Mr Major, who set up the lottery, said money meant for traditionally under-funded areas like art, sport and heritage was being siphoned off.
“This is now being used as substituted government funding, that is not what it was intended for,” he told the BBC.
I think John Major is right here, and the problem I have with Tessa Jowells “citizens’ panels”, is that either items which should be paid for out of general taxation (eg Cancer Scanner), or items which already receive large charity donations (eg Dogs Homes) will get the money, whilst those underfunded never-gonna-get-a-penny-of-public-money causes will lose out.