Let's put this one to bed once and for all, with many thanks to Brenna1508 for reminding me about the article:

Public figures back full debate on Scotland’s place in the UK

Commentators south of the Border have cried foul in recent weeks over the apparently high levels of public spending in Scotland, claiming the country is being unfairly subsidised by taxpayers in the rest of the UK.

However, figures published by The Herald showed that public spending per head in Scotland was actually less than in Northern Ireland and London. The investigation also rebutted claims that Scots collect the most in benefits and have access to better public services, courtesy of taxpayers in the rest of the UK.



Q.E.D. Next!

The clown that tried to get elected for london mayor at the expence of slagging off Scotland as a subsidy junkie dive bombed.

His campaign was a joke.

England will eventually ignore the media and define her national identity and political voice by electing non unionist politicians, rather than what the 'indy' poster above seems to believe that England should define her own identity by being against Scotland.

Alex Salmond and his team, people like myself and LJ on here and a growing number of Scots do not need to hear anything about the fine country of England, it is 'britain' that is past her sell by date.

The English media is splitting up britain by default being clueless about the insular tone they use when they mention Scotland.

Again, for 'indy'-the most subsidised areas in these Isles per head are:

1) London

2) Northern ireland

3) Scotland

People in Scotland payed for canary Wharf, the most expensive building project in history per square inch, and we pay for the London Underground and we pay for some building called 'Portcullis House' etc.

Don't kid yourself about exactly who the subsidy junkies are within these Isles........

Kinghob wrote:
The clown that tried to get elected for london mayor at the expence of slagging off Scotland as a subsidy junkie dive bombed.

His campaign was a joke.

England will eventually ignore the media and define her national identity and political voice by electing non unionist politicians, rather than what the 'indy' poster above seems to believe that England should define her own identity by being against Scotland.

Alex Salmond and his team, people like myself and LJ on here and a growing number of Scots do not need to hear anything about the fine country of England, it is 'britain' that is past her sell by date.

The English media is splitting up britain by default being clueless about the insular tone they use when they mention Scotland.

Again, for 'indy'-the most subsidised areas in these Isles per head are:

1) London

2) Northern ireland

3) Scotland

People in Scotland payed for canary Wharf, the most expensive building project in history per square inch, and we pay for the London Underground and we pay for some building called 'Portcullis House' etc.

Don't kid yourself about exactly who the subsidy junkies are within these Isles........

To prove that statement we need look no further than the fact that the Westminster Government have no intention of letting us go without a fight.

They are terrified of the figures which will prove they have fed the English public total rubbish for years.

They are also aware that the English public will be forced to support themselves with no subsidy flowing from north to south.

Here are Niall Aslen's latest figures which put the lie to all this 'Scotland subsidised by England' pish.

The Great Obfuscation

www.siol-nan-gaidheal.org/obfuscation.htm


It would appear that the total cost of Trident (along with other things) has been charged to Scotland by the GERS compilers instead of just allocating us the proper figure 8.5% of the cost.

"England will eventually ignore the media and define her national identity and political voice by electing non unionist politicians, rather than what the 'indy' poster above seems to believe that England should define her own identity by being against Scotland".

Sorry - I'm new to this website. I just put those up for a bit of debate. I am for Scottish Independence. I believe in it strongly and have been working towards it for years. To suggest Scotland has ever been subsidised is deeply insulting and has been concocted chiefly by Scottish unionists to ensure they keep their noses in Westminster affairs. In my first post I was just pointing out that the English media, especially recently, is really riling up the English public. The public are believing it more and more strongly. I have family down there and they are always getting little digs and sponging etc;

Its not right that they should be fed these lies - however, will it help the Independence cause? Brown (although I agree his days are numbered) has already said today that Scotland will get more fiscal powers. And many commentators say that is to get Middle England off his back. Maybe them believing the lies will help?

Only problem is, in my opinion we need fiscal autonomy (including all resource income) or full Independence quickly. When the Tories get in I think the Scotland budget will be slashed and many journalists are saying the same thing. The Tories don't care about Scotland they just have to keep their voters happy.

Some facts and figs taken from other sites:

"The GERS figures selectively define Scottish and British spending through a formula designed to impress upon Scots that they cannot survive without subsidy from England. It fiddles things like defining spending on Trident as a Scottish expenditure (cause the damned things are based there).

And there's the question of who benefits from spending, those English newspapers complaining about subsidising Scotland whose offices are in that monument to London pork barrels; The Docklands, with the extension of the Jubilee Line and Limehouse road, just like the Dome, the New Wembley, the Chunnel and fast rail link, New British Library, new airports and terminals, Tate Modern, The Globe Theatre, Royal Opera House, Olympics and with all the tax relief's awarded to such projects and their contractors in toe.

Then there's the spending on govt offices, quangos, research and test centers - half the government research and development budget is spent in one region of the UK: the South East while Scotland (8.9% of the population) receives just 4%. Scotland receives 4.8% of defence contracts while the South East get's 41% and with museums and galleries Scotland only receives 1.3% while London is awarded a massive 61.5%. Scotland holds 6.8% of top level civil service jobs while London get's 51%, the Foreign office spends no money whatsoever in Scotland yet is supposed to represent us all while the Scottish Parliament has no influence over it whatsoever. The money spent in England on the Channel Tunnel and rail link is part of the "national spending", but the money subsidising ferry links from Scotland to Ireland is counted as purely Scottish spending.

Labour retained the GERS propaganda to use against the SNP, but now this propaganda is backfiring in England ... good. Cameron is welcome to discard the Barnett formula as it will show Scotland it does not need the loudly broadcast suppossed subsidy from England."

Sample of British Capital/South East “Investments� . £30 billion subway upgrade program see - tinyurl.com/6sxrgv . £5.9 billion on one London railway station see - tinyurl.com/6yheht . £16 billion For another London rail line see - tinyurl.com/yphdwl . £1 billion to upgrade an existing railway station see - tinyurl.com/5sn8mm . three quarters of a billion on a Dome ! see - tinyurl.com/6h6ezn . Followed of course by yet another London regeneration project £5 billion see tinyurl.com/5l3jp3 . £6 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link see - tinyurl.com/4pg53n . £2.5 billion -Roads just around the Docklands in London tinyurl.com/5 5wh6b . £3.2 billion For Another Tube line see - tinyurl.com/5qjoao . £1 billion improvement to an existing Light Rail Line see - tinyurl.com/6q2424 . £20 billion for a Second Thames flood barrier planned see - tinyurl.com/5uf79a . A £4 billion greenhouse tower over Batersea power station see- tinyurl.com/6ac8hn . £9.3 billion for the Channel Tunnel - see tinyurl.com/6s4vsb . £4.3 billion for a 5th Heathrow Terminal see - tinyurl.com/2h5hx6 . £5 billion Upgrade other London airport upgrades see - tinyurl.com/5oe82n . £10 billion Plans for Heathrow link to Channel tunnel see - tinyurl.com/568dzq . £13 billion for a third runway Heathrow runway see - tinyurl.com/3bgdtt . £9 billion for Brown's plans to transform Thames Gateway see - tinyurl.com/4kr3pt . £18 billion London Olympics (including £184 million stolen from the Scottish Lottery) see - tinyurl.com/olympics cam