London’s bankroll

For the first time the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has broken down the UK budget region by region, which underlined the dependence of the UK economy on London and the South East.

In 2016/2016 Londoners provided £3070 more in tax revenues than they received in public spending. In the South East and the East of England the figures were £1670 and £242 respectively.

Every other part of the UK, including Scotland, was in deficit and reliant on the surplus generated by London to be recycled by Westminster to the less well off regions.

In scotland spending exceeded tax revenues by £2830 per head, the highest of all but four of the UK’S 13 regions.

Scotland and Northern Ireland received the highest level of state funding per person at £13,050 and £14,020 respectively.

The figures tally with the most recent Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland statistics and include public spending in Scotland, both devolved and reserved.

Nicola Sturgeon is happy to use independence to distract from her government’s economic shortcomings, but these figures are the latest reminder that the health of the economy is central to her ambitions.

She must put forward practical measures capable of remedying its weakness rather than simply allow London to bankroll her profligate public spending policies.

DONALD LEWIS Gifford, East Lothian