Thursday 4 February 2010

Time For The North East To Get A Fair Deal Over The Barnett Formula

Gordon Brown has shown time and time again that he is prepared to ignore the North East and take our votes for granted. Nowhere is this more obvious than his continuing support for the unfair, outmoded Barnett formula. It has been shown time and time again that the North East gets a very bad deal out of the formula. As has become typical of his Government, Mr Brown is utterly unable or unwilling to lift a finger to help the North East and to put right a proven wrong.

It is only right that any such formula must be needs based. The Barnett Formula blatantly isn't. Although information about funding has been clouded by the Government, we know that the North East receives £8,156 per head and has a lower GDP per capita than Scotland, which receives £9,032 per head from the formula.

The fact that the Government refuses to act, according to yesterday's Northern Echo, for fear of a "backlash from Scotland" is shameful. It is yet another example of the Labour government ignoring the North East and taking our votes for granted. North Eastern Labour MPs have utterly failed to stand up for the North East and to make sure that the North East gets a fair deal.

That is why I will be putting the North East first. If elected, I will fight for the interests of our area after years of Labour complacency.
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8 comments:

  1. Toque5 February 2010 at 02:44

    Well said. In the year 2000 Tony Blair told the Journal "The Barnett Formula has its own inbuilt review in the sense that it narrows the gap over time."

    Since then Scotland's funding advantage over England has grown from £1052 to £1,415.

    He also stated that the Barnett Formula was “a small price to pay” to keep Scotland in the Union.

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  2. tally5 February 2010 at 03:13

    Quite right, but the whole of England suffers under the barnett formula not just the north east of England. If you are to be an MP in England you must think Nationally (England) and not just locally. good luck.

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  3. Derek5 February 2010 at 03:19

    You should be putting England first. England is stronger as England, not a bunch of regions! If all English MPs acted in the interests of their electorate we could have a much better level of public services!
    Let's have an English Government to look after the interests of ALL the people of ENGLAND! An English government can distribute wealth throughout England.

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  4. Anonymous5 February 2010 at 03:22

    I have news for you mate. Gordon Brown dose not give a toss for any part of ENGLAND

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  5. Anonymous5 February 2010 at 03:35

    Such a change is long overdue. The rest of England owes a great debt to the North East. The people's vote of 78% to 22% in 2004 against Prescott's plan for an elected NE Assembly saved England from demolition and cantonisation. Let the NE get 'Scotland's money' for the next 10 years.

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  6. Wyrdtimes5 February 2010 at 03:42

    The only way the "north east" of England will get a fair deal is when England gets a fair deal. The only way England will get a fair deal is when England gets her parliament - the mother of all parliaments - the English Parliament back.

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  7. Drew5 February 2010 at 04:24

    The Barnett Formula is awarded on national lines, not regional. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland gets it, England does not.

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  8. Anonymous5 February 2010 at 05:24

    I thought you were in England - no mention of that; are you one of the shifty ones that want to move North of England into Scotland for the benefits that are denied us?

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