Farage wants to end the Barnett Formula

Scotland to get shafted yet again by Westminster

Speaking in Aberdeen, Reform leader Nigel Farage says he wants to scrap the Barnett Formula (article; archived here):

Slash handouts to Scotland, demands Farage

Nigel Farage has proposed scrapping a formula that gives Scotland thousands of pounds more public spending per person than England.

The Reform UK leader said the Barnett formula, used to calculate Scotland’s block grant from Westminster, originated in the 1970s and is “somewhat out of date”. Speaking during a visit to Scotland, he said it “should be looked at again” and argued that Holyrood should instead be given more powers to “raise a bit more of its own revenue”.

Personally I think Scotland should raise 100% of its revenue, and decide 100% of its spending -- including our armed forces, diplomatic service, central bank and all the other things a normal independent country does.

But of course that's not what Farage has in mind. What he wants is to slash the money going to Scotland, while at the same time forcing it to stay in the union.

Unionist politicians often claim that the UK subsidises Scotland. But of they really believed that, they'd be happy for us to be independent as then they wouldn't have to subsidise us any more. But they all want to hang on to Scotland, regardless of how unpopular the union is north of the border! It's almost as if the UK doesn't subsidise Scotland at all, indeed the subsidy is the other way round, and they just want to keep stealing our oil, our gas, our wind, our water, all our resources. I expect they would steal our air too if they could figure out how.

The Vow

In 2014, just before the independence referendum, the 3 main Westminster parties were scared that Scotland might vote for independence. So they made a "Vow" promising Scotland more powers:

The text includes a promise to keep the Barnett Formula:

the continuation of the Barnett allocation of resources

The Vow is the basis on which many Scots voted to stay in the UK. Therefore if Westminster were to unilaterally end the Barnett Formula, reneging on the terms of the Vow, then Scotland would have the right to look again at whether we want to belong to the union.

Farage may well win the next UK general election. Indeed his reform party have been ahead in all of the last 25 opinion polls. So he may be in a position to slash Scotland's money.

Hamilton by-election

There's a Scottish parliamentary by-election tomorrow (Thursday 5 Jun 2025) in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency.

I hope everyone votes for the SNP and they win by a landslide, keeping the seat. I particularly hope that neither Labour (who came 2nd in 2021) nor Reform (who are expected to do well) win.

While Labour and Reform differ on main points they are united one one issue: that Scotland should be forced to stay in Westminster's union, regardless of whether Scots want independence. For this reason both parties are opposed to there being a constitutional route for Scotland to leave the union. So both Labour and Reform hate democracy and hate Scotland.

See also

• Barnett Formula