Thursday, October 25, 2007

Brown defends the Barnett formula

After a question from Graham Brady in PMQs asking why his constituents should pay for their prescriptions, and Gordon Brown's Scottish constituents should not - Brown came out to defend the Barnett formula - or perhaps rather to challenge the other parties to come up with something else ....

    Q2. [160145] Mr. Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale, West) (Con): Why should my constituents pay more tax so that the Prime Minister’s constituents pay no prescription charges?

    The Prime Minister: The Welsh Assembly made a decision on prescription charges, and the Scottish Parliament made a decision. They make decisions within their own budgets, and their budgets are allocated under a formula agreed by both parties in this House over the past 30 years. No more money goes to Scotland or Wales as a result of their decisions on prescriptions. That is the Barnett formula that has been agreed by all parties over the years. [Interruption.] If the Conservative party wishes to change its policy it should tell us now, but its policy throughout has been to support this funding formula


We need to hang Brown out to dry on Barnett.

PS I notice Brown repeating his £6billion lie again during PMQs - can't he remember his father telling him not to lie or bear false witness ? Of course he can - he just prefers deception and dishonesty.

1 comment:

Gareth said...

The Barnett Formula is problematic for David Cameron though - as I just wrote over at the CEP

It's a shame because the Tories could be seen to be sticking up for Northern England by addressing this problem.