PEOPLE in Monmouthshire reacted angrily yesterday to the suggestion that a referendum is needed to decide if the county should become part of England.

Political party the English Democrats, which wants an English parliament, called for the vote on Monmouthshire's nationality at the weekend during its spring conference, and said a referendum would settle the long-debated issue of whether the border county should be English or Welsh.

But local residents and politicians rejected the suggestion yesterday, claiming Monmouthshire was just as Welsh as the rest of Wales' 21 counties.

Monmouthshire was the only Welsh county to vote no in the referendum earlier this month on whether to give the Assembly direct law making powers, with 50.6 per cent of people voting no, and 49.4 per cent voting yes.

But Monmouth MP David Davies said yesterday the March 3 result did not mean people in Monmouthshire wanted to be part of England.

Mr Davies said Monmouthshire had always been part of Wales, and that the number of people who say otherwise is "very few indeed".

He said: "I voted no in the referendum and I consider myself a proud Welshman. There's no historical basis to it and no will for it to happen."

Leader of Monmouthshire council, Cllr Peter Fox, agreed, saying the debate was "nonsense" and should not be given further credibility.

Cllr Fox said: "Monmouthshire is very much 100 per cent Welsh and very proud of it."

"Those people who constantly make this case are clearly misled and have no real feel for the nature of our county."

Assembly member for Monmouth Nick Ramsay added: "Whilst I appreciate that Monmouthshire is proud of being a border county, I have not detected any appetite at all for Monmouthshire to leave Wales."

'We're Welsh - simple as that'

IN MONMOUTH yesterday, people said they felt their home county was Welsh through and through.

Eirlys Davies, 84, from Monmouth, said: "It is a Welsh county. You only have to look at the place names when you come over the English border to see that. A referendum would be a complete waste of money."

Tammie Webb, 33, from Overmonnow, and Rebecca Newman, also 33, from Monmouth, said people in the county were proud to be Welsh.

Ms Webb said: "I know we're on the border but we still consider ourselves Welsh. It's as simple as that."

Ben Jones, 28, is originally from England but lives in Monmouth.

He said: "It is definitely more Welsh than English. My wife's family are from Monmouth and they consider themselves strongly Welsh. There's a sense of national pride in the county."

But Norman Jones, 71, said Monmouth's proximity to the border sometime made him unsure of his nationality.

He said: "When the rugby is on and England are playing Wales I sometimes don't know who to shout for, but I think Monmouthshire should stay part of Wales."