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A LOUDMOUTH Tory MP has sparked fury by urging David Cameron to target Scotland for brutal spending cuts.

Backbencher Priti Patel said the Prime Minister should demand the country starts to “pay for itself”.

Patel, a member of the influential 1922 Committee, said Scots get a better deal than the rest of the UK due to policies like free prescriptions and tuition fees.

And in a speech organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs – Maggie Thatcher’s favourite think-tank – she said the independence debate provided a “good opportunity” to slash spending.

Patel, 40, called for reform of the Barnett Formula, which calculates how much money Holyrood receives from Westminster.

Her outburst will embarrass Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson and undermine the Better Together campaign to keep Scotland in the UK.

Patel said: “There are many areas such as elderly care, tuition fees and prescriptions where Scots are basically getting a better deal than the rest of the country.

“Failure to reform the Barnett Formula has effectively meant that Scotland receives £1600 per person more than the English average which inevitably puts a greater strain on public finances.”

Patel claimed the latest figures showed the public sector in Scotland cost billions.

She said: “These are considerable sums of money which should be reduced as part of deficit reduction plans, but the point I am making is in the light of the wider politics of Scotland right now. Scotland is talking about independence. I would rather they remain in the UK, but we have a funding imbalance that has to be addressed.

“When you think about the prevailing doctrine in all the parties in Scotland, everyone is talking about more devolution.

“So there is a good opportunity now for the UK Government to actually start having discussions to make sure that Scotland actually pays for itself.”

A recent report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed public spending per head in Scotland was £1200 higher than the rest of the UK but noted that oil revenues more than make up for this.

Patel’s comments were last night seized on by the SNP. MSP Jamie Hepburn said: “What unbelievable claptrap from this top Tory.

“Once again the mask has slipped and we see the true attitude of the UK Government towards Scotland.

“Scotland more than pays its way – generating 9.6 per cent of UK tax revenue in return for just 9.3 per cent of expenditure.

“But who can doubt that the Tories would cut Scotland’s budget even further if the referendum result was No?”

A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “Priti Patel obviously does not understand that while Scotland benefits from free prescriptions and free personal care, we have 2000 less nurses – and patients with rare cancers go without life-saving drugs, unlike in England.

“Politics is all about choices and she would do well to take this into account when making future speeches about the devolved settlement in Scotland.”

Patel, the MP for Witham, Essex, since 2010, also demanded Cameron target funding for trade unions and foreign aid to cut the deficit.