In 1984, Margaret Thatcher managed to secure an EU rebate of £79 million, a remarkable achievement during the early years of her premiership. 21 years later, Tony Blair threw it away. Since the UK joined the Common Market in 1973, Britain has been a net contributor towards the trading bloc. 34 years since our entry, Brussels has the nerve to demand the UK pays a final divorce settlement. Au contraire, Monsieur Barnier: the EU owes the UK money.
Since Theresa May triggered Article 50, the EU has invented a clause that any country leaving the trading bloc, or in this case Britain, should pay a maximum of £100 billion.
Who remembers that being the case when Gordon Brown signed the Lisbon Treaty in 2007?
'The UK should be owed £4.5 billion in property assets alone.'
Firstly, as Leo McKinstry from the Daily Mail highlighted, the UK should be owed £4.5 billion in property assets alone about its 12.5% share of EU assets. Brussels' accumulated wealth is worth £36 billion: £19 billion in cash, £7.5 billion in property and £8.3 billion in financial assets. Also, the EU owes £49 billion in outstanding loans, £39 billion reserved for incomplete projects and £9 billion of budget contributions. If Mr Davis reminded Monsieur Barnier that Britain is entitled to a 12.5% share of the total, then the UK should be owed £12.1 billion.
Furthermore, when it comes to luxuries, the European Parliament is estimated to have 15,500 bottles of wine and spirits in its cellars, while the Council of Ministers has 27,000. Have they the cheek to impose austerity on Mediterranean countries while they wine and dine at the taxpayer's expense? This collection is worth £8 million.
Britain is entitled to an eighth of assets, which would cover 5,000 bottles of wines and spirits and £2 million of art.
Let us hope Damian Green was right when he said the prospect of no deal with the EU is forthcoming because then Mrs May can say au revoir to Monsieur Barnier and this humiliating trading bloc this country should never have joined in the first place.
