We Knew We Were A Big Contributor But £10B Shortfall?

[cassa333]

Which apparently equates to 16% of the budget.

No wonder they don't want us to go.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40433450

They are looking at increasing revenues or cutting farming subsidies.

[jourdain2]

Many of us have been saying that we should negotiate from a position of strength - but there are so many panic-stricken nay-sayers that this fact has been obscured. Hysteria needs to be calmed and laid to rest and the country has to pull together calmly to negotiate sensible arrangements for trade, travel and residence. Yes, it's complex in detail, but not in broad agreement. Don't panic, Corporal Jones!

[cassa333]

It seems,to be Remainers panicking saying we should get a deal at any cost but it is actually the EU who will loose out by a whopping 16%.

Our strength is our funds but to them I think is a weakness as they think we should pay it just to be hamstrung with the same restrictions. They need us more than we need them.

[KARL]

I wonder whether the UK repeatedly chanting to itself the mantra of its own importance, superiority, etc. will lead to that becoming the accepted wisdom beyond its borders and any/most/all other nations in the EU believing the content and being brought under its spell, then led into granting the UK its demands in every way in time to guarantee eternal UK greatness under the new post-Brexit order. Can a useful spell be cast over large distances just by repetitive self-adulation ?

[Zacs-Master]

Do you believe the 16% figure? It says it's estimated. Estimated by whom?

[Davemano]

The EU Commissioner says, and who are we to doubt it. They know a great deal more that we do.

[Hymie]

Much of the money we pay into the EU is returned to our farmers as subsidies, come Brexit, if I was a UK farmer I would be worried about how I’m going to fund my duck-house.

[Guilbert53]

The biggest contributors to the EU are Germany, UK, France and Italy.

But France and Italy also take out quite a lot.

We have NEVER taken out more than we paid in in any year (Poland have been getting about 6 times what they pay in per year).

So the EU is being propped up by mainly Germany and us. Germany want to stay in to apologise for starting two world wars.

All we have been doing is giving money to Eastern European countries so they can build motorways to bring their cheap good here.

Voting to stay in the EU was like Turkeys voting for Christmas.

It has been one big con as far as we are concerned.

[Guilbert53]

>>>Much of the money we pay into the EU is returned to our farmers as subsidies

Total rubbish.

SOME of the money we pay in goes to UK farmers.

In 2016 we paid IN 13.1 BILLION and only took OUT (in total) 4.5 Billion.

So it cost us 8.6 BILLION to stay in the EU in 2016.

And that is just for one year.

[Gromit]

// Germany want to stay in [ the EU ] to apologise for starting two world wars. //

That sentence just fails on so many levels.

[cassa333]

Well Karl, repeating things at least in the hope it will be believed is a mantra used by many organisations. Just look at the opposition.

In any case I would rather start from a position of being confident and letting people know that than winging and moaning about how small and insignificant we are. That is not only unpatriotic (which seems to be the in thing nowadays) it is starting from a diminished position and will result in a detrimental outcome.

Actually I think remoaner remainers actually want Brexit to fail because to have it succeed would be a huge kick in their ability to know what is right. And we all know what happens then.

[anneasquith]

Ditto gromit :-(

[whiskeryron]

Yes we are a huge contributor to EU funds & with Brexit it is time to call a halt. Just say tatty bye neighbours & stop paying, end of.

[youngmafbog]

Sounds good to me Ron

[ToraToraTora]

well it's things like the CAP and the CFP that is killing the EU so hopefully they'll see sense and stop paying farmers to not produce or to produce mountains if stuff that's not needed. Cue French farmers, filll Paris with tractors!

[Kromovaracun]

Unless we are willing to keep paying into the EU budget (which would be ludicrous), then our contributions do not offer us any leverage in negotiations. As we're leaving, our budget contributions cannot continue. Even if we took the "soft option" of EEA membership our budget contributions would not continue.

So this has no bearing on our incredibly weak negotiating position whatsoever, because it's going either way.

[Kromovaracun]

Also the other EU countries already pay more in to compensate for our massive rebate, so I imagine the scale of those adjustments will probably increase.

Sure, it's a pain. But I doubt it will cripple them.

[cassa333]

LOL Krom, //our incredibly week bargaining position//

That made me laugh.

[Kromovaracun]

What a convincing rebuttal.

[ToraToraTora]

dunno why people think it's weak, cancel the dd and foxtrot oscar, end of!

[youngmafbog]

Effectively that is what will happen after two years of posturing TTT.