Osbourne's BROKEN Devolution

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34445311

So devolving business rates to the councils sounds great. But it is not true autonomy at all, if you can lower rates (an intention to see a race to the bottom between councils perhaps?) but cannot raise them, except under special conditions. So you need to have a Mayor appointed, and on top of that it is restricted to 2%... and then, only if businesses agree. So you leave councils in need of cash HELD TO RANSOM by their businesses, and not their wider population. They may no even be able to delivery key services and want to raise business rates.. but if the businesses don't see anything in it for them (short termism ahem..) why would they back it?

TRUE devolution would see full autonomy on this. It should be rejected and an amendment requested to receive absolute autonomy to actually raise revenue where the government doesn't have the balls to risk doing it in a way that doesn't take money from the less advantaged in society.