LONDON Welsh are facing an unfair lack of funding from the Aviva Premiership, an MP will tell Parliament.

Exiles’ fan and Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas is to bring an Early Day Motion (EDM) before the House of Commons to highlight how the league is acting as a ‘cartel’.

Welsh receive £1.3m annual funding from the Premiership, while other clubs such as Bath net around £3m.

The funding system takes in to account whether clubs hold ‘P shares’ as founder members of the Premiership and the number of seasons they have been in the top flight.

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Thomas believes the inbalance makes it very hard for promoted clubs like Welsh to compete.

“There is hugely unfair funding when other clubs get 70 per cent more than London Welsh,” he said.

“It is essentially a cartel because it is very difficult for any promoted club to challenge the dominance of the big five or six clubs.

“My own view is that the competition authorities should be investigating this.

“I will be highlighting the unfairness. How can you have a fair competition on this basis?”

A Premiership Rugby spokesman said: “Each club promoted to Aviva Premiership Rugby has the ability to become a full shareholder over time and also benefit from the parachute payment if relegated.”

LONDON Welsh host their first Big City Scrum today to raise the club’s profile in Oxford.

The Exiles have an open training session at St Edward’s School this morning followed by a series of promotional events around the city.

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