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CNN Live Sunday
Scotland a Barren Land?
Aired August 10, 2003 - 16:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if it's too hot in England, maybe folks should head north to Scotland where nobody complains about the heat or the crowds or the traffic jams, for that matter. Actually, as CNN's Walter Rodgers reports, the only thing missing is the people of Scotland.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Edinburgh bus stop speaks to Scotland's problem. Everyone here is over 60. Some considerably over. Scots are a declining race in their own land.
PROF. MICHAEL ANDERSON, EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY: Over the next 30 years we will see increasing numbers of people moving into retirement with very small numbers of people replacing them.
RODGERS: Across Scotland, more people are dying than are being born. Scottish women have the highest death rate in the European Union. Scottish men the second highest. It is largely a factor of terrible diets. Married couples average only 1.6 children. It takes 2.1 per couple to maintain the population. Two centuries ago Samuel Johnson wrote, "The best prospect a Scotsman ever sees is the road to London." Young Scots are still going south.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More and more I think we see youngsters spending some of their working life in other countries, moving around the globe as part of the new global economy.
RODGERS: Jack McConnell, Scotland's first minister, now wants to import people to repopulate.
JACK MCCONNELL, SCOTLAND FIRST MINISTER: Well, we have a combination of two problems. We have a declining population, declining birth rates, but we also have an aging population.
RODGERS: Not enough people working to generate taxes or to take care of the elderly or fill jobs like construction. Scotland is exquisite. Castles on lochs, waterfalls everywhere, and strange beasties. But you cannot eat scenery. Basically, Scotland needs more than tourists. It needs immigrants. Interestingly, in Glasgow's working class pubs, only a minority feel threatened by new immigrants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scotland has too much character to be changed. People have tried for ages, and it's never happened yet. So I wouldn't worry now.
RODGERS: East Europeans like these Russians find the adjustment easiest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like Scotch people. They are so friendly and kind.
RODGERS: Asian Muslims, however, who often choose to assimilate only marginally, complain of racism.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people come across me and say, you black Pakis, you big -- go back to your own Paki planet, you black bastard.
RODGERS: This Pakistani woman in Scotland 17 years, says she's never encountered racism. Still, she does not recommend moving here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The weather's miserable here.
RODGERS (on camera): The weather could well be the greatest impediment to anyone thinking of immigrating to Scotland. Where else in Europe do you dress for winter in June and July? Shakespeare got it right in the opening scene of the Scottish play when he wrote "fair is foul and foul is fair. Hover the fog and filthy air."
Walter Rodgers, CNN, Loch Fyne, Scotland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 10, 2003 - 16:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, if it's too hot in England, maybe folks should head north to Scotland where nobody complains about the heat or the crowds or the traffic jams, for that matter. Actually, as CNN's Walter Rodgers reports, the only thing missing is the people of Scotland.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This Edinburgh bus stop speaks to Scotland's problem. Everyone here is over 60. Some considerably over. Scots are a declining race in their own land.
PROF. MICHAEL ANDERSON, EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY: Over the next 30 years we will see increasing numbers of people moving into retirement with very small numbers of people replacing them.
RODGERS: Across Scotland, more people are dying than are being born. Scottish women have the highest death rate in the European Union. Scottish men the second highest. It is largely a factor of terrible diets. Married couples average only 1.6 children. It takes 2.1 per couple to maintain the population. Two centuries ago Samuel Johnson wrote, "The best prospect a Scotsman ever sees is the road to London." Young Scots are still going south.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More and more I think we see youngsters spending some of their working life in other countries, moving around the globe as part of the new global economy.
RODGERS: Jack McConnell, Scotland's first minister, now wants to import people to repopulate.
JACK MCCONNELL, SCOTLAND FIRST MINISTER: Well, we have a combination of two problems. We have a declining population, declining birth rates, but we also have an aging population.
RODGERS: Not enough people working to generate taxes or to take care of the elderly or fill jobs like construction. Scotland is exquisite. Castles on lochs, waterfalls everywhere, and strange beasties. But you cannot eat scenery. Basically, Scotland needs more than tourists. It needs immigrants. Interestingly, in Glasgow's working class pubs, only a minority feel threatened by new immigrants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scotland has too much character to be changed. People have tried for ages, and it's never happened yet. So I wouldn't worry now.
RODGERS: East Europeans like these Russians find the adjustment easiest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like Scotch people. They are so friendly and kind.
RODGERS: Asian Muslims, however, who often choose to assimilate only marginally, complain of racism.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people come across me and say, you black Pakis, you big -- go back to your own Paki planet, you black bastard.
RODGERS: This Pakistani woman in Scotland 17 years, says she's never encountered racism. Still, she does not recommend moving here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The weather's miserable here.
RODGERS (on camera): The weather could well be the greatest impediment to anyone thinking of immigrating to Scotland. Where else in Europe do you dress for winter in June and July? Shakespeare got it right in the opening scene of the Scottish play when he wrote "fair is foul and foul is fair. Hover the fog and filthy air."
Walter Rodgers, CNN, Loch Fyne, Scotland.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
