even on the left, long suspicious of nationalism, more are voicing pride in Englishness. "I identify with the ancient nation of Shakespeare and Dickens and Orwell and, for that matter, Linton Kwesi Johnson, the Specials, Zadie Smith and Steve McQueen," writes the novelist Tim Lott. I draw my sense of self from the historical and present fact of England, not the political construction that is the United Kingdom. For all this, I sense the rise of Englishness remains a reactive phenomenon. If an English parliament ever comes about, it will probably be because constitutional moves north of the border force federalism on the rest of the UK. England is a large country with regional divisions that is struggling for the best way to live with itself. Labour's plan for regional assemblies sank at a north-east referendum. Now more elected mayors are being put forward as a counterbalance to London and the south-east. We shall see how effective they prove. One aspect, though, needs careful attention. Black and Asian Britons often find Britishness a preferable concept to Englishness because it is inclusive of a range of cultural identities. If Englishness is to dominate, we must ensure it is tolerant of minorities. And Cornwall too If Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are fleas, where does that leave Cornwall (population 535,000)? Mebyon Kernow, the Cornish nationalist party, is renewing its campaign for this "historic Celtic nation" to have an elected assembly with devolved powers from Westminster, similar to those enjoyed in Scotland. Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party, has given the campaign its backing, with an early day motion at Westminster calling "for the formation of a democratically elected Cornish Assembly to take decisions for the benefit of the people of Cornwall." MK (or "Sons of Cornwall") complains that UK governments have ignored a petition 10 years ago in which 50,000 people - 10 per cent of Cornwall's population - called for an assembly. Nationalists argue that Cornwall has never legally been a county of England but is a separate nation. If Scotland's nationalists win their independence referendum, the Cornish devolution demand may look a little behind the times. Giggsy for mayor Now that Salford is to get a directly elected mayor, after a referendum last week, who might it be? John Merry, Labour council leader, is 7/4 favourite, according to Betfred. But you can get 100/1 on Manchester United's Ryan Giggs, 40/1 on music legend Peter Hook and 25/1 on 19-year-old Roger Hayhurst, who patrols the streets dressed as a crime-fighting superhero. Strong currency From Rhona Cameron, comedian: "In a survey, 100 Glaswegians were asked if Scotland should change its currency. Nine out of 10 said: "Naw, we should keep the Giro.""