THE BRUGES GROUP The Bruges Group spearheads the intellectual battle against the notion of "ever–closer Union" in Europe and, above all, against British involvement in a single European state. Honorary President: The Rt Hon. the Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, LG, OM, FRS Vice-President: The Rt Hon. the Lord Lamont of Lerwick, Co-Chairmen: Dr Brian Hindley & Barry Legg Director: Robert Oulds MA, Head of Research: Dr Helen Szamuely Washington D.C. Representative: John O'Sullivan, CBE Founder Chairman: Lord Harris of High Cross, Former Chairmen: Dr Martin Holmes & Professor Kenneth Minogue HOW MUCH DOES THE EUROPEAN UNION COST BRITAIN? 2008 Latest Bruges Group Publication BRUGES GROUP CONFERENCE - reminder How EU and Government Waste is Costing You Money Saturday, 22nd November 2008 Latest Bruges Group Publication HOW MUCH DOES THE EUROPEAN UNION COST BRITAIN? 2008 The price of the combined direct and indirect expenses of EU membership in 2008 costs Britain £55.775 billion. Set out in the latest Bruges Group research by UKIP MEP Gerard Batten, the full financial burden to Britain has now been calculated. They show a dramatic increase in the costs of the EU - A price Britain cannot afford. The facts: - By 2008 Britain will have made total contributions to the European Community (EC) Budget of £230.4 billion gross or almost £68.2 billion net. - By the end of the current EC budget period Britain will have made estimated total contributions to the EC Budget of £315.4 billion gross and £101.4 billion net. - By 2007 Britain had an accumulated trade deficit with the other EU member states of £383.7 billion. - The Common Agricultural Policy costs Britain at least £16.8 billion per annum. - The Common Fisheries Policy costs Britain at least £3.275 billion per annum. - Over-regulation on business costs Britain at least £28 billion per annum. - In 2008 membership of the European Union costs Britain almost £65.675 billion per annum gross or almost £55.775 billion per annum net. FRAUD: - Due to the EU being riddled with corruption it is likely that the equivalent of Britain's entire net contribution to the EU is going into the pockets of fraudsters. THE EFFECTS OF FREEING BRITAIN FROM THE EU: - A BOOST TO THE ECONOMY. As EU red tape is holding back the UK economy by £28 billion, 2% of UK GDP, it is clear that freeing Britain from EU control will get Britain out of recession and get British people back to work. - COST FREE TAX CUTS. As politicians of the three main parties are struggling to explain how they will deliver the tax cuts that the British economy needs they have failed to realise that this money can be found if we stop paying the EU billions of pounds per year of taxpayers’ money. The 2% boost to economic growth created by leaving the EU and slashing its excessive red tape would also increase tax revenue by £10.73 billion. Combine that with the direct savings to the exchequer and it will allow for a 6p in the pound cut in the basic rate of income tax. Gerard Batten, UKIP MEP, author of the paper, challenges the Government; "As we enter what looks like the most serious economic crisis since 1929 membership of the European Union is a luxury that the British people simply cannot afford. “It is clear that the EU is holding up economic recovery, to get Britain out of recession, we must get Britain out of the EU. “If the British Government really believes that membership of the EU is in the interests of the British people they should commission an independent cost/benefit analysis to demonstrate the economic effects of membership.” Robert Oulds, the Director of the Bruges Group, says, "There is a desperate need to reinvigorate the British economy by reducing the burden of taxation. Slowly, all three main political parties are beginning to realise this; but none have come up with a convincing plan as to how this can be done. "However, now that the costs of EU membership have been exposed, we now know that the tax cuts that are so desperately needed can partly be found by freeing us from EU control. It will boost tax revenue and free-up funds totalling £25.33 billion allowing for 6p in the pound to be cut from the basic rate of income tax." CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ANALYSIS ONLINE: http://www.brugesgroup.com/CostOfTheEU2008.pdf - NOTES - GDP is £1,459 billion. Tax:GDP ratio is 36.8% (excluding Council Tax which is fixed). Therefore 2% more GDP would be approximately £10.73 billion more tax every year. Source: 2008 Budget Report £14.6 billion would enable the basic rate of income tax to be cut by 3.65 pence. It would alternatively enable the Personal Allowance to be increased by £2,703, so that you would earn £2,700 more than you currently do before paying tax - taking millions of lower paid workers out of charge. The combined benefit of £10.73 billion more tax revenues and saving the £14.6 billion paid to the EU would enable the basic rate of income tax to be cut by 6.23p, or increase the personal allowance by £4,685. Source for calculations: HMRC Ready Reckoner for 2007-08 BRUGES GROUP CONFERENCE - reminder How EU and Government Waste is Costing You Money Saturday, 22nd November 2008 - 10.30am - 6.15pm Well meaning, but misplaced, environmental policies, corruption and waste by the European Union and the British government is costing you money and threatening jobs. The Bruges Group conference will focus on those issues and discuss the solutions to the problems that the European Union is forcing upon us. ADMISSION: £20 payable on the door or in advance Including lunch, coffee, wine, orange juice, mineral water, tea and cheese and biscuits THE SPEAKERS CHRISTOPHER BOOKER is a columnist for The Sunday Telegraph. He is the author of the Bruges Group paper Britain and Europe: The Culture of Deceit. And also co-wrote Scared To Death: From BSE To Global Warming, Why Scares Are Costing Us The Earth. Christopher will discuss the wrongheaded policies which are forcing up our energy bills. ROGER HELMER MEP is a Conservative MEP for the East Midlands. Prior to entering the European Parliament Roger was a businessman. Roger is the author of two books on European issues, Straight Talking on Europe and A Declaration of Independence. Roger will talk on how the EU is using climate change as an excuse to expand its power. IAIN MURRAY is a Director of Projects and Analysis and Senior Fellow in Energy, Science and Technology at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, an influential American think tank. Iain will talk on the EU’s threat to the global economy and the damage caused by misplaced 'environmental' policies. PROFESSOR TIM CONGDON, CBE is one of Britain’s leading economic commentators. He was a member of the Treasury Panel of Independent Forecasters (the so-called “wise men”) which advised the Chancellor of the Exchequer on economic policy. Tim will talk on The credit crunch and the EU: what will be the damage to our economy? MARTA ANDREASEN was the Chief Accountant to the European Commission. There she raised concerns about fraud within the EU. The European Commission considered this an act of disloyalty and sacked her. She is now the Treasurer of UKIP. Marta will talk on fraud and corruption in the European Union. GERARD BATTEN MEP, UKIP MEP for London, is an expert on the costs of EU membership. He is a member of the European Parliament’s Security & Defence Committee, and is the UKIP spokesman on defence. Gerard Batten will be launching at the conference the 2008 edition of the groundbreaking annual report exposing the costs of EU membership. DAMON LAMBERT is the UK Corporate Tax Director of a major European Bank. Previously, he worked for 11 years in KPMG’s financial sector practice providing advice on the impact of the EU on UK tax law. He regularly writes on European tax matters and was a member of the Conservative Party Tax Reform Commission. Damon will discuss how the EU is costing the taxpayer billions and holding up economic recovery. TIM AKER is the Grassroots Coordinator of the Taxpayers’ Alliance. He contributed to the Bumper Book of Government Waste 2008, writing about how readers can and must spread the low tax message. He has written for several journals including Freedom Today and The European Journal. He also writes for conservativehome.com and regularly appeared on the internet political TV station 18 Doughty Street. Tim will talk on government and EU waste; arguing that Big Government is Bad Government. GUY HERBERT is the General Secretary of NO2ID; which campaigns against ID cards and the database state. His role in NO2ID includes ensuring that the campaign is coherently focussed on its single issue and as thoroughly non-partisan as possible. Guy will talk on threats to our civil liberties and the waste and costs of ID cards and the database state. He will also discuss how the Home Office is laundering database state measures through EU institutions in order to avoid scrutiny and the democratic process in this country. LOCATION: The Great Hall King's College London The Strand London WC2R 2LS CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR A MAP: http://www.brugesgroup.com/maps/STRANDMAP.gif AGENDA: Registration and Coffee: 10.30am Morning Session: 11am – 1pm Lunch: 1pm – 2pm Afternoon Session: 2pm – 4pm Refreshments: 4pm - 4.15pm Evening Session: 4.15pm – 6.15pm For further information contact: Robert Oulds Director The Bruges Group 227 Linen Hall, 162-168 Regent Street, London W1B 5TB UK Tel: +44(0) 20 7287 4414 Mobile: 07740 029787 E-mail: info@brugesgroup.com |
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