Our huge cash burden due to EU membership

Oct 30 2008

IT seems extraordinary that the BBC and others can be discussing our economic crisis without considering the effects of our EU membership. In particular, how can they talk about the billions of pounds borrowed by our government and yet ignore the billions it pays to the EU institutions (latest figure £15.3 billion/year in 2006)?

We get some of this back in grants etc. but not for the basic things we need such as hospitals, schools, support for industry, but for things the Commission agree with our Regions. And even then the grant has to be matched by a UK contribution.

Also, how can they talk about rising unemployment without considering our ever-increasing trade deficit in goods and services with the EU, which reached £35 billion/year in 2006? As we had a trade surplus when we joined the EEC (now EU), this means that since joining we have transferred £38 billion-worth of jobs to the EU and thousands of our enterprises have closed down or become foreign-owned, with profits going abroad.

Furthermore, how can they talk about relieving the burdens of small businesses without considering the large cost to them and others of complying with the thousands of regulations that have emanated from the EU Commission? In its annual report for 2004/2005, the government’s Better Regulation Task Force estimated that the costs to the UK of complying with regulations was over £1000 billion per year (10 per cent to 12 per cent of GDP). Not all regulation is bad, but most of it emanates from the EU Commission and most of it is unnecessary.

These figures can be found in the Treasury statistics website and that of the Better Regulation Commission (as the Task Force is now called). Therefore the Prime Minister, Chancellor and other senior government and opposition MPs must be aware of them, as must media economists.

So who is wielding the power to suppress this information? And why?

Is it so as not to rock the EU boat?

John Greer-Spencer.