To be annoyed the Tory 30 hour free childcare doesn't apply in Scotland!

[RagingJellyBean]

It's just annoying, to be honest.

I don't like the Tories, but if we have to have them the least they could do is throw us a bone up here.

30 hours free childcare when my DD turned 3 would be absolutely fantastic. I could actually afford to live a normal life again, why isn't in Scotland? 15 hours is great, don't get me wrong, but 30 hours would be PERFECT.

HOW ANNOYING!?!?!?!

I guess it depends where you are? DD got a place in her local preschool the term after her third birthday no problem at all.

You have free university in Scotland! Nothing beats that !

I'd much rather have the free university than the childcare.

I find the idea that Scotland would be damaged without the Barnett formula interesting, as if we're all still labouring under the illusion that it's some kind of handout. What do some people think the Barnett formula is other than a proportion of our own taxes being returned to us?

Pretty sure the Op is a Scottish Conservative. Met one last week who voted NO to independence and then tactically for the SNP in the general election to deny Labour a seat. Also pretty sure they are enjoying watching the SNP MPs making a noise and having no impact in Westminster.
Mind you Labour seems desperate to lurch so far to the right there is no difference between them and Conservatives.

weeburrower1, the current system is not proportion to the tax collected though. It is distributed hugely in favour of Scotland and even more so Northern Ireland. If the Barnett formula was scrapped, Scotland would get less.
public spending (2012- 2013 figures) = £8529 per person in England, £10162 pp in Scotland, £10876 pp in N Ireland
Average total tax collected per tax payer (2011-2012 figures) = £5250 in England, £4260 in Scotland, £3520 in N Ireland

Sorry majesticwhine, I'm talking about Barnett not being a handout. Some taxes taken are returned to Scotland via Barnett, some are spent via Westminster, and anything else is made up from borrowing (ie deficit, same as the rest of the UK - which we pay back on a population share despite the borrowing by Westminster 'on our behalf' being less than a population share). That's my only point - there are no handouts coming Scotland's way.

MajesticWhine is there a comparative figure with tax receipts from London taken out? I wonder what difference it would make.

Primal, You might be able to work it out from my source, which is here. www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/are-the-scots-really-sucking-up-a-massive-subsidy-9723797.html. London brings in the most tax of any region, unsurprisingly. Of course, it is inevitable that some wealthier regions effectively support others.

weeburrower I think lots of people might look at the figures and say that is a handout. If you give me £10 and I give you £20 that is a handout.

Thanks Majestic. I do wonder why Wales and NI don't get accused of being scroungers in the same way.

A handout from who? The entire UK has a deficit, including Scotland. England is also in deficit, who is giving them a handout?

weeburrower1, it is a subsidy from taxpayers collectively. I don't see why it makes a difference if we are all in debt or not. That doesn't make it fair that Scotland gets more public spending per head than England. I would not suggest it should be equal around the country, but it should be based on need, not on an arbitrary and outdated formula. If Scotland and Northern Ireland need more, e.g. due to housing needs, poverty, particular transport issues or whatever then that's fair. If they want more spending, and want to raise their own additional taxes to pay for it, that's fair too. A blanket subsidy is not.

MajesticWhine given Scottish geography and population distribution not sure your method would give a lower Scottish figure than Barnett.
Given banking bailout mainly benefitted the London banking sector I believe it is entirely correct for them to be cross subsidising the rest of the UK via the benefit system in repayment.

My dc are of an age where we paid for all their childcare (no 15 hours then, let alone 30) and now we are paying their University tuition fees. So I'm with all those struggling to raise any sympathy, tbh.

Yabu

Scotland has more than England in so many ways: free prescriptions, eye tests, dental check ups and tuition fees. Much better council funding.

Blame the SNP if you aren't happy, or come live here but I doubt you would want to

Howabout, the biggest benefactor of the banking crisis bailout was The Royal Bank of Scotland. Which has HQ in Scotland.

Most of the high paid jobs are not in Scotland. The whole financial sector was in crisis and was bailed out internationally not just a couple of banks with Scottish names and head office brass plates.

YABU. Your Government is far better, you can't have it all -and we only get ten hours in Wales-

Strikethrough fail!

Primal I heard a Welsh member of the House of Lords saying last week that the Barnett formula was accepted as being detrimental to Wales.

It is.

Scotland benefits. Wales and NI lose out via Barnett.

fullfact.org/article/economy/scotland_cuts_barnett_ifs-36359