FOR decades some Scots have been calling for an end to “London Rule”. They probably should have worried more about being under the political influence of the rest of England.

That is because a major new analysis of Britain’s most robust social attitudes survey shows that the UK capital shares more values with Scotland than with its own hinterland.

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) found Scots and Londoners were the most left-wing and liberal Britons with more in common with each other than with Wales and provincial England.

The new work overturns long-standing assumptions on both sides of the Border that Scotland has more cultural and political affinity with the north of England than the south.

Some 60 per cent of Scots identify as left-wing, compared with 58% of Londoners and just 51% of Northerners. But Londoners and Scots were also the most likely to back tax-and-spend policies and sympathise with people on welfare.

Neil Smith, research director at Natcen, said: “While there are clear distinctions in the way Londoners think about certain social and political issues, in quite a few instances – despite the geographical distance and the different make-ups of our populations – Londoners share more in common with the Scots than with their regional neighbours. Both are more likely to be engaged in politics, have the greatest proportion of left-affiliated individuals, are more likely to fall on the pro-welfare end of the scale, and are most inclined to sympathise with benefit claimants.”

The survey comes two years after Scotland and London emerged as the only two “regions” of the island of Britain to oppose Brexit.

London has become a stronghold for Labour in southern England. Its mayor, Sadiq Khan, shares the distinction with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of being – reports suggest –- despised by America’s populist right president.

Similar social attitudes may also reflect the rarely acknowledged reality that Scotland, collectively, has higher living standards and economic activity than anywhere in the UK bar London and the south-east.

The analysis is based on the British Social Attitudes Survey carried out by NatCen, and considered one of the best snap shots of what people think.

It was commissioned by Trust for London, a charity and think- tank. The Trust’s chief executive, Bharat Mehta, stressed what he saw as common values across the UK.

He said: “Part of the story is the striking similarities between the attitudes of Londoners and those of Scots. The other part, is how on important issues like equality, education and public spending, Londoners hold comparable views to everyone else.”