Now the SNP in census debacle!

My husband recorded himself as English.

What is it exactly that you are looking at Urmstongran?

Where's the picture in the OP and the emoji in the title, Ug? Your standards are slipping a bit...

volver

My husband recorded himself as English.

What is it exactly that you are looking at Urmstongran?

The last sentence is a direct quote from the Getalarph.

Or it is just a coincidence that UG used exactly the same words (copyright Nadine Dorries)

I completed mine as English ( of Scottish descent). Didn’t see a problem with it. I think I’m right in believing that only as a resident, you can see the whole survey on line, as you’re sent a code.
So without seeing it, some people would have difficulty making a comment or judgement.

Going well isn’t it ug ????

My son in law registered as English ,he's been resident here for 11 years and says he'd never move back south.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Urm you may be stunned to know my formerly Tory SIL is now an SNP supporter .

There have been so many unreturned Scottish census forms (700,000+) that the whole census is pretty useless. England managed to complete the census last year. Goodness knows why Scotland couldn't.

I bet you could give us your opinion though Aveline.

The deadline for the Scottish census isn’t until 1st May. There was exactly the same issue in England and Wales just before the deadline. The threat of the £1k fine for non-completion is UK wide, so people will do it. Another mountain out of a molehill?

Not quite Casdon in that England achieved 97% compliance on time (i.e. not deferred)of some 55 million people. I think Scotland has approximately 5million residents?

Those unruly Scots. The Welsh are as bad. But the English ? ?

I was an enumerator for Pollok when Tommy Sheridan was causing major upset in the area. I had almost 100% returns accounted for and was given a bonus.
I believe the switchover to online forms and lack of face to face contact with the public is what has caused the poor response. Give someone a form and they are likely to fill it in. If they can’t do it online so have to apply for a paper version they are less likely to follow through.
I did baulk at the section on sex/gender. I can’t remember what I put but know it will cause my ancestors in 100+ years time cause to laugh or scratch their head. Presumably they will have seen a previous census where under race I selected other -Human.

My parents had to hang on the phone for ages to get a paper copy. I'm sure that will have put people off.

The how you see yourself sex/gender question was optional, so I didn't answer it.

Guess I'm just an unruly Scot

It's now more than £30 million over budget. How does that happen??

No, it’s not that.

The 1st May date is about to be extended by FOUR WEEKS in the hope for more compliance.
However:

“Extending the window for responding raises worrying questions about data quality,” Lindsay Paterson, professor of education policy at the University of Edinburgh, said. “As a social statistician, I would not use census data on identity that had such an arbitrarily varying window of replying.”

Seems that it’s been another SNP debacle? A waste of public money as far as statisticians are concerned.

Some of the 700,000 cohort don’t like the way the questions have been phrased. Gender issues. No space to put “English” on the census. That’s not about to change is it - so I suppose only the threat of a huge fine (might) encourage compliance.

I though two people on here said they put English?

Its a real problem that the Census isn't being completed properly.

However random soundbites from the Telegraph and its tame educationalists, and spurious claims don't help.

No space to put “English” on the census. Which bit of us all telling you that our family members had already put "English" aren't you getting Urmstongran?

its because its online theres an issue ,as already said ,Give people a form and they fill it in or send round info collecters( cant remember what they're really called) as they did in years gone by.Loads of older folk will have had problems with the online thing ,many that I know dont even have a computer or a smart phone.I dont even have a phone ...well a mobile one .

The English/Welsh/NI one was also available online. 9/10 were completed online and in time.

The fact that the English/Welsh/NI census was during lockdown will have contributed to the high compliance rate I’m sure, because enumerators were guaranteed to find the majority of people at home when they rang to remind them. The single busiest day for completion of online forms was still the last day on which they had to be completed, presumably people wanted to avoid the £1000 fine. It’s exactly the same with the tax returns, most people (me included) put it off to the last possible minute to submit because it’s a pain to complete.

I wonder if it was in Question 23 that there was no English option to tick.

23 What is your ethnic group?

Choose ONE section from A to F, then tick ONE
box which best describes your ethnic group or background
A White
Scottish
Other British
Irish
Polish
Gypsy / Traveller
Roma
Showman / Showwoman
Other white ethnic group, please write in:

There was indeed no English (or Welsh) option. I ticked Other White.

I don’t know that my mum even knows there was a census. She’s never mentioned filling in the form and it would be hard to for to phone for one because she’s deaf.

I recall a discussion here last year about when to complete the 2021 census in England and Wales. I suspect it is hardwired into our thinking - especially those who are interested in family history - that the census shows where people were at midnight on a given date. Indeed, the ONS says:

The answers from past censuses give us a detailed snapshot of the population in one single moment.

census.gov.uk/about-the-census/past-censuses-in-england-and-wales

So, I think you may be right Casdon, many people do wait until the day even though I recall that the notes to the 2021 England and Wales census stated that you could submit the form earlier.

Question 22 of the 2022 Scottish census clearly shows that you can record your national identity as English.

www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/scotland-s-census-2022-question-set/