Knowledge Of The Barnett Formula Did Not Reach Public Domain Until July 1980!

Early knowledge of the Barnett formula stems from a public session on 7 July 1980, atwhich George Younger MP, then Secretary of State for Scotland, gave evidence to theCommittee chaired by Donald Dewar MP3. Some of the durability of the Barnett formula maybe attributable to information about its existence having reached the public domain in thisway. This knowledge allowed the Scottish Affairs Committee to regularly ask the Secretaryof State for Scotland whether that year’s public expenditure changes had been settled bymeans of the Barnett formula. Defence of the formula, against what was suspected to be theTreasury’s desire to change it, became one of the key tasks of the Secretary of State forScotland4. Although reliable information about the formula’s operation was slow to reach thepublic domain, there was clearly a substantial amount of newspaper briefing

Click on the red text for more on the "origins and role of the Barnett Formula". The what?! You know, that little formula whose creator, Lord Joel Barnett, has declared unfair to England. You know, that little formula which discriminates against all citizens of England, creating a so-called "Celtic" elite in Scotland and Wales. You know, that little formula which decrees that they can have and you cannot.