Englishman living in Scotland refuses to complete census unless he can do it in Welsh

An Englishman living on a Scottish island is refusing to complete the census unless he can do it in Welsh. Iain Turnbull, 63, said the authorities have "threatened" him with a fine of £1,000, but he is willing to go to jail. He has lived in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis for seven years.

The General Register Office for Scotland said that the statutory fine of £1,000 was to anyone who refused to complete the census form. "It can be filled in Urdu, Punjabi, and even Tagalog, one of the dialects of the Philippines, but not in one of the native languages of Britain," said Mr Turnbull.



"I have sent the form back four times asking for a Welsh form." Mr Turnbull was born in Norfolk but moved to Cardiff in 1970.

He also lived in Abertridwr and Newport in south Wales, before moving to Scotland in 1993, first to Edinburgh. He said, not filling in the form in English, is a matter of principle. "I'll go to jail if necessary," he added. The census took place on 27 March.