London: Scottish people would not be British anymore if they continue to “grumble” and vote for an independent Scotland, British Labour Party leader Ed Miliband has warned.

In a keynote speech on national identity, Miliband said he dismissed Scottish independence as bad news for UK and warned Scottish people against voting for independence saying in that case they would no longer be considered “British”.

“People can be Scottish and British, it’s OK. And if they feel primarily Scottish that’s fine too. But if they leave the UK they won’t be British any more: it stands to reason”, Miliband said at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Channel 4 after his speech, Miliband made a distinction between Englishness and Britishness associating certain qualities like “stoicism” with Englishness as opposed to being Scottish.

“I particularly associate it [stoicism] with England – I saw it in my constituency in the floods… I consider that a particularly English quality. ‘Mustn’t grumble’ is a very English phase. I’m not saying the Scots always grumble… but I think that’s a very English sensibility”, said Miliband.

However, Miliband warned that part of an English view is “let’s get rid of the Scots” and maintained that is not his “view of Englishness”.

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