More feedback - Who is subsidising whom?

I remember a conversation with a senior HMRC official where I asked whether HMRC had the means to produce a breakdown of revenues by tax and by reference to the contribution made by each home nation.  The official reply was dismissive - HMRC kept on being asked this question by MPs and the answer was that they did not.

The issue is of real importance because while it is relatively easy to say what public expenditure is made as between the home nations, you really do need information on the tax revenues figures to complete the other side of the equation.  

My off the cuff view for who subsidises whom is that:

• England subsidises both Wales and Northern Ireland to a huge extent; and

• Scotland receives all sorts of financial and economic benefits from its membership of the Union, but these are outweighed by the tax contributions it makes into the Union.  The effect of the UK taxation on the Scottish share of the oil and gas revenues from the North Sea and elswhere probably do swing the net figure of contributions into Scotland suffering a financial deficit from the Union.

In some useful feedback, I have now received some support for the above paragraph.

For example according to the 'accurate' GERS figures (09-10) Scotland returned 9.3% of the UK tax take from 8.3% of the population.

The renowned economist Professor Hughes-Hallet calculated that Scotland gave in taxation over £1,000 per head more than it got in its 'pocket money'.  The same Professor has also calculated that for every £100 'spent' by the UK Government in Scotland, Greater London gets £174.  In a telling example of how British budgets are juggled, in 2009-10 Scotland saw its 'Lottery' share cut by £150 million to help pay for London's Olympic games.

The Campaign for English Independence will treat all sensible feedback with great respect and when we can make use of it to improve the information and editorial comment on the Campaign's website, we will certainly do so.  So please keep the feedback rolling in!