Gareth wrote:sussex2 wrote:some of them voted to bite the hand that has been feeding.
I'd be interested to know what proportion of wealth redistribution in the UK is caused by internal versus external mechanisms. My initial feeling is that the amount the UK has sent to the EU and which is then returned to the poorer areas is very small compared to the amount which is sent directly.
According to
https://fullfact.org/europe/our-eu-membership-fee-55-million/, the EU returns £4.5 billion to the UK.
For just the
Northern Ireland economy: "
In total, the British government subvention totals £5,000m, or 20% of Northern Ireland's economic output." which on its own appears to be greater than the amount coming back from the EU, not taking into account block grants to Scotland and Wales, (although it's possible I've misunderstood the situation).
In the future the money that was given to these areas will have to come from somewhere.
We have already spent propping up the economy as much as we have sent to the EU (of which we are a fair and equal part) in the last 15 years.
There will be a hole in our finances; well perhaps not a hole and more like an open cast mine when this lot is finished.
I wonder how this money will be made up? What cuts will be made and how many years of .....wait for it....austerity (heard that one before?) will follow as a result.
As an example the Cornwall which benefited to the tune of at least 60 million a year in EU grants has already asked the UK government to cover this; yet this county voted to leave the union!
I wonder where they think this money will come from? How can it be replaced?
Can we expect hand outs (read expensive loans as our credit rating tumbles) from perhaps the U.S. which has seen their 401 pension plans reduced by billions because of our actions.
No we can't
It is as plain as the nose on Gerard Depardieus face to me; we have got ourselves into the slurry pit and no amount of swimming is going to get us out in the near, or far, future.
The only thing to do now is, eating humble pie on the way, go back to the EU and organise some sort of deal; accept whatever scraps they are willing to throw our way.
That's it, that's the future for whatever will be left of this country.
It may sound pessimistic but in reality it is pessimistic and we started this on a whim and with no plan as to what to do - there's a price for that.