Thank you Kelvin

[SimonMac]

Where do you think all the "stuff" is made that are consumed by the service sectors in the South East?

China, mainly.

China

KUATB

[vetran]

Yeah, Austin Allergos and rusty Jags. They don't make stuff anymore cos they were tulip at it.

+1

[darmstadt]

He hasn't got a very Sarf Lahnden name has he...

MacKenzie has courted further controversy recently by making a series of attacks on the people of Scotland despite the fact that he has some Scottish ancestry - his grandfather was from Stirling. In addition, his three names are all traditionally Scottish. Kelvin for example, is the name of one of the rivers that runs through Glasgow, and his brother is called Bruce, which is the name of one of the Scottish royal families.

[ZARDOZ]

The article is designed to massage the pretty prejudices of the hard of thinking. It neglects to mention Edinburgh in terms of GDP is up there with the areas lauded, but of course it doesn't fit the nasty little man's agenda. There are several regions outside the south east holding their own in terms of GDP and as a whole they contribute 70% plus of total GDP. The article is utter bollocks.

[Robinho]

The article is designed to massage the pretty prejudices of the hard of thinking. It neglects to mention Edinburgh in terms of GDP is up there with the areas lauded, but of course it doesn't fit the nasty little man's agenda. There are several regions outside the south east holding their own in terms of GDP and as a whole they contribute 70% plus of total GDP. The article is utter bollocks.

It's not about GDP it's about net tax revenues. Because of course, GDP includes public spending. London does bankroll a lot of the country in this regard. There's 2 regions, Scotland (only if you attribute north sea oil to Scotland) and the South East that post a small relative surplus, everywhere else is subsidised, effectively by London. Not that i don't agree that Kelvin McKenzie is a loud-mouthed provocative knob-head. Nor do i believe that it's necessarily a problem provided tax money is being spent per head on public services based on needs and not in the form of an intentional wealth transfer in an attempt to artificially boost certain regions.

[ZARDOZ]

It used to be* London and the South East contributed about 148 billion out of 451 PA in tax revenue. Say about 33%. You have to remember this is quite a simplistic figure, it was distorted by the fact that many companies have London as their financial HQ when often they operated regionally. It is true however that those two areas traditionally ran a net surplus, along with Eastern England. The East Midlands pretty much paid it's own way.

*To be fair though it's all pretty meaningless since the city exploded. The Whole UK is picking up the tab for that. Carrying the rest of the country should now be read as burdening it with debt. Take off the cost of the financial crisis and London would come out top of the pops. I for one am sick of subsidising their feckless ways and I would start by making Kelvin get a proper name and a proper job.

[MrMark]

Should London become an independent city state? It could have its own flag and other stuff. Plus charge £15 entry fees. We'd be boomed in no time!

[DodgyAgent]

It used to be* London and the South East contributed about 148 billion out of 451 PA in tax revenue. Say about 33%. You have to remember this is quite a simplistic figure, it was distorted by the fact that many companies have London as their financial HQ when often they operated regionally. It is true however that those two areas traditionally ran a net surplus, along with Eastern England. The East Midlands pretty much paid it's own way.

*To be fair though it's all pretty meaningless since the city exploded. The Whole UK is picking up the tab for that. Carrying the rest of the country should now be read as burdening it with debt. Take off the cost of the financial crisis and London would come out top of the pops. I for one am sick of subsidising their feckless ways and I would start by making Kelvin get a proper name and a proper job.

We are actually subsidising the largesse of the previous government that you Northern people voted for.

[BrilloPad]

We are actually subsidising the largesse of the previous government that you Northern people voted for.

I don't believe the Tories would have done much different. Maggie is long gone.

[DodgyAgent]

I don't believe the Tories would have done much different. Maggie is long gone.

Sorry BP but the Tories would never have borrowed and spent in the way that Labour did - you have no evidence from which to to make such an assertion. Yes they would probably have fallen foul of the banking crisis but there is not a shred of evidence from their recent past (40 years) that they would be careless with money.

Labour fundamentally believe in giving money away, the recipients of which will always vote for them. The Tories fundamentally believe in individual freedom and personal responsibility.