http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/12/gerry-holtham-and-the-myth-busters/ ...now tell me yours Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:51:53 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/12/gerry-holtham-and-the-myth-busters/comment-page-1/#comment-646 Ian Courtney Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:26:04 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=631#comment-646 It interested me that when the Working Paper was published last Friday the only papers to pick up on its significance regarding Scotland and the application of a Needs Based Formula were Brian Groom in the FT and Sion Barry in the Western Mail. Others may know better but I think the Working Paper was the first to conduct a rigorous exercise to measure the oft asserted Scottish windfall. I believe it was only when the work was mistakenly reported to have been conducted by a Scottish academic the nationals picked up on it. It interested me that when the Working Paper was published last Friday the only papers to pick up on its significance regarding Scotland and the application of a Needs Based Formula were Brian Groom in the FT and Sion Barry in the Western Mail. Others may know better but I think the Working Paper was the first to conduct a rigorous exercise to measure the oft asserted Scottish windfall. I believe it was only when the work was mistakenly reported to have been conducted by a Scottish academic the nationals picked up on it.

]]> http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/12/gerry-holtham-and-the-myth-busters/comment-page-1/#comment-644 Lee Waters Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:34:15 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=631#comment-644 Jeff, I'm not a gambler and I didn't make a prediction. I simply suggested that in the event of a hung Parliament new dynamics come into play and your analysis (which I agree with) of the roadblocks in in place in current state of play may no longer apply. Who knows? Jeff, I’m not a gambler and I didn’t make a prediction. I simply suggested that in the event of a hung Parliament new dynamics come into play and your analysis (which I agree with) of the roadblocks in in place in current state of play may no longer apply. Who knows?

]]> http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/12/gerry-holtham-and-the-myth-busters/comment-page-1/#comment-643 Jeff Jones Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:11:01 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=631#comment-643 Lee Do you really believe that there will be a hung Parliament? I think we shoudl wait to see the political effect of the PBR before making predictions. Most gamblers still seem to be putting money on a Tory win even if the majority isn't that great. In the event of a hung Parliament the odds are that there will also be more SNP MPs than Plaid. The nationalists had influence in the 1970s because they worked together. But any attempt to revise Barnett will divide the SNP and Plaid. In any case Wales isn't Catalonia and the UK isn't Spain. Lee Do you really believe that there will be a hung Parliament? I think we shoudl wait to see the political effect of the PBR before making predictions. Most gamblers still seem to be putting money on a Tory win even if the majority isn’t that great. In the event of a hung Parliament the odds are that there will also be more SNP MPs than Plaid. The nationalists had influence in the 1970s because they worked together. But any attempt to revise Barnett will divide the SNP and Plaid. In any case Wales isn’t Catalonia and the UK isn’t Spain.

]]> http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/12/gerry-holtham-and-the-myth-busters/comment-page-1/#comment-642 Lee Waters Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:58:49 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=631#comment-642 You never know what the impact of horse trading in a hung Parliament will be. You never know what the impact of horse trading in a hung Parliament will be.

]]> http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/12/gerry-holtham-and-the-myth-busters/comment-page-1/#comment-641 Jeff Jones Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:38:12 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=631#comment-641 Scotland is the problem. As I read it the Scottish government would lose probably £3 billion under a needs based formula. This would be on top of the £3 billion black hole already identified in the Scottish budget by the Scottish Audit Office. Can anyone honestly expect any UK Party to agree to such changes in the foreseeable future? Not only isn't there the political will, the advice from Treasury civil servants would either be to keep the status quo or make changes along the lines of those suggested in the recent White Paper in response to the Calman Commission. Unless of course Plaid in the interests of fairness and Celtic solidarity can persuade Salmond that the SNP should support a change to a needs based formula ! Scotland is the problem. As I read it the Scottish government would lose probably £3 billion under a needs based formula. This would be on top of the £3 billion black hole already identified in the Scottish budget by the Scottish Audit Office. Can anyone honestly expect any UK Party to agree to such changes in the foreseeable future? Not only isn’t there the political will, the advice from Treasury civil servants would either be to keep the status quo or make changes along the lines of those suggested in the recent White Paper in response to the Calman Commission. Unless of course Plaid in the interests of fairness and Celtic solidarity can persuade Salmond that the SNP should support a change to a needs based formula !

]]> http://www.thisismytruth.org/2009/12/gerry-holtham-and-the-myth-busters/comment-page-1/#comment-640 Luke Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:22:07 +0000 http://www.thisismytruth.org/?p=631#comment-640 You owe Huw Lewis a few quid for the title - I'm sure he copyrighted "mythbusters". You owe Huw Lewis a few quid for the title – I’m sure he copyrighted “mythbusters”.

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