Student Protests!

How can the Welsh afford it? Or is it a case of they are better with the budgets than we are? Do we (UK) pay anything towards the Welsh?
Sorry to ask So many questions.

Wiki partly quotes the following: (I know it can be inaccurate but gives the general gist.)

However, the continuing distribution of a per-capita amount to each devolved areas higher than that allocated to England still continues to attract calls for the formula to be re-negotiated. Using figures for the financial year 2006/2007[4], if a UK-wide per-capita average was a notional 100% then identifiable per-capita expenditure on services in England would be 97% and the Scottish amount 117%. Wales would be 111% and Northern Ireland 127%. This comprises all expenditure that can be identified as being to the benefit of a particular country. It does not, however, take account of 'non-identifiable expenditure', such as defence and debt interest, which are deemed to be for the benefit of the entire UK, regardless as to where the monies are actually spent.

In actual monetary figures, this will work out as (per person):[5]

England £7,121
Scotland £8,623
Wales £8,139
Northern Ireland £9,385
As these variations were not ever a consciously decided policy of the Treasury or Parliament this has been cited as a reason for reform. However, as noted earlier these differences may be eroded over time albeit very slowly. For example the trend in Scottish identifiable expenditure as a percentage of English identifiable expenditure is as follows for the six years from 2001/02 to 2006/07 (a period of very large increases in public expenditure): 121.3%, 120.6%, 120.3%, 117.1%, 119.7%, 121.1%[5]. Some estimate that these differences should disappear in thirty years, but that is by no means evident from recent data.

The population of England is 80% of the population of the UK. Instant abolition of the Barnett Formula, based on the above figures would result on an average UK expenditure of approximately £7362. This would be a large decrease for each person in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but an increase of less than 4% per person for England.

Although not subject to Barnett, there are significant variations in identifiable spending between the regions of England:[5]

North East £8,177 - 111% of UK average identifiable expenditure
North West £7,798 - 106%
Yorkshire and Humberside £7,188 - 98%
East Midlands £6,491 - 88%
West Midlands £7,065 - 96%
Eastern £6,144 - 83%
London £8,404 - 114%
South East £6,304 - 86%
South West £6,677 - 91%

because the English pay for everthing due to the number of Jocks and Taffs in the successive governments

Everyone knows what Porter is, even before he lost any credibility he had pre-Millbank. Readers of the Daily Telegraph might believe him to be the 'Coalition's most vocal critic', but his credibility sinks by the day. He's a classic case of what business leaders euphemistically refer to as a 'union moderate', you know, 'someone we can do business with'. That was until he realised what he had unwittingly unleashed as the first panes of glass were smashed at Tory Party HQ ;D

It's core readership of Colonal Blimp reactionaries and Young Fogies are a peculiar bunch (not to mention the nutjobs who contribute to the comments pages of its online edition), but its sports coverage is good (except when there are Rugby Union international games) and its commentators are far more fun than those who write for the Guardian. Give me the hilarious Simon Heffer over George Monbiot any day!

Rubber bullets? You haven't gone half far enough Aussie. A well drilled Firing Squad with real bullets, the ringleaders caged in the Tower on only food and water for a few months before a public beheading (then let FIFA say we can't organise public events), and those that attacked the Royal Family charged with treason. That would make their eyes water and there would be no need for them to worry about university tuition fees as they would be far too old before they saw the light of day again!!! ;D