STEVE Coogan has revealed he’s rethinking his opposition to Scottish independence – and says it would be a “kick in the pants” for “little Englanders”.
The Alan Partridge star was among 200 public figures to sign a letter on the eve of the 2014 referendum urging Scots to vote No.
But speaking to BBC Scotland on Monday, the actor said Brexit had forced him to reconsider his stance.
He told The Nine: “It’s funny because on the one hand I’m pro-European and, I mean, when Brexit happened I was thinking of moving to Scotland. That’s what I felt.”
Coogan – who is in Scotland to perform his new live Alan Partridge show, Strategem – continued: “I can totally understand the desire for Scottish independence. In fact, I may have shifted my position. It’s like something I’m processing as a half-English, half-Irishman.
“I don’t feel as strongly as I did … because of the change in circumstances. I would totally understand it.”
He added: “A part of me feels like, you know, it would be a kick in the pants for those sort of small-minded little Englanders, to be honest.”
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In the 2014 letter, Coogan and other celebrities emphasised their "bonds of citizenship" with Scots and urged them to "vote to renew them".
The letter concluded: "What unites us is much greater than what divides us. Let's stay together."
The Scottish Government says it is working towards holding a second referendum next year.
Nicola Sturgeon said last week: “The work is under way. I’ll set out more about that in due course, but I was elected a year ago on a very clear proposition to offer the people of Scotland a choice in the first half of this parliament and my intention is to deliver that.”
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