Cameron’s Government confirms its £50 billion spend on EU membership

FROM THE PRESS OFFICE OF THE LORD STODDART OF SWINDON (Independent Labour)

In response to a written question from the independent Labour Peer, Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Hansard 17.11.14), the Government has confirmed that by the end of the current financial year, it will have spent more than £50 billion (net) on contributions to the EU budget, since David Cameron came to power.

Responding for the Government, the Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Deighton said: ‘The United Kingdom’s net contributions to the EU Budget over the period 2009-10 to 2013-14 were £41.1 billion. The current forecast for 2014-15 by the Office for Budget Responsibility is £9.1 billion.’

Commenting on the Government’s response, Lord Stoddart said: “As ever with EU costs, the figures are colossal. We must put this enormous figure against the austere background of the last 4-5 years, in which we have seen public services cut to the bone and standards of living fall as people have lost their jobs or faced long term pay freezes.

“We also have to put it against a background of a Government that is always telling us it wants to cut the cost of the EU. The reality is that the costs are constantly rising and the EU is ever greedy for more, as we have seen with its outrageous recent demand for an extra £1.7 billion. £50 billion on belonging to the EU, an organisation whose objectives are inimical to our long term interests and which does so much damage to our Parliamentary democracy and economic future is simply not sustainable.”

The full text of Lord Stoddart’s question and the Government’s reply is as follows:

Hansard 17.10.14

EU Budget: Contributions

Question

Asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the total amount of the United Kingdom net contributions paid to the European Union budget in the years 2010–13 inclusive; what is the estimated total for 2014; and how those contributions are financed. [HL2610]

The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) (Con): The United Kingdom’s net contributions to the EU Budget over the period 2009-10 to 2013-14 were £41.1 billion. The current forecast for 2014-15 by the Office for Budget Responsibility is £9.1 billion.

All data can be found in Table C.1 of HM Treasury’s Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses of July 2014.

Contributions to the EU Budget are financed from Traditional Own Resources (mainly customs duties and sugar levies), contributions based on a hypothetical harmonised VAT base, and Gross National Income based contributions.