Poor Lord Barnett again and again he and committees say the Barnett Formula is unfair, yet nothing happens. It's like the words are said in space, where no one can hear you speak. Another committee, this time the Lords have said the Barnett formula is "arbitrary and unfair". Their proposal for a new Barnett formula is for it to link spending and need. Money going where it is most needed seems a fa...

After the Taxpayer’s Alliance report showing that Scotland recieved more money under the Barnett formula than either need or tax paid could justify, it was roundly criticised. I didn’t comment at the time as there have been so many contradictory reports about who subsidises who, and I don’t think it matters. The Barnett formula is

Many thanks to Mike Denham - the author of a Taxpayers' Alliance report on the Barnett Formula, released today - for the following post... In the last week, the allocation of money between England and Scotland has been in the news with the Scottish National Party planning to abolish council tax in Scotland, replace it with a local income tax and have English taxpayers foot a part of the bill....

Renewed speculation today concerning (devolved) life after Barnett: One of the options being mooted would involve replacing the Barnett formula with a new arrangement under which countries would get a funding allocation based on the tax revenue gathered within their borders. Without any adjustment for social need, that could lead to a substantial reduction in the amount of Treasury money coming

The Barnett formula that decides how much taxpayers' money is given to Scotland should be changed to make it fairer to England the head of a Governmentbacked review has hinted.

It's simple -I'm going to cut your incomeThe Bloke is writing another paper for the TPA, and is currently researching the notorious Barnett Formula, the one that allocates all those zillions of English taxpayers' money to the Scots.It turns out that Barnett was simply a modification to a formula originally laid down in 1888 by George Goschen, Chancellor under Lord Salisbury. He invented the "Gosch...

I’ve been running with the hoodies of blog steerage (as a Scottish journalist once coined) for a few years now and the same arguments keep coming up time and again. So, I’ve decided to create a ‘cut out and keep’ guide to the Barnett Formula. I’ll do the same for an English Parliament, but first... 1. Does Scotland actually receive more money than Wales and every Engl...

The Taxpayers Alliance has completed its report into the Barnett Formula with some damning conclusions.  Of course, the contents of this report are nothing new - we’ve been telling people for years how much the Barnett Formula is costing the English taxpayer! THE BARNETT FORMULA HAS COST TAXPAYERS £200 BILLION The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) presents a new

Yesterday the Western Mail reported on how Labour Minister Liam Byrne considered the Barnett Formula as ‘fair enough.’ The formula which is not based on need and was never meant to be anything other than a temporary measure is highly unfair to Wales. The Justice Committee stated, “The Barnett formula is overdue for reform and lacks any basis in equity or logic.” On his blog...

My current poll is asking whether "We should abolish the Barnett Formula" and is presently running 80-20% in favour of doing so. I’d hoped to present the two sides of the argument but, unfortunately, although I believe the DUP are in favour of its retention they have not answered my emails regarding their reasoning why. So, here is the argument against the retention of the Barnett Formula, a...