English taxpayers could save £8bn by scrapping Scottish subsidies, Ukip claim
UP TO £8billion of English taxpayers' cash could be saved by scrapping extra public subsidies to Scotland, the UK Independence Party said today.
Officials at the anti-Brussels party revealed election manifesto plans for abolishing the "Barnett formula" for public spending across the UK that allocates more resources north of the border.
And Ukip deputy leader Paul Nuttall claimed that English voters were being "punished" by Scottish MPs voting on English issues in the Commons while more and more powers are devolved to Scotland.
Manifesto plans for scrapping the Barnett Formula and banning Scots MPs from voting on English issues were unveiled at Ukip's spring conference in Kent.
Mr Nuttall was facing "a new fight" to stop the UK breaking up.
"England has effectively been left with nothing more than token gestures and broken promises. We in Ukip intend to right that wrong," he said.
"We believe in cleaner and fairer votes for English votes on English issues."
He added: "We advocate English votes for English laws in the House of Commons not as a way of weaking our union but as a way of preserving and strengthening it."
Mr Nuttall said David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg had offered more power to the Scottish Parliament in a panic at the polls during last summer's referendum on Scottish independence.
The result would be more division across the UK and disproportionate power for Scots MPs.
"This is unfair, it is wrong and it punishes the English," Mr Nuttall told the conference.
This is unfair, it is wrong and it punishes the English
"This is fundamentally wrong and it flies in the face of our democratic principles."
He forecast that the issue would become worse when more Scottish Nationalist MPs are elected to the Commons at the general election.
Mr Nuttall said Tory plans to limit the voting power of Scots MPs were "weak" and "a recipe for disaster" while Labour was in a "mess" on the issue.
"They are putting their party above country and for that reason, on this issue, the Labour Party are a disgrace," he said.
Mr Nuttall described Labour as "useful idiots" who were helping Brussels by weakening the UK by supporting more devolution to the nations of the UK and to regions.
"The EU fears nothing more than a strong, united Euro-sceptic England," Mr Nuttall said.
"I am telling you, Mr Miliband, you will not divide up England without a fight. We do not was union sponsored regionalisation," he said.
The plans for scrapping the Barnett Formula were outlined by Ukip deputy chairman Suzanne Evans in a speech on Ukip's manifesto plans.
Giving a broad outline of the Ukip platform, she insisted that pulling out of the EU would save £10 billion annually, and reducing aid spending to US levels another £11 billion.
Reviewing the Barnett formula for allocating funding to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would save up to £8 billion.
Activists cheered loudly when told scrapping the HS2 train link would save £4bn annually, and the money could be recycled in to tax cuts.
