Priti Patel has said that Cameron should demand that Scotland start to “pay for itself”. Pfffff. As if we didn't already AND more!
Patel,who clearly has as much of an idea about the Barnet Formula as the average English Tory MP, said Scots get a better deal than the rest of the UK due to policies like free prescriptions and tuition fees.
She said the independence debate provided a “good opportunity” to slash spending.
Great idea Priti... Well except that all the beggars you see on the streets are evidence that spending has already been cut....(Of course some people never see that kind of thing!)
So what I suppose she means is that Scotland's share of the pot should be cut.
Fair enough. Although it will cause some hardship in the interim, I suggest that it will do us a lot of good in the end.
Patel has called for reform of the Barnett Formula, in a speech made to Thatcher's favourite think tank, the Institute for Economic Affairs...so you can imagine how well that went down!
The Daily Record says that her outburst will embarrass Ruth Davidson and undermine the NO campaign. Awww, what a shame.
Patel said: “There are many areas such as elderly care, tuition fees and prescriptions where Scots are basically getting a better deal than the rest of the country.
“Failure to reform the Barnett Formula has effectively meant that Scotland receives £1600 per person more than the English average which inevitably puts a greater strain on public finances.
“These are considerable sums of money which should be reduced as part of deficit reduction plans, but the point I am making is in the light of the wider politics of Scotland right now. Scotland is talking about independence. I would rather they remain in the UK, but we have a funding imbalance that has to be addressed.
“When you think about the prevailing doctrine in all the parties in Scotland, everyone is talking about more devolution.
“So there is a good opportunity now for the UK Government to actually start having discussions to make sure that Scotland actually pays for itself.”
Actually is there actually?
Jamie Hepburn, SNP, said: “What unbelievable claptrap from this top (sic) Tory.
“Once again the mask has slipped and we see the true attitude of the UK Government towards Scotland.
“Scotland more than pays its way – generating 9.6% of UK tax revenue in return for just 9.3% of expenditure.
“But who can doubt that the Tories would cut Scotland’s budget even further if the referendum result was No?”
A Scottish Tory spokesman (who clearly wanted to keep their name secret) said that Patel obviously didn't understand that while Scotland benefits from free prescriptions and free personal care there are 2000 less (sic) nurses – and patients with rare cancers go without life-saving drugs, unlike in England, (where of course the health service is perfect, except where it is in such a bad way that a recent report by Dr Foster has warned that there are times when it is dangerously overstretched... and where patients are left in soiled beds, or die of malnutrition or dehydration, and where the head of nursing has decided that it is time that nurses be taught about compassion.
Oh what a good service they have. Aren't you jealous?
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No wonder, after talking that load of crap, that the Tory spokesman wished to be anonymous.
Patel has also demanded Cameron cut funding for trade unions and foreign aid to cut the deficit. Not a word about Amazon, Starbucks or Google then Ms Patel?
Thought not.
Still keep at it Tories. Every time an English Tory lectures us, or puts us down the independence campaign gets another few votes.
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This is an illustration of where various politicians stand on the left-right and authoritarian-libertarian graph. As you can see Miliband and Cameron are both right-wing authoritarians. (Click for a larger illustration.)
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