Liam Byrne's first task - defend the funding bias against English regions
Birmingham MP Liam Byrne has been handed a poisoned chalice in one of his first tasks as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
The MP for Hodge Hill will appear before a House of Lords Committee to discuss the Barnett formula, which helps determine how public spending is allocated to the nations of the United Kingdom.
Unless the Government is about to announce a major change of policy, it means he will have to defend a system which means regions such as the West Midlands make do with less money for public services than Scotland - even though average wealth in Scotland is higher.
The system has been in place since 1978, so it's not new. But it's become increasingly controversial since Scottish devolution.
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even Lord Barnett think the Barnett formula is past its sell-by-date. enough said.
English regions? You mean England. English regions are a recent invention of the UK Government, introduced against the will of the electorate. The North East of England, the only area allowed a referendum, voted 78% AGAINST breaking up England into regions. England is a nation in its own right, just like Wales and Scotland.
An analogy:
Dear English Football Association
As a representative of the Scottish Football Association, I would like to inform you that we wish to change the way the English Football team is managed to bring it more in line with the way our Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, is running Britain.
This will involve the following:
1. The Manager of the Scottish team is allowed to be involved with the running of the English team. However, the manager of the English team should have no say whatsoever in the running of the Scottish team. This shall be known as the West Lothian Question.
2. A sizable proportion of any money the English Football Association raises from, say sponsorship or crowd takings, shall be given to the Scottish Football Association, regardless as to whether you need it or not. This does not apply the other way round. This is known as the Barnett Formula.
3. You are not to call yourself England any longer. You will now be known as the British Regions. We, on the other hand, are still to be known as Scotland, âÂÂa proud and noble nationâÂÂ.
4. Medical treatment to your players will be limited to a few treatments because of cost. No such stringent limitation applies to Scotland.
5. If your playing surfaces are flooded, then do not expect much assistance. However, Scottish pitches will be adequately provided for in the event of flooding.
6. From this moment on, the English Football Association will cease to exist. However, the Scottish Football Association will be allowed to continue to work independently.
A failure to follow these rules will see you branded as arrogant, selfish and unfair.
IâÂÂm sure you will find this to your satisfaction. After all, you seem to be happy with this state of affairs with your political system, so why not your Football team?
Yours sincerely
Mr G Brown.
PS You English are so naïve, you are being abolished and donâÂÂt even realise it.
I don't remember voting for these "English regions".
Yes the Barnett Formula needs to be scrapped. I can see no possible reason why a Scottish life is considered worth ã1600 more per year than an English life.
But we also should get rid of these artificial "English regions". As far as I'm concerned, England is one nation and until the people of England vote otherwise it should remain so.
Those Barnett figures again:
These are the latest figures for funding per person across the UK
Northern Ireland ã9,577
Scotland ã9,032
Wales ã8,493
England ã7,426
The English are the bottom of the pile. Fourth class citizens in their own country.
There are no english regions! There is one England!
You anti English bigots would do well to remember the normans. Contrary to myth, the normans never conquered the English. We are still here; they are where? There is no norman language, currency, or state!
I expect Byrne to do everything he can to avoid talking about the issue. What else can he do? He cannot possibly defend it.
The Barnett formula clearly needs reviewing as it is unfair(there is an interesting cpontribution today in the form of the Calman report... although disappointingly it seems to suggest that Barnett should stay for now).
On another issue, the Normans did fundamentally change governance, despite what M Andesron says above. Before the Normans, for example, Anglo-Saxon kings were often elected (yes elected...). The Normans also doled out large chunks of land to those who supported them... chunks of which has been passed down through the centuries and is still with rich landowners...
As far as subsidy to Wales is concerned remember this - COLONIES DON'T COME CHEAP!!!