Any economists out there?

I wondered whether to put this in the politics section, but it isn't really a political question, so I put it here.


One thing I've been puzzling about is how Scotland can have free prescriptions and give University grants, (and I believe Wales too?) but England can't.

I realise that the populations of those countries are a lot smaller, but why should that matter?

Can anyone with an economist mind explain please?

Am puzzled.

Re: Any economists out there?

No need to be an economist. It's down to the powers delegated to the Scottish parliament by the Blair (mis)government.

We give them our taxes, they take the mickey.

To see another scandal incarnate check out the Barnett Formula that sees the per capita spend of UK taxes so much higher in Scotland than England.

And STILL they whinge about how hard done by they are in Scotland.

Re: Any economists out there?

My OP wasn't intended to be a criticism of Scotland and Wales, far from it! I think it's great that they do it, but was puzzled.

Am still puzzled, though.

Re: Any economists out there?

Look on it as one more consequence of Blair's broken Britain.

Re: Any economists out there?

Isn't it becausethe NHS in Scotland and Wales was devolved to their national assemblies in 1999. They get to choose and make their own decisions of what they spend their share of NHS money on.
I should think something similar must apply to the universities, etc.

Re: Any economists out there?

Just check out the Barnett Formula - and weep.

Re: Any economists out there?

Wiki'd it and not much the wiser I am afraid. Too complicated for me. The bit I did understand was that Barnett himself now says it was a mistake.

Re: Any economists out there?

Well, yes, I guess so. But it still begs the question as to why they can do it and we can't.

Re: Any economists out there?

Hi

Not really.

The Barnett Formulae gives Scotland far more money per head of population than we in England get from Government Taxation.

They therefore have more money to spend than we in England do, hence, they can give away more freebies.

Wales spends it's money differently, which they are allowed to do under powers devolved to the Welsh Assembly.

England, is , on average, more wealthy than Wales, so Wales gets large amounts of EU Funding, more per person than England gets.

Wales voted overall to leave, which means they will lose their EU Funding.

This is why the Welsh Assembly are shouting that they must get the same level of of funding after Brexit from the rest of the UK as they got from the EU.

My response is, Wales voted to Leave, live with it.

Re: Any economists out there?

They certainly did. Here where I live on the border of North Wales, the Countess of Chester Hospital(on the English side of course) have said they are refusing to take any further Welsh patients due to Wales not paying what is owed to them. How on earth did that ever happen, and just what is NHS Wales doing with all their funding that it came to such a decision?

As for England always being at the back of the queue when it comes to being given the same as Scotland, Wales and N.I, it's always been an Apartheid situation where England is concerned, if not with money, then it's education, prescriptions and life-saving drugs.

I have absolutely nothing against Scotland or Wales. One does what one does for their people. I just wish our own government would do the same for us. Pigs might fly!