18 September 2014updated 24 Jun 2021 12:58pm

Scotland, Wales, Cornwall… Dorking? Independence fever spreads across the UK

It's not quite Passport to Pimlico, but the front page of the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser today proposes the residents of the Surrey commuter get enthusiastic about the possibility of independence.

By Media Mole

(Photo By The Dorking flag on the front of the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser today, featuring a Dorking chicken. Image: Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser)

Apparently not one to be outdone by Scotland (population: 5.3m), the Surrey commuter town of Dorking (population: 11,185) is seeking its own independence referendum, and the local paper – the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser – is leading the campaign. They’ve even got a flag, with one of Dorking’s famous chickens on it.

Just one thing though – the ambitions on display here are a touch less ambitious than those of Yes Scotland:

PEOPLE in Dorking could soon be given the vote on whether or not they want to form an independent town council.

While the decision will not have the same long-lasting effects as the vote on Scottish independence, councillors, business leaders and leading community figures could soon ask townsfolk if they would be in favour of establishing a new council to bring more powers to a local level.

Gotta love small papers finding the local news hook for a national story.