PaulRogan

'Fiscal decentralisation' to solve English question.

Reviewing the formula used to allocate public money given to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the first step towards an English parliament, it was suggested last night.

A panel of experts convened at the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth to look at the "ticking timebomb" of the English question.

Debate over the need for an English parliament has risen in recent years, with prime minister Gordon Brown consistently emphasising his 'Britishness' in an effort to avert the separatist ambitions of Scotland.

Kenyon Wright, former chair of the Scottish constitutional convention, said: "An English parliament would certainly break the union as it is at present. But would it means the end of any kind of meaningful union? No."

He expects the Barnett formula will exacerbate tensions. At present it is used to distribute public spending between the UK's four countries. Scotland receives 22 per cent more spending per head than England, while Wales (14 per cent) and Northern Ireland (30 per cent) also receive more.

IPPR director Guy Isaby said: "Devolution has magnified the funding disparities... the Barnett formula squeezed the idea that spending would converge."

And Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University said a Conservative government faced a "win-win" situation where giving back fiscal autonomy to Scotland could help both sides.

"The Barnett formula is already being revived from a Scottish perspective through the Calman Commission," he pointed out, adding it is "creating the need for change."

The polls appear to suggest the only area of devolution issues where opinion is moving is on the financial settlement. At the start of the decade, one-fifth said it was unfair; that is now up to one-third in Scotland.

Mr Isaby added: "There has to be a policy intervention... scrap the Barnett formula and move to a system of fiscal decentralisation."

He suggested, however, that such a move is unlikely in the near future. "The current position of the government is to hope this goes away," he added. "But not doing anything is not the answer."

http://www.politics.co.uk/news/conferences/lib-dem-conference/-fiscal-decentralisation-to-solve-english-question-$1240676.htm