Interesting video here about the disparities between England and Scotland covering many aspects of government spending and support. I have to say I cannot assure all the statistics herein but the sentiment is valid.
It feels a bit odd as a libertarian to be complaining about my country being the subject of less government spending than another one. But it's not as simple as that.
As an Englishman, I get considerably less spent on me than I would if I were a Scot. But in return, Scots have considerably more say in the running of my country than I do in the running of theirs. We all know about Foundation Hospitals and University Tuition Fees being pushed through in the last Parliament by Scottish MPs when the same measures didn't apply to them. We also know that the Conservatives got more votes at the last General Election than new Labour. Meanwhile the Scottish Parliament continues to vote through expensive measures - free school meals for the first three years and a promise to scrap subscription charges among them - which they do apparently without cost to the Scottish taxpayer.
That's what makes it wrong. There is an element of representation without taxation within the British constitution at present and this government shows absolutely no inclination to do anything about it. Very slowly the English are waking up to the unfairness of it all but for me it's all happening far too slowly.
Twenty years ago I was a committed Unionist, proud of the Union Flag and what it stood for. But for me now the case for maintaining the Union has passed. It's served its purpose by getting us through two World Wars and various other crises. There are values that unite us but no reason for continued unification. This is one union of which I'm a member and in which I want no part.
Please can someone show me the exit ?
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