Southern England foots the bill for Wales!

[Seabedsurfer]

I flicked on the tv tonight & it was 'Question Time', this week from Caernarfon. The discussion was Welsh parliamentary independence. The remark from a Southern English journalist (from The Sun me thinks) was something like, "I'm all for it coz then the affluent people in the South of England no longer have to foot the bill for Wales and then people like me would be a lot better off!" I just was wondering how England foots the bill for Wales? If he's alluding to high unemployment in Wales (thus lots of tax U.K. money going on benefits) for there are pockets of high unemployment all over the U.K. England included. Was he just talking rubbish or does he have a point? God bless.     

[jake-the-peg]

Hmm - If you hadn't suggested the Sun I'dv'e said it was a clever analogy to the EU.

I can't remember who the comedian was but there was a stand up routine which kind of went:

"Fight for my country of course I would - well not Scotland and Wales of course or all them up North but yes of course I'd fight for the South apart from all them outside London but not South of the River naturally. But yes I'd fight for north London - apart from Ealing and Harrow and the like but I'd fight for Acton , well My flat anyway! "

At the end of the day it's where your allegences lie -  do you feel British or only English? - Most of us don't feel European but then many Americans didn't feel American 150 years ago after the civil war.

[Gevs1966]

He might be making the point that if you took the south of this country and particularly the south east as a seperate country it would probably be the most affluent in the world on its own in terms of employment, wage and the like.

[Loosehead]

It's well known that southern England subsidises Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North the Midlands, the bleeding EU. In fact I can't find anywhere we are not subsidising!

[jake-the-peg]

"And Ealing and Harrow .... "

You dont drink with any stand up comics who write down everything you say do you Loosehead?

[elgroucho]

Given that it was Rod Liddle who said it I wouldn't pay much attention. Anyway, Scotland's oil has been paying for all of us for the last 30 years.

[stevie21]

Wahey - just in time for me to wheel out my favourite politician quote, from Alex (Alec?) Salmon(d) of the Scottish National Party who wants independence for Scotland...

"Scotland is the only country to have ever discovered oil and then got poorer".

I'm certainly not trying to make any serious political statement here about the Union, just a cheap gag.

[maxi29]

Of course the English would be happy for independence now they've used up all the coal.
Still, the Welsh could always charge more for the water they supply. :-)

[mash]

Its a shame we have to constantly have such battles between regions and that some people are so narrow minded and selfish.The UK should stand together and support ALL areas that need support and us a strong economy within the world to benifit us all. Don't be foolish enough to be sucked in by the silly politicians on the fringes of all parties they have their own agendas not yours. (Mash - Midlands)

[wellhungjock]

I agree with mash there is always someone trying to stir things up! (Jock-Scotland)