Britain Still Paying The Eu: Post-brexit Bill Now Tops £50 Billion

It’s been almost 5 years since Britain near nan EU – but nan bills from Brussels support coming.
According to caller figures from nan Office for National Statistics (ONS), nan UK has already handed complete a staggering £44 cardinal to nan European Union since Brexit, pinch different £8 cardinal still to pay. That brings nan full post-Brexit value tag to much than £50 cardinal – a fig galore critics opportunity feels for illustration a “slap successful nan face” for British taxpayers.

Billions still flowing to Brussels

The latest information shows that nan UK transferred £3.25 cardinal to nan EU past twelvemonth alone. Most of that money comes from nan Withdrawal Agreement, nan financial colony negotiated erstwhile Britain officially near nan bloc successful 2020.

The original estimate for nan alleged ‘divorce bill’ was betwixt £35 cardinal and £39 billion, but that fig has since ballooned good beyond expectations. The payments screen Britain’s stock of EU commitments made earlier it near – specified arsenic pensions, grants and projects that were still being funded.

Critics opportunity nan Government is failing to guidelines up for British taxpayers. Former Brexit curate David Jones, now pinch nan Reform UK party, said to nan Daily Mail:

“This is thing little than a slap successful nan look to each hard-working Briton who’s already struggling pinch a cost-of-living crisis. The EU shouldn’t beryllium getting different penny from us.”

Jones added that Britain was ‘so hopeless to get out’ of nan bloc that it ended up agreeing to ‘a very bad deal.’

“Taken for a ride,” opportunity experts

That sentiment is shared by Frank Furedi, caput of nan MCC Brussels deliberation tank, who said nan UK’s negotiators had been ‘taken for a ride’ by nan EU.

“Our squad had nary thought really to play hardball,” Furedi said. “They conscionable wanted an easy life and didn’t attraction astir nan financial consequences. Meanwhile, nan EU Commission is laughing each nan measurement to nan slope – they sewage a superb deal.”

While nan UK’s yearly payments person declined since 2020, they’ve still added up to a immense amount:

• £18.1 cardinal successful 2020
• £5.8 cardinal successful 2021
• £9.3 cardinal successful 2022
• £8.2 cardinal successful 2023
• £3.25 cardinal successful 2024

When Britain was still portion of nan EU, its nett publication typically ranged betwixt £8.9 cardinal and £9.4 cardinal per year. Now, moreover aft leaving, nan state has ended up paying acold much successful full than galore had ever expected.

Taxpayers near frustrated

The news has reignited anger among Brexit supporters who judge nan UK should person trim financial ties wholly erstwhile it left. Many spot nan ongoing payments arsenic impervious that nan Government hasn’t afloat delivered connected its committedness to “take backmost control.”

“This was meant to beryllium astir independence,” said 1 Reform Party spokesperson. “Instead, British taxpayers are still footing nan measure for Brussels while families present struggle to salary rent and power bills.”

Economists constituent retired that astir of nan payments are legally binding nether nan Withdrawal Agreement signed successful 2019, meaning there’s small nan Government tin do to extremity them. Still, nan increasing full comes astatine a politically awkward clip – pinch nan Autumn Budget conscionable weeks distant and speculation of further taxation hikes connected nan horizon.

The Treasury has declined to remark connected whether immoderate renegotiation is possible, though ministers person antecedently insisted that Britain “must honour its commitments.”

For critics, that’s acold comfort. With nan post-Brexit measure now topping £50 billion, galore Britons are near wondering whether nan value of leaving nan EU turned retired higher than anyone ever imagined.