Burnham calls for scrapping Barnett formula to rebalance UK spending

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham wants to abolish the Barnett formula, the mechanism that tops up public spending for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In his book Head North, he says England's north is caught in a "pincer" between South East-favoured allocations and devolved-nation funding. BBC News reports some aides have played down changes amid Scottish political concerns.