Quick Brexit facts read by Ministers, ex-Ministers, MPs, MEPs, Councillors, legal and financial experts, local campaigners, and the general public - From reliable, official sources
DEC 2016 BREXIT NEWS (Latest news appears first)
EDITORIAL, NEW YEAR'S EVE, 31st DECEMBER 2016
2017 – THE END OF THE PHONEY WAR
A time for realism, determination, and optimism
As you look forward to another new year, we hope you do so with a strong feeling of optimism and a certain amount of renewed courage and enthusiasm.
On 3rd Sept 1939 WWII commenced. Britain subsequently went through eight months of what is now referred to as the ‘phoney war’, where little happened in relative terms after Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany in September. The ‘real’ war started in early May 1940 the next year, when Germany attacked France and the low countries.
On 23rd June 2016 the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU. Little of real import has happened in the last six months. However by 31st March 2017 the British Prime Minister has committed to invoking Article 50, following which real negotiations will begin.
Not for one moment do we suggest that Mrs May and her colleagues approach the battles ahead in a war-like frame of mind. However we do urge the Government to adopt a determined and resolute stance. The UK will not be negotiating with reasonable men and women, but with the fanatical idealogues of the EU governing elite who are fighting a losing battle to defend their ‘Project’.
In the early months of 2017 we anticipate that the irritating rump of Brexit-deniers in Parliament - and the small cabal of well-funded, bitter, legalistic agent provocateurs - will increasingly be seen to be an unacceptable and isolated minority in the country.
The almost unthinkable has finally happened after 43 years. The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. The country has been set on the road to freedom at long last.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the triggering of Article 50 will not be the end, but perhaps it will be the beginning of the end. And the end itself will be worth fighting for in the next two years.
This New Year’s Eve, let’s all raise a toast to that.
The early part of 2016 was hardly Britain’s finest political hour, but how does it rank?
It’s always important to have an historical perspective when looking back at very recent events. Few current events lack parallels from history and it can be amusing to read the hyperbole applied to the realpolitik of the moment.
“My life’s over. The country’s finished. Now I’ll have to emigrate.” The wailings of the snowflake generation immediately after the Referendum result are easy to mock.
That said, we can’t let 2016 pass without recording what may come to be seen as two low points of British political life, which go some way to explaining the despairing outpourings from the outraged Twitterete.
LYING LOW POINTS No. 1
David Cameron’s ‘negotiation’ with the EU at the start of the year was frankly embarrassing. Not only was his lack of strength and ambition shameful when dealing with our European partners, but the pitiful outcome itself was spun in a way not seen since the days of the Dark Lord Mandelson during the Blair years.
This ‘thin gruel’, as described by the delicious Rees-Mogg, began the process of outright lies and deliberate obfuscation which accelerated as the Referendum campaign gathered pace.
It also had a severely damaging effect which we have yet to see in full. It allowed the EU to think they could continue to propagate the nonsense they’ve been coming out with for years. Very regrettably, they now think they can stick to their absurd mantras of the four freedoms as we go into the negotiations for leaving. Had Mr Cameron stood up to these naked emperors from November to February, he might not have gained significant concessions but at least he would have started them thinking seriously about their delusional and dysfunctional project.
As a result, we now have Presidents Tusk and Juncker proclaiming that the UK can’t even access the Single Market without free movement (when 160 countries already do this without a problem). Crucially, we also have the large numbers of Remain voters who continue to believe that somehow the UK will be permanently and irrevocably finished by leaving the EU fully. (See point 2 below.)
LYING LOW POINTS No. 2
The conduct of Mr Cameron’s government during the Referendum campaign was even more shameful than his appalling negotiation. From government-funded propaganda in the shape of an ‘information’ leaflet, to the quite extraordinary threats of economic, social, and military armageddon which became more extreme as the vote approached, an atmosphere was created which allowed many quite reasonable Remain voters to hold to their views even now.
We say ‘even now’ because it should be apparent to any intelligent person that the threats of Project Fear have not come to pass. The overwhelming mass of economic data since June 23rd has been positive and this has completely disproved the detailed claims which were made of immediate and dire consequences in the event of a Leave vote.
The mendacity of the Cameron's government's arguments and threats has allowed an environment to develop where outright lies and deliberate misrepresentations from Brexit-denying MPs and unreformed ‘experts’ continue to bamboozle a significant proportion of the public.
By all means let’s debate, but the let’s do so from the solid base of facts. Regrettably Mr Cameron’s government departed from any normal understanding of facts and their interpretation. Instead we are witnessing a fluidity of alleged truth, where reality is perceived to lie on a spectrum which includes fantasy.
The problem with the spectrum of political interpretation in 2016 is that it has now given us a scale where simple falsehoods lie firmly and expansively within the allowed range.
You are in a tiny minority. You're reading this, which shows that you're engaged and want real information. The majority of the public get their news from the TV - the BBC, Sky and ITV - or from the newspapers. Without daily facts from people like us, pro-Brexit politicians are less well-armed and journalists don't get to see the reality of what's going on in the EU.
It’s no wonder there are still normal, intelligent people who believe that Brexit will be a disaster for the UK and that no-one knew what they were voting for. This is a very unfortunate legacy of the systematic and deliberate policy of official lies and deceit by those who governed us in 2016 prior to the Referendum result.
Of course we’re all used to being lied to by politicians and experts. Was 2016 unique? No. Was it one of the worst years in a generation? Yes.
It is now incumbent on the Government as well as our political representatives in Parliament – of whichever persuasion - to restore a sense of normality and honesty in the debate. At the very least let’s call a halt to the outright and demonstrable lies, so that 100% of the British people have a decent chance of forming reasoned opinions.
The 48% deserve nothing less. And in this we’re sure that the 52% are on side with the 48%.
Proud to have been your passport to the best Brexit news in 2016
FACTS4EU.ORG TOPS THE NEWS, END OF 2016
Review of Brexit news websites with original content shows Facts4EU.Org is clear winner
We looked at the Brexit news sites this month, Dec 2016, to review readers’ options. We used three criteria: not a political party or allied to one, not a mainstream news channel, and finally one which contains original news (i.e. not just links to news in the mainstream media).
Facts4EU.Org came out as the clear winner for daily Brexit news. Some of the above sites provide in-depth and lengthy reports which are both valuable and useful in the campaign to ensure that the UK truly leaves the EU. The graph above simply shows the number of news items in the month, as we feel that a daily news feed and rebuttals of Brexit-deniers' claims is a vital component in the fight for a clean Brexit.
We know from the large correspondence we received after the Referendum that you find it extremely useful to have our daily output of facts-based pieces based on our original research from official sources. We’re delighted that so many of you were able to use our work in leaflets you created, in debates, in presentations, and door-to-door. We’re equally delighted that politicians and journalists found our work useful.
For your information, we have attempted to contact the larger Brexit organisations with a view to them using us as their daily news organisation. (We have no ego problem with losing the Facts4EU.Org name.) Two are currently considering the idea.
Please note that our main news service remains paused.
[ Sources: News pages from each of the sites listed in the graph ] 08.00am, 30 Dec 2016
In the last year we’ve researched and published thousands of facts on a very wide variety of subjects relevant to the UK’s membership of the European Union. These broadly fell into 3 categories:
Providing information to inform your opinions
Calling out and correcting lies put out by Remain organisations and politicians
Showing what the EU is really like overall
We know from all the emails we received following the Referendum just how valuable this work was, and how much it was used up and down the country in preference to material available from the official campaign. In the last six months we simply carried on, because we knew the battle was won but the war wasn’t.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT FROM ALL OF THIS?
The EU is nothing like you think it is
It's far, far worse
Possibly only a handful of people in the country have researched and studied the amount and variety of information that we have in 2016. It has not been an uplifting experience.
SO, WHAT ARE OUR THOUGHTS GENERALLY FOR 2017?
The sheer weight of deceit and propaganda which is being foisted on the public in the UK and in the other 27 EU member states won’t stop
The Establishment is alive and well, and determined either to prevent Brexit or water it down so much that it’s unrecognisable
They can be stopped but it will take a determined effort
The electorates in the UK and across Europe will continue to be eroded by brainwashed young people reaching voting age
The EU will stumble on, from crisis to crisis, all the while presenting positive information
The clarion cry of ‘More Europe’ will be replaced by ‘More Solidarity’, which is the same thing
WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES FOR THE EU IN 2017?
The increasing impacts of the continuing migration crisis
Islamic terrorism
The dysfunctional Eurozone
The growing threat from Russia
WHAT WOULD WE HAVE LIKED TO TELL YOU, BUT DIDN’T?
We’re a very small team. We have jobs, businesses, families, and (maybe sometimes) normal lives. There were many articles we would like to have published but didn’t, as we had no desire to encounter the militant extremism of the naïve and completely delusional. We have no large organisation or newspaper backing us and didn’t want our lives ruined. We were also conscious of the need to retain support from senior politicians.
We would like to have written about the serious dangers ahead. The truth of the migrant problem, birth rates, educational standards and IQ rates, direct and indirect costs, mainstream Islamic ideology, the impacts of this going forward on our lives and on those of our children. The nature of the European mindset compared to that of the British. The nonsense of negotiating with EU bureaucrats. The brainwashing of our youth by the British educational establishment. The egos behind the scenes of some Leave organisations which almost ruined the Referendum outcome. The joke that the EU will ever be able to defend Europe with its own forces instead of NATO. The need for the complete overhaul of the training of broadcast news journalists. Likewise teachers. And many other subjects.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR
It doesn’t come bigger than the decision of the British people to leave the European Union.
It’s Christmas morning so I’ll leave it on that positive note. With insufficient funding to continue, we’re now going to take a break for a while.
A big ‘congratulations’ to all of you who played your part in winning the Referendum. I’ll raise a toast to all of you over my traditional Christmas lunch today.
EU tries to sound positive in latest figures, but UK comes out ahead
Last week the EU released its latest ‘Annual Review of Employment and Social Developments’. The EU’s Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen did her best to sound upbeat.
“This year's results are encouraging and show that we are firmly on the path of recovery from the crisis,” she wrote in the foreword to the 273 page report.
As usual, since 3am this morning we delved behind the headlines and into the detailed figures, to give you some extra seasonal cheer on this Christmas Eve.
Please click on the graphs to enlarge.
Number of People in Work:-
Jobs in the UK have risen by 5.26% since the 2008 crash
The EU27 and the Eurozone countries are still below 2008 crash levels
Youth Unemployment:-
The UK’s youth unemployment rate has fallen since the 2008 crash
In the EU and the Eurozone, the situation for young people remains bleak
In the EU as a whole the rate has risen from 15.2% to 18.7%
In the Eurozone, flagship of the EU, it has risen from 15.1% to almost 21%
We’re pleased to present yet another positive and upbeat piece before the Christmas break, demonstrating once again how the UK is well-poised to enter its bright Brexit future.
It's almost Christmas and we just wanted to say thank you to a few people.
Normal news is below.
THANK YOU!
It’s six months today that we all went to the polls and voted for the United Kingdom to regain its status as a strong and independent country.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people who supported us with donations since we started our ‘Leave Means Leave’ campaign. (Not to be confused with the campaign which was subsequently set up under this name by Global Britain.)
Unlike the main campaigns, we didn’t stop when the result was announced in the early hours of Friday morning, six months ago.
Seven days a week starting at 3am each day we’ve been bringing you original and important information to help ensure that the UK really does leave the EU. We hope you’ve found it useful and have also enjoyed some of our light-hearted pieces.
We are grateful to all kind donors below, who helped to keep us going after the Referendum.
Long-standing readers may remember Brexi-Kitten. 6 months ago this was her, exhausted after a night of celebrating the Referendum results.
(Yes, it really was six months ago.)
COMMISSION'S POLICIES BASED ON THE WRONG DATA?
Is the EU barometer survey meaningless?
This survey is used to justify EU policy decisions, but is it worth anything?
The ‘Eurobarometer’ was established in 1974 by the EU Commission. Each survey consists of approximately 1000 face-to-face interviews per country. Reports are published twice yearly and the latest one was published yesterday.
32,896 interviews were conducted from 3rd to 16th November 2016
Interviews in 33 countries: 28 EU Member States and 5 candidate countries
We must say that having analysed the results in detail, some of the results within the latest report are bizarre. Either people in some EU countries have entirely lost their marbles or the effectiveness of the EU Commission’s propaganda is greater than we thought.
There is another explanation, however. This survey seems to grow longer every year. At 209 questions, who do you know who would be prepared to take a part in a survey of that length?
Do you think that the kind of people with that much time on their hands are representative of the 508 million people of the EU? (443 million once the UK has left.)
We regularly monitor opinion polls in many EU countries. The results of the EU Commission’s ‘Eurobarometer’ survey simply don’t seem to tally with the polls we see regularly in individual member states.
On balance we would suggest that shorter surveys in individual member states are likely to be a more accurate snapshot of public opinion. If the EU Commission relies on the Eurobarometer to inform its unelected policy decisions, this could explain a lot of what’s wrong with the EU.
Italy's banking system under enormous pressure today and tomorrow
IMAGINE RBS BANK BUST, 3 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
That's what Italians face today, as 42,000 Italians contemplate a €2 billion euro hole in their Christmas stockings
At the time of writing it appears that the Italian state will intervene and nationalise the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Italy's 3rd-largest bank, which was the subject of further catastrophic news yesterday.
In addition to needing an immediate 5 billion euros to stay afloat, its shares were suspended after another dramatic fall, and it was forced to announce that its cash reserves would last just 4 months rather than the 11 months it had previously claimed.
At one point yesterday the shares fell to €15 euros from a high of €890 in June 2014, making them effectively junk stock.
Yesterday the Italian government gained parliamentary approval to increase Italy's debt by €20 billion euros. The purpose of the funds is to keep the Italian banking industry alive. Italy was already the most indebted Eurozone country after Greece and this will add another 1% to its dire debt-to-GDP ratio.
Technically the Banca Monte dei Paschi has until the end of December. In practice it couldn't survive until then because of the Christmas shutdown.
For the 42,000 ordinary Italians facing this crisis we can only hope for some form of compensation solution to be found which doesn't contravene Eurozone rules. Unfortunately this seems highly unlikely.
British readers will no doubt be thankful that all the 'experts' who campaigned for the UK to join the Euro (most of whom campaigned for Remain in the Referendum campaign) did not get their way.
[ Sources: Corriere della Serra, La Stampa, RAI ] 07.45am, 22 Dec 2016
Is our research and resulting article on the right newsworthy?
We think so.
EU FUNDS 15 AFRICAN, MID-EAST AND S. AMERICAN COUNTRIES IN 15 DAYS
€5.01 billion new funding promised to countries for various purposes
In just 15 days, the EU Commission has announced 15 new funding projects to countries in Africa, the Middle-East, and even South America.
From 05 to 20 December, announcements have been made daily on average, of sums between €25 million to €800 million each. These are almost never mentioned in the press or on the TV news, but they add up.
Total funds announced : €5.01 BILLION EUROS
SOLVING MERKEL’S MIGRANT POLICY PROBLEM
Many of these commitments are been made in an effort to reduce the flow of migrants to the EU, which have accelerated dramatically since mid-2015 due to Mrs Merkel’s ‘all welcome here’ message.
We’re not surprised that some EU states are suggesting that Germany should pick up the tab.
SUPPORTING FOREIGN STATE GOVERNMENTS
What do you think about the EU giving taxpayer money to foreign governments for state-building? Here are some examples of this :-
05 Dec - €213.5 million – Tunisia – ‘support towards Tunisia's transition to a modern democracy based on freedoms, socio-economic development and social justice’
07 Dec - €800 million - Burkina Faso – ‘funding of the National Economic and Social Development Plan’
09 Dec - €184 million – Benin – ‘direct support to the national budget and support for the decentralisation process’
12 Dec - €600 million – Colombia – ‘EU offers unprecedented support to peace implementation’ (See our separate piece on this below)
15 Dec - €610 million – Niger – ‘to support the reform and state-building efforts of Niger government’
20 Dec - €420 million - Egypt - New ‘EU Facility for Inclusive Growth and Job Creation' launched
RELEVANCE TO BREXIT :
Much of what the EU does is invisible to the British public because it goes unreported in the UK. Whilst some of it might be approved of, a great deal of it wouldn’t.
A proportion of those who voted Remain in the Referendum continue to think that the majority made the wrong decision because “the Leave campaign lied”. What a shame that so many voters were simply unaware of the reality of the EU.
Many of our readers contend that if Vote Leave's management had done its job properly, the majority for Leave would have been much higher. We agree.
If you don’t want a second referendum, we think it’s vital that information like that above is disseminated widely and continuously.
EU Commissioners may find the Lonely Planet guide to Bogota and Colombia useful
Is our research and resulting article on the right newsworthy?
We think so.
WHERE IS COLOMBIA?
And why is the EU funding it with your money?
One of the many funding announcements by the EU Commission this month (these are made on a regular basis throughout the year) relates to Colombia.
12 Dec - €600 million – Colombia – ‘EU offers unprecedented support to peace implementation’
The last time we looked, Colombia was nowhere near Europe.
In fact it's 5,500 miles away.
The major power in Colombia's neighbourhood is the US, only 1500 miles away.
And yet, over the last 15 years the European Union and its Member States have supported peace building in Colombia with €1.5 billion of financial support.
In the last week we've received donations totalling £40.
We're very grateful to the donors concerned, but clearly this isn't enough for us to keep going.
Our work is read by senior politicians and journalists. It makes a difference.
You don't need to have a Paypal account to do this - you can just use your credit card. Please contact us for other ways of donating.
We really need your help.
We're a small not-for-profit team, relying on voluntary donations.
Please donate whatever you can afford, to keep us fighting.
Facts4EU.Org Dec 2016
FACTS4EU.ORG
FACTS AND ORIGINAL ANALYSIS FOR BREXIT
David Davis admits his Dept is 100% full of civil servants
THE BREXIT DEPT HAS A SERIOUS STAFFING PROBLEM
It’s 100% staffed by civil servants – and that means Remainers
330 civil servants have been appointed by secondment from other Depts
Ten times as many applications as vacancies
But NO non-civil servants have been appointed
During his testimony to Parliament’s “Exiting the EU Committee” last week, Brexit Secretary David Davis was asked by Karl McCartney MP (Con, Lincoln) about staffing in his Department.
Our precis of questions from Karl McCartney and answers from Mr Davis :-
Q:“Have any of the new people NOT been from the Civil Service? Do you not agree that [using the analogy of the film ‘Top Gun’] we’ve got enough ‘Icemen’ and women and we need some ‘Mavericks’?”
A:“The simple answer is that if I were able instantly to snap up 100 people who were well-qualified from the outside I’d do it. But we’re in a real world, we’ve got to get on with the job… The Civil Servants are all volunteers.”
Q:“They may all be volunteers but they’re all on secondment. If it all goes wrong they’ll be going back to their old jobs. I repeat, do you not think you need some outside experts?”
A:“These people will do their best for their country.”
2 minute clip, Crown copyright, Parliament.tv
In our opinion Karl McCartney asked excellent questions and David Davis gave unsatisfactory answers. It’s a simple fact that the new Brexit Dept actively encouraged applications from people outside the Civil Service. It’s inconceivable to us that none of the applications were suitable.
Mr Davis’ “volunteers” may all be excellent but the Civil Service is pro-Remain almost to a man and woman. They tend to the status quo and will be defeatists when it comes to negotiations with the EU.
Karl McCartney was right. The Brexit Dept needs some Mavericks to shake things up.
Italy under massive pressure on banks again - need to raise £15 billion this week
ITALY’S BANKS ON THE BRINK AGAIN
Do you happen to have a spare £15 billion? If so, please call Italy’s new Prime Minister.
Another example of how the same 'experts' who told us to stay in the EU got it so wrong on joining the Euro.
Today is the deadline for the 42,000 of ordinary Italians who hold shares in one of Italy’s troubled banks to convert their shares into subordinated bonds. If all of them do this – which is looking increasingly unlikely, then Italy’s third-largest bank will only need an extra €5 billion euros from the government in order to survive.
In addition to rescuing the Banca Monte dei Paschi, the Italian government needs at least another €10 billion euros in order to prop up the rest of Italy’s banking sector. Tomorrow it looks highly likely that he will have to go to parliament to request an increase in the national debt of €15-20 billion euros.
Whatever happens, EU rules on state aid mean that Italy’s new Prime Minister Signor Paolo Gentiloni – who has been in office for only a week – may see tens of thousands of small investors losing their money.
Yes, we know it’s almost Christmas but perhaps you could put an extra bottle of Prosecco in your supermarket trolley this week, to help out our Italian friends?
Relevance to Brexit : Italy is the third-largest economy of the Eurozone. If it had not been in the straitjacket of the EU’s Eurozone regulations and still had the Lire, the market would have automatically corrected for many of Italy’s economic woes.
It’s important to remember that a great many of the prominent pro-Remain politicians and organisations advocated that the UK should have joined the Euro in 2000. They were wrong then and they’re still wrong.
[ Sources: Corriere della Serra, La Stampa, RAI ] 05.45am, 21 Dec 2016
Berlin remains under threat as lack of CCTV makes police job more difficult
THE BERLIN TERRORIST IS STILL AT LARGE
Berlin’s Left-Green ruling coalition said ‘Nein’ to CCTV
"Protection of fundamental rights is at the top for the coalition."
With the perpetrator of the Berlin Christmas market terrorist attack still at large, some have asked why the German police don’t have CCTV footage to study, in an attempt to identify him.
The answer lies in German politics. Whilst the SPD, the Greens, and the Left Party all agree that combating crime is essential, "the protection of fundamental rights is at the top for the coalition".
At national level, following the terror attacks during the summer in Munich, Ansbach and Würzburg, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière of the ruling CDU put forward a draft bill to expand video surveillance. This would make the installation of cameras in shopping centres and carparks easier for private operators in particular. Installation in public spaces – which would now be helping the German police in Berlin – is still likely to be an issue, however.
The draft bill faces much opposition, with ‘fundamental human rights’ being used as the basis for this. Last month Frank Tempel from the Left Party said: "What de Maizière deliberately ignores is that video cameras have not yet rushed to anybody's help". Konstantin von Notz of the Greens stated: "Video surveillance can help to clarify criminal offences in hindsight, but technology cannot prevent acts."
German laws mean that widespread video surveillance may even need a constitutional amendment for any new law to take effect.
Interestingly this draft bill wasn’t proposed after the Cologne attacks on New Year’s Eve. On one night, 1200 offences were committed including over 500 cases of sexual assault or rape. It took three days before the German media’s self-imposed blackout was lifted, thanks to internet news.
One young woman became pregnant as a result of one of these attacks and subsequently underwent an abortion. Only a handful of the perpetrators have been convicted.
As for the Berlin terrorist, he remains a threat at the time of writing. For the moment, it seems that an increased police presence on the ground is the best that Germans can hope for, for many more months to come.
[ Sources: Ruhr Nachrichten plus Die Welt, Handelsblatt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ] 04.40am, 21 Dec 2016
Huge jump in German immigration shows extent of problem facing that country
TRAGEDY IN GERMANY
Like everyone, we are deeply saddened at the terrorist atrocity which took place in Berlin yesterday. Our hearts go out to all those who lost relatives or loved ones.
This tragedy is being widely reported in the mainstream media so we will just correct the figures which you will read in the papers or be told on TV.
Total immigration into Germany in 2015 was 2.14 million
14.5% of the 2.14 million last year were Syrian
The other 85.5% came from many other countries
Figures are being dramatically understated in reports we've seen in the British media. Whilst this is hardly the most important thing right now, the wrong figures appear in many reports so we felt you would want to know the facts.
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES ARE NOT ABOUT SPACE TECHNOLOGY
They're an example of how the EU will tie the UK in knots for decades if they're allowed to.
The series of articles below are about just one EU project, massively late and over-budget. We hope you read them. They demonstrate the EU's standard ways of working, which the UK government needs to understand when negotiating the UK's exit from the EU.
Part 1: Summary; Part 2: Timelines and Delays; Part 3: Costs and Overruns; Part 4: The Politics; Part 5: Conclusion for Brexit
Last week the EU announced its satnav system went ‘live’ - but what’s the truth?
We read about these EU ‘successes’ every week in their press releases. Unfortunately when we investigate, the reality is somewhat different. Let’s take a look at just one of these ‘successes’, to illustrate the point.
Galileo is the EU’s Satnav system, similar to the GPS system we all use in our phones and in our cars. A lot of your money has gone and will continue to go into this, so you might be interested to know about it.
EU Press Release : “Galileo goes live!” - Brussels, 14 Dec 2016. (Er, well, kind of… In fact you will still need GPS.)
Our summary:
So far the Galileo Project has taken 22 years from initiation
This EU taxpayer-funded SatNav system is only 47% complete
The original deadline for completion passed 13 years ago
The budget has rocketed to 7 times the original figure
It’s now equivalent to half the entire GDP for EU member state Estonia
That's roughly what the UK is paying net to the EU for the whole of 2016
We could have chosen several areas of the EU’s work – this one just happened to come up. It’s not a bad example of the EU in all its interstellar glory.
The following articles are the result of a week of ploughing through thousands of pages of official documents from the EU, the European Space Agency and suppliers, as well as information from individuals who are actually working on the programme.
We hope we’ve distilled this work down into some highly-readable pieces for you. If you’re a mainstream journalist and would like all of our source files, please let us know here.
Space. The final frontier.
Where the EU boldly spends like no man has spent before...
[ Sources: EU Commission, EU Legal Docs, European Space Agency, dozens of other official sources as well as from scientists working on the project - please contact us for links ] 06.00am, 20 Dec 2016
Time is a relative concept, explained Albert Einstein. Never is this more true than in the case of the EU.
Here are some key facts about the timings of the EU’s SatNav project, Galileo:-
First approved by EU Council 22 years ago in 1994
Completion dates have come and gone many times
EU Commission announced last week that the project is finally ‘live’
In fact it won’t complete until 2020
That means 26 years in the making and 13 years after the first deadline
Original graph from official data, by Facts4EU.Org
Key dates :
1994: Council of the EU approved Commission to start SatNav project
1999: Studies and proposed programme completed
2000: Satellites to be operational by 2007
2003: Establishment of Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU)
2005: Completion put back to 2010 (3 years late)
2006: GJU put into liquidation, GNSS Supervisory Authority took over
2007: EU Commission nationalises the project - 3.4bn euros agreed by EU
2007: Completion now put back to 2013 (6 years late)
2011: First 2 satellites launched
2013 (4th ‘Completion’ date) : 4 out of 20 satellites launched, one has antenna problems
2014: 2 more satellites went into lopsided, elliptical orbit
2016: 14 satellites are operational in total, 16 less than planned
15 Dec 2016: EU Commission now says service is live - 9 years late and 22 years after EU Council first approved the project.
However 24 satellites are needed for full operation and there are still only 14 actually operational. A total of 30 satellites are required in total, with 6 of these needed for back-up.
The above is illustrative of the EU’s use of the space-time continuum. When you’re pondering the likelihood of the EU negotiating in a timely fashion with the UK, remember this piece.
We favour a clear and decisive approach to EU negotiations over Brexit. Give them a day and they’ll take a light-year. The UK needs to get on with things, not engage in years of diplomatic and commercial discussions which go nowhere until time zero is reached.
We hope we’ve distilled this work down into some highly-readable pieces for you. If you’re a mainstream journalist and would like all of our source files, please let us know here.
Space. The final frontier.
Where EU time is a relative concept.
[ Sources: EU Commission, EU Legal Docs, European Space Agency, dozens of other official sources as well as from scientists working on the project - please contact us for links ] 06.00am, 20 Dec 2016
In the heady days of 2000, when the Euro was in its inglorious infancy and Tony Blair was still a popular Prime Minister, the EU allocated €1.8 billion of public funds to complete a SatNav system for Europe.
Here is what happened to that €1.8 billion :-
Original graph from official data, by Facts4EU.Org
In addition :-
Entire lifecycle cost will be far more, with running costs in the billions
EU has already estimated an extra €5.3 billion running costs - no doubt to rise
Project was supposed to generate €9 billion per year income by 2015
No income has yet been produced
In 2000, the EU Commission promised that “No funding in the form of subsidies will be necessary downstream of the deployment phase.”
In March 2002 they also said there would be "a cost-share of at most 1/3 from the Community budget and at least 2/3 from the private sector". In fact this changed to being 100% funded by the taxpayer.
Countries who have benefited most include France, Germany, and Italy. In 2011, the CEO of a major German supplier said Galileo was “a stupid idea” replicating what GPS already does. “A waste of EU taxpayers’ money championed by French interests,” he added. He got fired for his honesty, naturally.
In 2009, the EU Commission was slammed by the European Court of Auditors over its handling of the Galileo Project. They concluded there had been poor governance, poor financial control, and they even questioned the EU’s competence to manage things going forward.
Since then, the money launchpad has kept on firing.
Like time, money is a relative concept within the minds of EU bureaucrats. When you’re on a six-figure salary and benefits package, and your pension is secured for life, you tend not to worry about the taxpayers who have to pay for your political projects.
And if there are errors along the way which cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions, that’s unlikely to worry you. In the EU you’re practically unsackable.
We hope we’ve distilled this work down into some highly-readable pieces for you. If you’re a mainstream journalist and would like all of our source files, please let us know here.
In a galaxy far, far away in Brussels....
Taxpayers' money doesn't seem to matter that much.
[ Sources: EU Commission, EU Legal Docs, European Space Agency, dozens of other official sources as well as from scientists working on the project - please contact us for links ] 06.00am, 20 Dec 2016
Some of you might wonder why the EU needed to develop its own SatNav system when we’ve all been using the American GPS system successfully for many years.
The answer is of course politics. EU politics.
Here is the original Council Decision in 1994 :-
“The setting-up of a Global Navigation Satellite System for civil use will contribute to the attainment of important Community objectives, such as the completion of the internal market and the strengthening of economic and social cohesion...”
And the European Court of Auditors gave politics as the first of 3 reasons for the project :-
“There were three motives underlying the creation of Galileo: (a) political; (b) economic; and (c) technological”
There are now 4 SatNav systems in the world: the US’s GPS, Russia’s Glonass, the Chinese Beidou, and the EU’s Galileo.
GPS and Glonass are fully operational worldwide, and China’s service is on track to reach that status ahead of Galileo despite starting many years later. Galileo will be in fourth position out of four in terms of full service start date.
We don’t argue that Europe shouldn't have its own GPS system. The EU claims technical superiority of its Galileo system compared to GPS, although in fact the GPS system’s accuracy has been deliberately downgraded for civilian use by the US government, to combat terrorist and other threats to global security.
What we argue about is how the EU is doing this. Should the Star-Troopers of the EU Commission really be running this?
We hope we’ve distilled this work down into some highly-readable pieces for you. If you’re a mainstream journalist and would like all of our source files, please let us know here.
Perhaps the above is an interesting insight into the EU Empire.
The coming months will tell us whether the UK Rebels have what it takes to break free.
[ Sources: EU Commission, EU Legal Docs, European Space Agency, dozens of other official sources as well as from scientists working on the project - please contact us for links ] 06.00am, 20 Dec 2016
Negotiating with the EU isn't like negotiating with normal people
Last week the EU Commission announced: “Galileo goes live!”
On the same day, the Director of the European Space Agency's Galileo programme (the official partner of the EU Commission in the Galileo project) said:
"Much work remains to be done. The entire constellation needs to be deployed, the ground infrastructure needs to be completed and the overall system needs to be tested and verified."
For Brexit to become reality, the UK government must understand the disconnect in the minds of EU bureaucrats between the real world and the alternative universe they inhabit.
If the government understands this, and negotiates accordingly, Brexit will all be over quickly. It will rapidly become clear that anything other than a firm and factual stance will result in years of pointless delays.
A professional and no nonsense approach will ensure much faster results.
[ Sources: EU Commission, EU Legal Docs, European Space Agency, dozens of other official sources as well as from scientists working on the project - please contact us for links ] 06.00am, 20 Dec 2016
He acknowledged that the Australian government had wanted the UK to remain in the EU. This was no surprise of course, because Australia needs friends in the protectionist EU which has failed to do a trade deal with them in the last 50 years.
Now that the UK is leaving, Alexander Downer was able to present a very rosy picture of life after Brexit and a warm and close collaboration with one of the UK’s best friends in the World.
He acknowledged that the Australian government had wanted the UK to remain in the EU. However this was no surprise, because Australia wanted a friend in the protectionist EU which has failed to do a trade deal with them in the last 50 years.
Some key takeaways from this:
“Life outside the EU, as we know, can be pretty good.”
“A Free Trade Agreement would provide great opportunities for consumers”
“We’d give British households access to fresher, cheaper food all year round”
“Australia invests over £200 billion in the UK and an FTA would stimulate this, creating more jobs”
“We’ve negotiated 8 FTA’s over the last 12 years, including with the US which took us 15 months”
“It was relatively easy to negotiate because we’re both free trade countries”
“With the UK, I don’t think an FTA would take very long”
“We wouldn’t want to put any obstacles in the way of British exports”
“The British and Australian governments have already established a working group to explore an ambitious Free Trade Agreement”
An upbeat news item for Tuesday morning.
Forget the doom and gloom of the Brexit-deniers and Remoaning MPs.
The above videos clearly demonstrate the positive and bright future ahead for the UK, as soon as we leave the decaying and failing EU.
1 MILLION EU ASYLUM SEEKERS IN FIRST 9 MONTHS OF 2016
EU HIDES REALITY OF CONTINUING MIGRANT CRISIS
Latest figures show asylum applications are higher than even last year’s record
On the day of the EU Leaders’ Summit, the EU’s statistics body released its latest data on asylum applications in the EU. While the mainstream media were focused on Mrs May’s disgraceful treatment by the EU27’s leaders at the Summit in Brussels, we covered this but have also been analysing the other news slipped out by the EU last week.
Almost a million asylum seekers have registered in the EU in the first 9 months of this year, the latest period for which data is available.
The EU’s very expensive attempts at dealing with the migrant crisis haven’t reduced the numbers of asylum applications this year. Indeed they’ve risen by 12%.
This did not appear in the EU Commission’s press releases last week, so it hasn’t yet been picked up by the UK’s media. We have now exclusively analysed the data behind the Eurostat information.
At the start of the year the EU threw €6 BILLION EUROS at Turkey in a desperate attempt to control the numbers, following Mrs Merkel’s disastrous ‘All Welcome Here’ message. The German Chancellor, facing elections next year, negotiated this with Turkey. Most of the rest of the EU fell into line. Those who haven’t are now facing European Court of Justice actions against them.
The EU will also be throwing another €44 billion euros at the African countries where most of the latest migrants are now coming from.
We leave you to decide how it’s possible that Remoaner MPs and remoaning organisations still think they have any credibility in supporting the dysfunctional EU.
[ Sources: EU Eurostat official data - Journalists please note, we're happy to provide the data tables to you. ] 05.30am, Sunday, 18 Dec 2016
MORE EXCLUSIVE FACTS AND ANALYSIS FROM FACTS4EU.ORG
UK’S JOB VACANCY RATE IS OVER 56% HIGHER THAN EUROZONE’S
The Eurozone’s job vacancy rate falls in the latest Q3 figures
In another piece of information released while the UK’s media was focused on the discourtesy of the EU27’s leaders at the EU Summit, the latest jobs data makes grim reading for the EU.
The job vacancy rate in the UK is now 56% higher than the Eurozone’s.
With the job vacancy rate in the UK rising, and that in the Eurozone falling, it becomes increasingly difficult for EU-lovers to tell the British public they made the wrong decision in the Referendum.
Six months after the vote, all the economic data continues to be positive.
[ Sources: EU Eurostat official data - Journalists please note, we're happy to provide the data tables to you. ] 08.00am, Sunday, 18 Dec 2016
WORLD EXCLUSIVE FACTS AND ORIGINAL ANALYSIS FOR BREXIT
EU waves welcome flag to the World
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD WANT ASYLUM IN THE EU
Shocking figures show the World now thinks the EU is a soft touch
The latest official data from Eurostat, the EU’s official statistics body, says:
“Citizens of 146 countries sought asylum for the first time in the EU in the third quarter of 2016”
How is it possible that citizens of 3/4 of the countries in the World think they have the right to claim asylum in the EU? Are all these people in genuine need of our protection? Is this really what the concept of asylum is about?
Like many of you, we are proud of the UK’s reputation for giving asylum to those who are in fear of their lives or in fear of persecution.
Unfortunately it seems that the EU has lost any sense of reality when it comes to asylum.
[ Sources: EU Eurostat - Journalists please note, we're happy to provide the data tables to you. ] 06.00am, 18 Dec 2016
They are playing with fire if they fail to understand the British psyche
The EU has Treaty obligations. It is obliged to treat all member states equally, fairly and reasonably. It is also obliged to behave in a way conducive to harmonious relations with its neighbours, which the UK will soon become.
On Thursday we once again saw the ugly side of the EU. It is even failing to meet common standards of courtesy to a fellow member.
The Prime Minister took the opportunity of the EU Summit to ask the leaders of the EU27 to agree the guaranteeing of rights to its EU citizens living in other EU countries, following Brexit. Some 3.3 million EU citizens live in the UK and some 1.2 million UK citizens live in other EU countries.
Not only did the EU27 continue to refuse this humanitarian request it did so in an unacceptable way, by responding to Mrs May’s request with complete silence.
According to sources who were present, the Prime Minister responded to this profoundly discourteous behaviour from the EU27’s top politicians by saying:
“I think I have to go now”.
Now we know why the PM looked so angry as she left the building, as reported by us yesterday.
[ Sources: The Times, Politico, and private sources ] 08.15am, 17 Dec 2016
It isn’t necessary to be a member of the Single Market in order to sell into it
Here are the top 20 countries with access to the Single Market. They can sell happily into the EU without being full members of it.
The top 3 sellers into the EU - China, USA and Russia - aren’t members of the Single Market in any way, and yet they accounted for €734.2 billion euros (44.6%) of the EU’s imports last year.
Norway and Switzerland are sometimes described as being members of the Single Market, but in fact they aren’t full members at all. Their agreements exclude certain business sectors.
So, the top 3 countries selling into the Single Market don’t accept free movement of people.
Over 180 other countries sell into the Single Market without freedom of movement.
Freedom of movement is NOT a condition for selling to our European neighbours after Brexit, no matter what the EU and Remoaning MPs want you to think.
President Tusk issued a statement for the EU27 about Brexit, containing a fundamental error
EU SUMMIT STATEMENT IS WRONG ON UK AND BREXIT
Statement from the EU27 leaders gets it wrong on the Single Market
At Thursday’s EU Council Summit, the EU27’s leaders were supposed to have a working dinner to discuss Brexit. With the EU’s second-largest economy and largest military power on the point of leaving, this was hardly surprising. However they overran and had a 20 minute chat instead.
It appears that the EU27 are deliberately picking up on the abuse of language employed by the UK’s Remoaner MPs.
The EU27’s Summit statement on Brexit says:
“We reiterate that any agreement will have to be based on a balance of rights and obligations, and that access to the Single Market requires acceptance of all four freedoms.”
Some simple points about this:
Most countries in the world have access to the single market
A few countries have been excluded access, eg North Korea
The key word is ‘membership’, which requires acceptance of the 4 freedoms
The EU27 used the word 'access', which does not
So the EU27’s official statement was incorrect.
Access to the Single Market does not require free movement. This was the only substantive sentence about Brexit in the EU27’s pronouncement.
The Prime Minister would never allow herself to be seen in such a dour mood without a reason.
On her arrival she found herself isolated in the room with all other leaders chatting to each other, and had to resort to fiddling with her cuffs and shuffling papers on her desk. This can’t be enough to explain her mood many hours later as she exited the meeting of EU28 leaders early, to let them discuss Brexit.
There is nothing in any of the official documents arising from the Summit to suggest what triggered Mrs May’s mood on departure. Naturally the conclusions reached and the decisions taken during the main body of the Summit were the usual EU nonsense, but Mrs May must have been prepared for that.
Something else triggered the PM’s angry mood on departure. Watch out for unofficial briefings from ‘Downing Street sources’ during today.
Equally, watch out for a much more resolute and assertive Mrs May when she turns up to the next EU Summit in Rome on 25 Mar 2017.
There is in fact another Summit before that, in Malta on 03 Feb, but the PM isn't invited to that despite the fact that the UK is supposed to be still a full member of the EU and despite the fact that the EU is insisting on the continuation of full financial contributions from the UK.
[ Source: European Council Newsroom ] 05.00am, 16 Dec 2016
EU Council of leaders endorses Michel Barnier as Chief Brexit Negotiator
THE EU SQUABBLES AMONGST ITSELF OVER BREXIT
European Parliament forces concession from EU Council and Commission
The UK has David Davis as Secretary of State for Brexit - an elected Member of Parliament and Minister in Her Majesty’s Government. This week, battle has been joined within the EU itself over who will be involved in negotiating from their side.
As reported here yesterday, the Commission presented a plan with its own nominee, the unelected Michel Barnier, as the Chief Negotiator. As usual, the EU Council (the heads of state) initially fell in behind the Commission’s plan. This prompted strong reactions from Martin Schulz, outgoing EU Parliament President, and Guy Verhofstadt who is the EU Parliament’s nominee as Brexit negotiator.
Last night, a dinner without Theresa May had been scheduled for the EU27 leaders to discuss Brexit. During yesterday this was downgraded to a quick twenty minute session before dinner.
Official conclusions of the Summit regarding Brexit:
EU27 leaders endorsed Commission’s Michel Barnier as Chief Negotiator
Regular internal EU meetings will involve representatives of Commission, Council, and EU Parliament
President Tusk said the Council had responded to the EU Parliament’s unhappiness
They inserted clause 6 in their final communique (see source below)
No negotiation over the ‘Four Freedoms’, including movement of people
We expect more trouble from the EU Parliament in the coming days and weeks. They are likely to insist on an integral involvement in Brexit negotiations and are unlikely to be satisfied with the last-minute compromise from the EU Council yesterday.
Guy Verhofstadt is the EU Parliament’s nominee as negotiator. Given that he is also standing for President in the elections in January, he will no doubt be grandstanding about Brexit and the Parliament’s role in it. In our opinion he shouldn’t be allowed within a million miles of any Brexit negotiations, for reasons which it might be defamatory to print here.
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FACTS4EU.ORG
FACTS AND ORIGINAL ANALYSIS FOR BREXIT
Facts4EU.Org
Flying the flag and fighting the fight
IMPORTANT STORIES WE CAN’T TELL YOU ABOUT
Here are some of the important news items we’re unable to give you
The €88 billion to go to African countries
The Dept for Brexit has a BIG staffing problem
The definitive list of all Remain’s lies before the Referendum
Why the initial trade deal with the EU will only take 3 months
EU Commission to make taxes the same in each country
UKIP to target constituencies with Remoaning Labour MPs
EU’s plans to overide Dutch Referendum
EU’s decision to let in Ukrainians and Georgians with no visas
The tens of billions of pounds lost if we don’t trigger Article 50 before 31 Dec
Insufficient funding means we can’t bring you these important news items right now.
We really wish that other, well-funded news and Brexit campaign organisations were bringing you this news instead.
We don’t mind who does it, as long as someone does.
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We're a small not-for-profit team, relying on voluntary donations.
Please donate whatever you can afford, to keep us fighting.
Facts4EU.Org Dec 2016
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ANOTHER UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT FACT FOR BREXIT
Net trade imbalance with EU for goods
The EU need us more than we need them - official government figures
UK CONSUMERS GAVE €110 BILLION TO EU IN LAST YEAR
ONS trade balance figures show EU is benefiting from the UK consumer at record levels
It is often said by pro-Brexit commentators that in economic terms “the EU need us more than we need them”.
The example most often cited is that of the balance of trade figures – essentially this is a measure of how much the UK buys from the EU compared to how much the EU buy from us. For years this has been in the EU’s favour.
We hear a variety of figures for this imbalance and all of them are wrong. We thought it was time to give our politicians the correct figure to use.
In the year to Oct 2016 it was £93.4 billion in goods
The UK bought £93.4 billion more products from the EU than the EU bought from us
This is according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics
In Euros that’s over €110 billion – that’s the headline figure the EU will understand
This is how much per year is at stake for the EU as they enter trade negotiations with the UK
Regrettably the fanatics in the EU Commission will care little for this, and for what it means for jobs and wages for the peoples of the EU27 member states.
However, when push comes to shove, there will be many elected heads of state of the EU27 who are likely to care very much indeed – particularly those who are up for re-election over the next two years.
The UK Government will hope that wise elected heads will prevail over fanatical unelected ones. If not, then we go to the world's trading system using WTO tariffs, as the vast majority of the non-EU world does very successfully.
EU set to agree tonight that unelected EU Commission will take over negotiations with elected Brexit Secretary David Davis
UNELECTED BUREAUCRATS TO NEGOTIATE BREXIT WITH UK
EU process for negotiating Brexit gives chief role to EU Commission
A draft document has emerged, expected to be agreed by the heads of state of the EU27 at a Brussels dinner tonight. Sky News has seen the document.
General Affairs Council of the EU Council will consider the Article 50 letter
The General Affairs Council is mainly made up of the 27 EU Affairs ministers
It will propose the ‘Negotiation Directives’ for the EU’s strategy
The 27 heads of state will then approve this
This mandate will then be given to the EU Commission to negotiate
The full Council of heads of state will then only have a ‘supporting role’
The EU Parliament is ‘being sidelined’
In other words, the Rt Hon David Davis MP, Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, will be negotiating with an unelected bureaucrat appointed by the unelected EU Commission.
See below for our thoughts on the significance of this.
FACTS4EU.ORG EDITORIAL - THURSDAY 15th DECEMBER 2016
HIGH PRIESTS OF EU-ISM TO DOMINATE BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS
It seems certain that the EU’s 27 heads of state will agree tonight to the EU Commission’s plan for how Brexit negotiations will be run. Not surprisingly, the High Priests of the EU ‘Project’ propose that they should be in charge.
In ancient Egypt at the end of the 20th Dynasty, the High Priests of Amun aspired to complete dominance. Amun was originally a local god of minor importance, his name meaning "the hidden one".
In the early days of the EU, the Commission was a little like this.
Slowly over time Amun began to absorb many other local gods, becoming the great representative deity of Egypt, and ultimately becoming Amun-Ra, the ‘Sun God’. The ultimate purpose was to raise his cult over the cult of any other god, and to absorb them one by one, becoming more and more powerful until he became the absolute ruler of all the lands of Egypt.
The present-day EU Commission is a lot like this.
In our view, it was always inevitable that the UK’s Brexit Minister would end up negotiating with a High Priest of EUism. The significance of this is that the EU Commission is composed of the true believers in the EU Project. The economy, international trade, and employment are of less importance to them than their overriding zeal for a Europe of ‘solidarity’.
They don’t have to face an electorate of millions of people every 4-5 years, which allows them to focus on achieving their vision of a European superstate. In speeches, principles of EUism are uttered in almost reverential tones. When ‘solidarity’ and the ‘Four Freedoms’ are invoked, their voices choke with emotion at the sacrum of these tenets, which must be worshipped unquestioningly.
So, when it comes to the EU’s negotiations with Brexit Secretary David Davis, the High Priests of the EU Commission will not concern themselves unduly with any possible damage to the EU’s massive trade surplus of €111 billion per year (£93.4 billion) with the UK. They would willingly sacrifice the jobs of millions of EU workers on the altar of ‘The Project’.
Uppermost in their minds will be the the need for the United Kingdom to be punished – and to be seen to be punished. It is essential for the continuance of this despotic religion that the congregation of the EU’s peoples must see this happen. Hell must be the destination, and Hell hath no fury like an EU Commissioner scorned.
Fear not, dear reader. The UK is in the ascendant, once again being the fastest-growing major economy in the world this year. Conversely the EU is the slowest-growing trading bloc in the world. If the UK simply has to walk away from bizarre demands of the EU, a return to the WTO trading regime will in fact benefit the UK economy and its people.
And the EU Commission might do well to remember how the holy temples of the Egyptian god-like rulers crumbled to rubble and dust.
The EU Commission distorts figures to present positive report on migrant crisis
EU’S 2017 PLAN IS RELAXED ABOUT THE MIGRANT CRISIS
Below, we demolish the EU’s complacency and misrepresentations
First page of EU Commission’s official 2017 Plan :-
“We have made substantial progress in regaining control of irregular migration flows”. “In the last three months we have reached an average of some 1000 relocations per month.”
Try telling this to the Italians:-
Total migrants to Italy so far this year have increased by 17.2% since 2015
Total migrants relocated from Italy so far this year : only 1,758
That’s 1% of migrants to Italy who’ve been moved on under the EU’s relocation scheme
[Sources: Italian Interior Ministry and Institute of Migration]
Another whopper from the first page of the EU Commission’s plan for 2017 :-
“At the same time Europe has shown solidarity with 1 million Syrians who have found shelter and protection here.”
This is bizarrely and wholly inaccurate :-
We studied the EU’s own official figures from Eurostat (their ONS)
“The number of Syrians [in the EU] seeking international protection [is] 362,800”.
[Source: Report by Eurostat 4 Mar 2016]
The EU's complacency about the migrant crisis is disturbing.
And their claim to have taken 1 million Syrians is frankly cloud-cuckoo-land. The vast majority were from other countries.
We very rarely say anything about the BBC's bias in favour of the EU - there are several specialists sites which do a good job reporting on this. However it doesn't hurt to remind the BBC apparatchiks from time to time that no rational person could possibly find them to be fair and impartial on the subject of Brexit.
Yesterday, as I was driving through the Highlands, I listened on my radio to the BBC's midday news programme The World At One (or 'WATO' as its known). The programme was being presented by Martha Kearney. By the end of the hour, in my head I had written the following letter to Mr Roger Bolton. Mr Bolton is the front-man for BBC Radio 4's Feedback programme.
Dear Mr Bolton,
I have just been listening to Martha Kearney on the World At One (WATO) programme on Tuesday 13 December. Ms Kearney was tackling the subject of Brexit from the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Incidentally, Ms Kearney made no mention of the ludicrous nonsense of the EU Parliament shifting between Brussels and Strasbourg every month costing EU taxpayers about £100 million every year, but there you go. Under the circumstances, why didn’t Ms Kearney make the slightest reference to this circus?
Anyway, Ms Kearney interviewed 6 people including, finally, Nigel Farage. During her interviews with a Czech MEP, a German MEP, a Labour MEP, a Conservative MEP and the European Parliament’s Brexit Negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, Ms Kearney asked a total of 21 questions. During that time, she challenged one interviewee on 4 occasions (the Conservative MEP, funnily enough) and made no interruptions to any of the speakers. All of Ms Kearney’s questions related directly and only to EU matters. Ms Kearney also included a facile section ‘interviewing’ people at Strasbourg’s Christmas Market. What on earth was the point of that, other than to demonstrate that Ms Kearney can speak a little French?
Then, Ms Kearney turned her attentions to Mr Farage. She asked Nigel Farage 6 questions, including questions relating to Donald Trump, so-called ‘Far Right’ political parties in Europe and UKIP MEPs' expenses. As Mr Farage answered the questions put to him, Ms Kearney challenged him on 3 occasions and interrupted him 19 times.
It’s interesting to note that a majority of the British people – who are, of course, taxed to fund the BBC, which includes paying Ms Kearney’s salary – voted for the UK to leave the EU, presumably because the majority of British people believe that all is not well with the workings of the EU. One might have expected the BBC to have picked up on this national mood by now. On the contrary, the BBC, on this occasion through the offices of Martha Kearney and the WATO programme, clearly feels that it is its duty to hand the BBC microphone to advocates of the EU (bar the Conservative MEP, of course, who was duly challenged during his interview) whilst grilling the man who gave voice to the 17.4 million British people who voted for the UK to leave the EU.
The BBC bleats that on the matter of the UK leaving the EU, it is not biased. Give me a break, please.
How do Martha Kearney and the Editor of WATO explain away such blatant bias?
Yesterday the EU announced its 2017 plan. This was signed off by the EU Council, the EU Commission, and the EU Parliament. That’s as official as it gets.
Below we have the first of our articles about this. More will follow today and tomorrow.
You will be amazed at what is revealed by some of our analysis of the EU's official plan for next year.
The EU sets out its version of the Queen's Speech for 2017
EU SETS OUT ITS ‘QUEEN’S SPEECH’ FOR 2017
Here is what the EU is planning for you next year
Yesterday the EU announced its 2017 priorities. These were signed off by the EU Council, the EU Commission, and the EU Parliament. That’s as official as it gets.
Ostensibly the following are the areas where the EU plans to take action in 2017.
“Giving a new boost to jobs, growth and investment”
“Addressing the social dimension of the European Union”
“Better protecting the security of our citizens”
“Developing our migration policy in a spirit of responsibility and solidarity”
“Delivering a connected Digital Single Market”
“Delivering on our objective of an ambitious Energy Union and a forward-looking Climate Change policy”
Other priority areas include: ‘To stand up against discrimination and xenophobia’, ‘ensuring a sound and fair tax system’ (common tax policy), ‘preserving the principle of free movement of workers’, ‘protecting and defending our interests beyond the EU’s borders’.
Naturally there is some more detail on the above - although it's often well-hidden. More detail will appear in articles below, over the next few hours.
When the UK Government delivers its plans for the coming year via the Queen’s Speech to Parliament, this always makes the TV news.
When the EU does it, the TV news journalists seem strangely silent. Perhaps it’s because the analysis of the EU’s intentions involves many man-days of ploughing through hundreds of documents in all shapes and forms.
The EU doubles the amount of your money at risk in loans to 'high risk' projects
EU DOUBLES AMOUNT OF YOUR MONEY “AT HIGH RISK”
Taxpayer money invested in ‘high-risk’ projects by the EU is to double, under plans announced yesterday
In its ‘Queen’s Speech’ for legislative priorities for 2017, the EU said yesterday it will double its European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) – in money and duration. The EFSI was set up to fund specifically “high risk” loans to commercial companies.
The EU and its EIB bank have now committed to providing €33.5 billion of loans or guarantees to commercial high-risk projects. The aim is to provide “a total of at least half a trillion euro [€500 billion] investments by 2020”.
Have a guess at which country is the largest recipient of these high-risk loans?
Italy, which is the country with the highest level of bad debts in the EU.
We kid you not.
So the country with the worst record for non-performing bank loans in the EU, (Italy), has so far received the most – €2.6 billion which will lead to €6.8 billion of total investments.
In addition to the above, “the Commission calls on Member States to also contribute as a matter of priority”.
So, that’s double the tax-payer money going on projects which normal banks won’t touch, and the EU Commission is even asking for Member States to contribute more.
We hope found you found this public service announcement from the Facts4EU.Org Team to be useful.
[ Sources: All of the above information comes from official EU documents and tables researched by us. They are too numerous to list here but if any politician or mainstream media journalist would like the links we will provide them free of charge. ] 08.00am, 14 Dec 2016
Yesterday the EU announced its priorities for 2017, which included the doubling of funding to high risk loans carried out with 'the EU Bank'. Below we give you some basic information on this organisation.
Official title ‘European Investment Bank’ but calls itself “The EU Bank”
Started with 66 staff when EU was founded
Now employs over 2,700 in rich little Luxembourg
UK has underwritten €91 billion of its loans - that's 16%
UK has paid in €39 billion of capital - 16%
At end 2015, EIB had agreed loans of €563.6 billion (over 1/2 trillion Euros)
More than 10% of loans go to non-EU countries
[Sources: EIB 1 and EIB 2, EU Commission ] 08.00am, 14 Dec 2016
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ORIGINAL AND IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BREXIT
With 28 countries in the EU, one of them is always in the middle of an election campaign
We support Help for Heroes
With the season of goodwill around the corner, we just thought we would provide a link for you...
REMOANERS – YET MORE REASONS TO DELAY BREXIT
Remain MPs want to delay Article 50 notification because of elections in EU countries
Last week in Parliament’s Article 50 debate, we heard once again from pro-Remain MPs that Article 50 should be delayed because of elections in EU countries next year.
“... we will not start negotiations until after the German elections, we may get only a year of negotiations” - Chris Leslie (Lab/Co-op). “Given that the French and the German elections provide a case to delay article 5... we should delay article 50 until November and then perhaps have a referendum on it” - Geraint Davies (Lab/Co-op). “... the French and German elections mean that no meaningful talks will happen until the autumn of next year” - Ben Bradshaw (Lab). “We know that there will be elections in Germany, the Netherlands and France and that real negotiations cannot start then, so the period will be limited” – Mike Gapes (Lab). “Serious negotiations will inevitably not start until autumn next year—after French and German elections” – Caroline Lucas (Green)
Parliamentary debate 7th Dec
Below we show the timetable for elections in EU countries next year.
The simple fact is that 6-12 important elections take place in EU countries every year. There is never a time when Brexit can be discussed without some EU Member States being involved in their own political processes.
If no EU business could be discussed until there were no elections going on, nothing would ever get done. If new EU Treaties and amendments to them can regularly be discussed, so can Brexit.
Once again we are seeing Brexit-denying MPs trying to come up with any reasons they can think of to frustrate the democratic will of the British people.
[ Sources: Hansard | Also the EU27's national government websites ] 08.30am, 13 Dec 2016
The Chancellor answering questions in Parliament yesterday
Philip Hammond foresees years of Brexit
REMAIN CHANCELLOR PREDICTS YEARS OF BREXIT TALKS
Once again in Parliament Philip Hammond shows his Remain bias
In evidence to the Treasury Select Committee yesterday, the pro-Remain Chancellor Philip Hammond made clear he is listening to and being guided by Remainer opinions.
When asked about the necessity for years of ‘transitional arrangements’ for leaving the EU, he cited the views of :-
Big business (Remainers)
Regulators (Remainers)
‘Thoughtful’ (ie Remainer) politicians
Civil servants (almost all Remainers)
Bureaucrats in Brussels (Remainers and Brexit-Punishers)
He told the Select Committee yesterday that there was ‘an emerging view’ amongst these groups for a transitional deal lasting more than two years. As if anyone could imagine that these groups would have a different view. He did not refer to the views of any of those who voted Leave.
Interestingly in his first answer, you may notice that he characterised the Brexit question as being the choice between being “full members of the European Union” and “where we get to in the future as a result of the negotiations”. The correct characterisation should of course have been between being full members and having completely left the EU.
Naturally the groups to which Mr Hammond is listening wish to drag out negotiations. They hope to make everything sound far more complicated and damaging than it needs to be. As Remainers, they still expect that two outcomes will be achieved:-
The ‘complexity’ of negotiations mean that the public can be persuaded that a ‘compromise’ deal will have to be reached with the EU, tantamount to not leaving at all, and
Things go on for so long that there’s an opportunity for a second Referendum.
Mr Hammond is clearly an unreformed Remainer. We sincerely hope that in Cabinet Mrs May is taking in all Mr Hammond’s views (and the views of his friends) through a very large ‘Brexit-Denier’ lens.
The future for a post-Brexit Britain is of course far rosier than the Chancellor will ever paint it.
According to figures from Stronger In, the official Remain campaign
Even before leaving the EU, the UK is doing less and less trade with the EU27. Each year, the Single Market has become increasingly less important to the UK’s businesses.
Only 3.6% of British companies actually export to the single market, according to Stronger In, the official Remain campaign. The other 96.4% currently have to abide by all its rules and regulations, with all the costs this involves.
The official Remain campaign which was backed by the Government claimed that “200,000 businesses trade with the EU”. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy says that there are 5.5 million businesses in the UK.
So by the admission of the official Remain campaign using Government data, only 3.6% of all UK businesses trade with the EU.
We strongly suggest that Remoaner MPs acquaint themselves with the facts of the Single Market before they tell the British people we must remain a member of it.
FACTS4EU.ORG- FACTUAL ANALYSIS OF OFFICIAL DATA AND NEWS
GROWING GLOBAL MARKET or SLOWING SINGLE MARKET?
Which would you choose?
Remoaner MPs talk constantly of the Single Market and the Customs Union as if they are somehow a life support mechanism which UK businesses can’t do without.
In fact they are more akin to a life-threatening illness – damaging to the wealth of British citizens and damaging to the 96% of British businesses which do no trade whatsoever with the EU.
Look at the graphs above. On the left is the option for leaving the single market and customs union – the UK can then do deals with all 193 countries of the world including the EU27.
On the right is the option for staying in the single market and customs union.
Let’s counter the Remoaner MPs’ Single Market and Customs Union mantra. Let’s start talking about the Growing Global Market instead.
The Growing Global Market is where the path to greater wealth for the British people lies. This means leaving the EU completely, which means leaving the single market and the customs union.
Alex Salmond is in the EU Commission President's diary for Wednesday
We were just leafing through EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's diary for next week (as you do) and we came across a meeting with Alex Salmond.
The EU has made it perfectly plain that they will not negotiate with Scotland.
Mr Salmond may have nothing better to do, but surely the EU Commission President is far too busy? The following day he has the EU Council meeting, to say nothing of him having an EU which is collapsing around his ears.
Can this be anything other than a complete waste of time for both of them?
[ Source : Mr Juncker's Diary, EU Commission ] 10.30am, 11 Dec 2016
FACTS4EU.ORG EDITORIAL - SUNDAY 11th DECEMBER 2016
WISHING YOU A PEACEFUL, RELAXING SUNDAY
Good morning! It’s Sunday and Christmas is around the corner.
Do you have any plans? Perhaps you’re going to church, or food shopping, or getting ready for family or friends to visit, or going to a garden centre, or planning to do some odd jobs, or going to buy a Christmas tree, or getting ready to go out somewhere nice?
Below we feature some articles about a man who believes passionately that his country should leave the EU. He will have woken up this morning knowing that whatever he plans to do with his family today, he will need his armed guards with him at all times. The death threats against him are very real and constant.
This morning he will also have woken up knowing that he’s now a convicted criminal in his own country.
It’s certainly true that he holds some views which not everyone will agree with. But it’s also true that the Establishment in his country are against him for these and for his views on leaving the EU.
He’s now the most popular political leader in his country. And a convicted criminal.
Anti-EU leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, Geert Wilders
Dutch Public Prosecutor wins conviction against Geert Wilders
ANTI-EU DUTCH LEADER CONVICTED BY THE DUTCH STATE
Geert Wilders of the Freedom Party (PVV) is found guilty of inciting discrimination against Moroccans
A majority of Dutch people disagree with the verdict, according to latest polling.
The strongly anti-EU leader of the most popular Dutch parliamentary party (PVV) now has a criminal conviction, as a result of an action brought by the Dutch state.
The Party for Freedom is now easily the largest party in the Netherlands. It is profoundly anti-EU and wants to take the country out. Recent polls show it will win more seats than the current ruling party, the VVD, at the elections being held in 3 months’ time.
Latest polling shows:
53% of Dutch disagreed with the verdict
55% thought Mr Wilders should never have been prosecuted at all
69% said the PVV’s votes will now increase in the March General Election
Latest polling on the parties before the verdict shows:
PVV are now by far the most popular party in Holland
34% support the PVV, compared to only 24% for the ruling VVD party
This would translate into 33 seats for the PVV, 12 more than the VVD
Currently the PVV have 12 seats to the ruling party’s 40
This court case was brought by the Dutch Public Prosecutor, not by private individuals.
We started reporting on it in September. Please see the next 3 articles for details of what the court case was about.
Geert Wilders is Leader of Dutch PVV or ‘Freedom Party’, which is anti-EU.
For the 3rd time in 6 years, Mr Wilders was taken to court for expressing himself in line with his Party’s policies. The charges were based on the following public statements he made:
“I’m asking you, do you want more or fewer Moroccans in this city and in the Netherlands?”, and
“They vote for a safer and more social [city] and in any event a city with fewer burdens and also, if possible, fewer Moroccans.”
The charges were based on these two sentences. Morrocan immigrants are a big issue there.
Here is Mr Wilders' opening statement to the Court, when proceedings began :-
In other words, his party has an immigration policy which the Public Prosecutor has deemed to be illegal.
The PVV is now the most popular party in the Netherlands, 10% higher in the polls than the ruling party.
Whatever the political views of Mr Wilders you may wish to reflect on the state of European democracy, and the increasing legislation against expressing opinions. This legislation means that a popular politician (from a non-establishment and anti-EU political party) has been continually dragged through the courts for years.
[ Sources: Openbaar Ministerie (Dutch Public Prosecution Service), and Youtube of court proceedings ] 11 Dec 2016
Anti-EU leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, Geert Wilders
Dutch Public Prosecutor convicts Mr Wilders
THE NETHERLANDS AND MOROCCANS – THE FACTS
The official headline figures for the make-up of the population of the Netherlands don’t seem disproportionate in relation to today’s multicultural societies. 17 million people, with 900,000 being ‘non-Dutch’ according to the government.
However, using official Dutch government data, we have dug below the headline figures to give you some idea of why many Dutch people might be concerned and why Mr Wilders might have made the comments he did.
Of the 17 million population, only 13.2 million are of Dutch ethnicity
3.8 million inhabitants (22.1%) had a migrant background
Non-western ethnicities: Turkish, Moroccan, Surinamese, and Antillean
Those of Moroccan ethnicity are 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed
They are 7.5 times more likely to be on social welfare
Young ethnic Moroccans are 5 times more likely to commit crime
For the avoidance of doubt, this is our research. We have received no assistance from the PVV and nor did we ask for it.
The figures are from 01 Jan 2016 and come from Dutch government sources.
We also have a Disqus comment system at the bottom of the page.
FACTS4EU.ORG
IMPORTANT FACTS AND ANALYSIS
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker giving a speech to celebrate 25 years since the Maastricht Treaty
Astonishing admission of the speed of decline of the EU in the world
EU SHARE OF WORLD ECONOMY TO DROP 40% IN 10 YRS
Commission President Juncker makes remarkable admission in speech yesterday
The EU celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty yesterday, marked by a speech from EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in the small Dutch town of Maastricht where the Treaty was signed 25 years ago.
In a typically rambling and unstructured speech, Mr Juncker made some astonishing admissions :-
“We are a relevant part of the global economy: 25% of the global GPD”
“In 10 years from now, it will be 15%”
“In 20 years, not one single Member State will be a member of the G7”
“Europe is the smallest continent… 5.5 million square kilometres.”
“And from a demographic point of view… we are losing weight”.
“So those who do think that time has come to deconstruct, to put Europe in pieces, to subdivide us in national divisions, are totally wrong. We will not exist as single nations without the European Union.”
FACTS4EU.ORG- FACTUAL ANALYSIS OF OFFICIAL DATA AND NEWS
JUNCKER PUTS HIS FOOT IN IT AND STILL GETS HIS FACTS WRONG
In yesterday’s speech to mark the 25th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker claimed that the EU represents 25% of the global economy.
He’s wrong.
There are different measures of GDP. Even the most charitable one shows that Juncker’s figure is five years out of date. Using the ‘current prices’ method of calculating GDP, the EU last achieved 25% of world GDP in 2011, five years ago.
Using the more common ‘purchasing-power parity’ (PPP) method, the EU’s economy now represents only a 16.9% share of the world economy.
Whichever set of data you use, Juncker's figure of 25% for the EU share of the World economy is wrong
It would be nice to think that President Juncker might actually get his facts right on basics. We’re happy to put the record straight.
Regardless of this, we find it extraordinary that President Juncker thinks he can frighten the people of the EU into staying in the EU because its share of the world market will drop by 40% in the next 10 years.
Instead he should be explaining how it is that one of the richest areas of the world is plummeting in importance by his own admission. He might try to explain why the Eurozone hasn’t grown for 10 years and why large swathes of it are suffering crippling unemployment, particularly amongst the young.
PRO-BREXIT CANDIDATES DOMINATE EAST MIDLANDS BY-ELECTION
Yesterday’s by-election results show pro-Brexit parties ahead of LibDems and Labour, as the Tories win and UKIP surges into 2nd place
The by-election in Sleaford and North Hykeham was always going to result in a Conservative hold. At the General Election last year, the Tories had a majority of 24,115.
Unlike Richmond Park last week, the majority of voters in Sleaford and Nth Hykeham had followed the national trend in the Referendum and voted for Leave. Last week’s claims by the LibDems of an anti-Brexit surge therefore disappeared overnight as the Lincolnshire people voted.
The results :-
Conservative hold: Majority of 13,144, down from 24,115, on reduced turnout
UKIP overtook Labour to claim 2nd place, with 13.5% of the vote
Labour’s pro-EU candidate fell to 4th place, behind the pro-EU Libdems
Together these two pro-EU candidates secured just 21% of the vote
Interestingly in yesterday’s vote, UKIP surged past Labour to claim 2nd place, despite the party having been in a state of flux during its leadership campaign in recent weeks.
The good folk of Lincolnshire delivered a soundly pro-Brexit vote yesterday.
However we doubt that this will make Tim Farron, Nick Clegg, and the other LibAntiDems shut up. The absence of facts never stood in their way during the Referendum campaign and it’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
[ Source : Electoral Commission and the Returning Officer ] 11.00am, 09 Dec 2016
On average, the Commission has brought actions against the UK once a week since the week after we voted.
Since the Referendum, the EU Commission has initiated 26 ‘Infringement’ cases against the United Kingdom.
Of these infringements proceedings :-
10 ‘Formal Notices’ have been issued
6 ‘Reasoned Opinions’ have been given
2 Referrals have been made to the European Court of Justice
‘Formal Notices’ are first warnings – Comply or we’ll give you a Reasoned Opinion.
‘Reasoned Opinions’ are final warnings - Comply or we'll take you to Court.
‘Referrals’ are when you’ve been very bad boys and girls - See you in Court.
In the context of the Supreme Court hearings this week, the above shows how the UK is ruled by unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats based in Brussels.
The legal elites in the Supreme Court proceedings might be fascinated by concepts of domestic legal rights and constitutional precedents dating back 300 years.
Forget the legal niceties and intellectual games. The rest of us are more concerned with getting out from under a regime which tramples all over our domestic lives in the UK and which imposes rules which the citizen can do nothing about.
David Cameron in Indiana last night, giving first major speech since defeat
REMAIN CASE CONTINUES TO UNRAVEL
Cameron now suggests the Euro’s days are numbered
In his first major speech since resigning after losing the Referendum, David Cameron addressed an American university a few hours ago.
[On the Euro] "I wonder how long it can last"
"I see more trouble ahead. It is not working as it was intended"
"Some [EU] countries have seen decades of lost growth"
"The greatest question is clearly this: does the Brexit vote and the election of your President mean an end to globalisation? I would say very clearly: no"
"And, I’m also available for weddings and bar mitzvahs"
We are compelled to ask something.
Why couldn’t Mr Cameron have been honest with the British electorate prior to the Referendum?
[ Sources : IndyStar, The Depauw, and other Midwest papers. ] 05.30am, 09 Dec 2016
Senator Tom Cotton delivered a powerful speech in the Senate, praising and supporting the UK and criticising the EU.
In the USA a Senator made a speech in Congress just two days before the Referendum. We think you’ll find it inspiring and a joy to watch or read.
"I'm here to speak for England, for Great Britain, indeed for all the United Kingdom."
US Senator Cotton
We watched it at the time, but with only two days before the vote we weren't able to produce an article. To our knowledge it was never covered by the UK’s mainstream media, nor by any media outlets in the EU.
Senator Tom Cotton is an army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, achieving the rank of Captain and conducting daily combat patrols. He served with the 506th Infantry Regiment, the 101st Airborne Division, and the 3rd Infantry Regiment.
Senator Cotton is a Republican who now serves the people of Arkansas in the Senate, having previously been elected to the House of Representatives from 2013-2015.
We think Senator Cotton made an inspirational speech in the Senate. We'll be speaking to the Senator’s office again later and hope to bring you more on this.
[ Sources : Contained within the article. ] 11.30am, 08 Dec 2016
The UK still has many friends in the US Senate and House of Representatives
USA PUTS UK AT THE 'FRONT OF THE QUEUE’
America is legislating to support a Post-Brexit United Kingdom
Below we list just some of the motions and bills that have been introduced in the US Senate and the US House of Representatives since the Referendum.
The ‘Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave’ is supporting the UK.
BILL S.3123 — United Kingdom Trade Continuity Act, Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT] (Introduced 06/29/2016) Cosponsors: (1) “This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the United States supports the decision by the United Kingdom people to leave the European Union (EU). The United States shall continue to comply with the terms of all existing commercial agreements between it and the EU governing commerce between the United States and the United Kingdom, unless specifically provided otherwise. It is the sense of Congress that the President should initiate negotiations expeditiously with the United Kingdom to reach a final comprehensive bilateral trade agreement. Trade authorities (fast track) procedures shall apply to a congressional bill implementing such a trade agreement.” (sources)
H.Res.817 — Expressing continued support for the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom and urging commencement of negotiations for the development of a North Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (NATIP) between the United States and the United Kingdom. (sources)
H.Con.Res.146 — Expressing support for fostering closer economic and commercial ties between the United States and the United Kingdom following the decision of the people of the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union. Sponsor: Rep. Brady, Kevin [R-TX-8] (Introduced 07/13/2016) Cosponsors: (39) (sources)
S.Con.Res.47 — A concurrent resolution expressing support for fostering closer economic and commercial ties between the United States and the United Kingdom following the decision of the people of the United Kingdom to withdraw from the European Union. Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] (Introduced 07/13/2016) Cosponsors: (10) (sources)
S.Res.520 — A resolution reaffirming the strong relationship, both in defense and trade, between the United States and the United Kingdom. Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 07/07/2016) Cosponsors: (6) (sources)
The UK still has a lot of support in the US legislatures, even if it is seldom reported in the mainstream media.
[ Sources : Contained within the article. ] 07.00am, 08 Dec 2016
We’ve made selections from the speeches of 12 MPs from yesterday’s Commons debate on Article 50, to cheer up your day.
The Government’s amendment was won by 461 to 89, a majority of 372. That's 84% voting for Article 50.
EXTRACTS FROM THE SPEECHES OF
12 MPs WHO LIT THE PATH TO FREEDOM YESTERDAY
Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith
"[On Sir Keir Starmer’s opening speech] When listening to him, the definition I heard was that he wants to be a member of everything that we are in as members of the EU now, with one or two small changes—so he does not actually want to leave."
"Leaving the European Union at its most basic will mean that we will no longer be subject to European law. From that flow the other elements that were debated during the campaign. The public most clearly want to take back control of their borders with the European Union, and to take back control of the money raised from them in taxation. Those things cannot happen if we are subject to European law."
"They do a disservice to the general public if they cannot understand what they meant when they voted to leave the European Union. The public were very clear on that. I have heard the Liberals go on about how people voted to leave but did not vote for a destination. Leaving is a destination. It means we are in control of ourselves."
Sir Bill Cash
"It is very simple—as simple as this: there was a vote which was authorised by a sovereign Act of this Parliament. That Act transferred the right to make a decision to the British people, and they made it. The right hon. Gentleman acknowledges that, and he says that he wants to respect it, but the reality is that the decision was about whether to stay in the European Union or to leave it, and the bottom line is that the people of this country decided, by a substantial majority, to leave."
"Let me say this, very simply. We should not be supplicants in these negotiations. We should say no to the single market, no to the customs union, and no to the European Court, because we cannot be subject to that European Court in any circumstances. We should say yes to borders, yes to free trade, and yes to regaining the democracy for which this House has stood for hundreds of years."
Rt Hon Michael Gove
"He did not reveal on behalf of the 48% for whom he professes to speak whether he wants to stay in the single market or the customs union. What we had was 40 minutes of pious vapouring—a hole in the air masquerading as an argument."
"It was made clear by every single one of the leading representatives of the remain campaign that voting to leave the EU meant leaving the single market. There should be no ambiguity about that point. The public were fully informed and they took their decision in full knowledge."
"Since we voted to leave, we have seen increased investment from Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Amazon and Facebook—from a variety of both traditional manufacturing and new technology investors. Far from there being an economic shock, we are the fastest growing economy in the G7."
Rt Hon Peter Lilley
"The Government’s position has ruled out three options. First, we will not be part of the internal market of the European Union. I use the term “internal market” because that is what it is called in European law. There is no such thing in European law as the single market. To be a member of the internal market, we would have to be a member state subject to all the laws of the European Union, and the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State today have said that we will not be subject to the European Court of Justice."
"Secondly, we will not be members of the European economic area, because all members of the European economic area have to accept free movement, and the Government have ruled that out. On top of that, we cannot negotiate service deals because we do not have control over the laws governing all our service industries. This was described during the referendum campaign by the current Chancellor of the Exchequer as the worst of all possible worlds, and many others on that side of the argument supported him. Now, however, they suddenly want to be part of that worst of all possible worlds."
"Thirdly, we cannot be subject to the common external tariff of the EU because we are champions of free trade, according to the Prime Minister. We set up a Department for International Trade that has to be able to negotiate tariffs. We also want to cut the tariffs on products that we do not produce—including food and clothing products on which the EU imposes very high tariffs—because those tariffs are damaging to the just-about-managing people in this country. So those three options are ruled out, which leaves two realistic options."
"There are two realistic options. The first is that we continue with roughly the status quo: tariff-free trade and no new barriers to service trade. The EU already has free trade agreements that do not require free movement with 50 countries. The second is that we trade with them on WTO terms and they might try to make trade in our service and financial services industries a bit more difficult. The important thing is that both options are actually very simple to negotiate."
Sir Oliver Letwin
"It is clear that it is impossible to conduct that negotiation successfully on the basis of a legal mandate given by Parliament. Why? It is because once a law is passed that determines negotiation, the negotiation as a whole, and in every particular and at every moment, is justiciable."
"We will end up with the Supreme Court and lower courts being called upon to decide, from moment to moment, in judicial review after judicial review, whether the Government have sufficiently transparently made clear every detail of the negotiation to satisfy the Court that the mandate of Parliament in the law is being observed; and whether they have fulfilled the terms of the mandate, once everything is transparent. Any Member of this House who believes this country will have an advantage in the outcome from such a process is severely misguided."
Rt Hon Owen Paterson
"On my first day at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my Secretary of State’s briefing said that we were handing back £642 million of real money because the Commission, under the ECJ, disliked the manner in which the right hon. Member for Derby South (Margaret Beckett) had implemented the then CAP reform. So there was I, democratically elected and responsible to this democratic House, with nothing I could do about it."
"We said that we would take back control of our ability to trade around the world. SNP Members make a huge fuss about the single market and the customs union. We have to leave the single market if we want to come out from under the cosh of the European Court of Justice. The single market does not exist anyway. My noble Friend Lord Bamford recently gave a very good speech in another place saying that there are 10 standards for brake lights on tractors within the current so-called single market."
Bernard Jenkin
"We can demonstrate to the country that there is a great measure of consensus, but it prompts the question of why there is a court case, and why the courts have chosen to become involved, particularly once the motion is carried. We do not need a court to tell the House that it is sovereign. The House could stop Brexit whenever it wanted, as it could stop anything else that a Government do if it chose to do so. It is unfortunate that a different kind of judiciary is developing, as I do not think that Parliament ever voted for that. We await the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling with respect and great interest to see if that is the kind of judiciary that we want."
"Our opening pitch should be very simple. We should make an offer—a zero/zero offer: we will give EU countries zero tariffs on their exports to our country, if they will give us zero tariffs on their imports from us. That is in everyone’s interest. It is in the interest of jobs on the continent and in the United Kingdom."
"We should also offer an opportunity for mutual recognition of services agreements so that we can continue trading in services, as we do now. That, again, would be in everybody’s interest. "
Steve Baker
"First, what has the Prime Minister said? In particular, she has said:
“Our laws made not in Brussels but in Westminster. Our judges sitting not in Luxembourg but in courts across the land. The authority of EU law in this country ended forever.” Of the deal, she has said: “I want it to include cooperation on law enforcement and counter-terrorism work. I want it to involve free trade, in goods and services. I want it to give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within the Single Market—and let European businesses do the same here. But let’s state one thing loud and clear: we are not leaving the European Union only to give up control of immigration all over again. And we are not leaving only to return to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. That’s not going to happen.”
"
"We cannot stay in the customs union if we want tariff-free trade with other parts of the world. We cannot stay in the EEA if we want 80% of our economy to be subject to new free trade arrangements with the rest of the world, because one has to put one’s domestic regulation on the table. Therefore, the implication of what the Prime Minister has said—that we are going to be a beacon of free trade—is that we must leave both."
"We cannot stay in the customs union if we want tariff-free trade with other parts of the world. We cannot stay in the EEA if we want 80% of our economy to be subject to new free trade arrangements with the rest of the world, because one has to put one’s domestic regulation on the table. Therefore, the implication of what the Prime Minister has said—that we are going to be a beacon of free trade—is that we must leave both."
Jacob Rees-Mogg
"Parliament is indeed sovereign, and Parliament, in its wisdom, passed a referendum Bill; and my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council said that it was advisory. Just think about that. Who was it supposed to advise? Did Parliament pass a Bill to advise itself? Surely not. If it had been to advise Parliament, Parliament would have made the Bill automatically effective, because we do not need to advise ourselves on the Bills that we should pass. It was clearly an exercise of parliamentary sovereignty to advise the Crown in the exercise of the prerogative. Parliamentary sovereignty has already been expressed and ought to be fulfilled."
"They say how much they respect the decision. Respect! The word has been changed by the lexicographers. It used to mean that one held something in high esteem and high regard and believed it should be implemented; now it means “condescend to, think ridiculous, think unwise”. The word “respect” has been utterly devalued by those on the Opposition Benches, as they feel the British people got it wrong. Let us not use the word “respect” of the electorate any more; let us say, “Obey,” for we will obey the British electorate."
Dominic Raab
"This is the 14th time Ministers, including the Prime Minister, have come to the House to debate or answer questions on Brexit, and there have also been four Westminster Hall debates. The Exiting the European Union Committee is up and running; indeed we took evidence this morning from the CBI and the TUC. That is the vital role for Parliament in this Brexit process."
"Let no one say that Parliament is not already discharging its responsibilities, and let no one confuse that essential scrutiny role with the designs of—let us face it—a small and dwindling minority who genuinely seek to delay or derail Brexit."
Richard Drax
"The vote offered to the British people on 23 June came with no ifs, no buts and no conditions. The then Prime Minister, David Cameron, who gave us that wonderful referendum, for which I am eternally grateful, spent £9 million of taxpayers’ money to tell us that in the literature that came through our doors. There were no ifs, no buts, no conditions. I recall him saying, whichever side wins, even by one single vote, the will of the people will be respected. It could not be simpler."
David T C Davies
"We cannot possibly have a negotiation that consists of 650 MPs, 800 or so Members of the House of Lords and a coven of Welsh Assembly Ministers. As John Major himself said, we need to unbind the hands of our Ministers and allow them to get out there into Brussels and negotiate the excellent deal that we know they can get, which will involve freedom of movement, freedom to trade, and freedom to get back control of our borders and money. We look forward to celebrating that deal over the next two years."
What about domestic rights taken away by the EU over the last 40 years?
Supreme Court
SUPREME COURT CASE IS ABOUT 'DOMESTIC RIGHTS’
Lawyers argue that domestic rights will be lost by invoking Article 50
Why hasn’t the Government’s legal team outlined the domestic rights taken away by the EU? Invoking Article 50 would start the process of these domestic rights being returned to UK citizens.
Below we give just a few examples from a very long list of domestic rights which have been removed as a result of EU membership in recent years.
No domestic right to determine UK laws by voting for or against a government proposing them (sources)
No domestic right for carworkers - Ford Transit production jobs moved to Turkey after the EU Bank provided it with £150m of funding (sources)
No domestic right to fishing livelihoods - Fishermen had fishing grounds and quotas taken, resulting in the industry losing 1/3rd of all jobs (sources)
No domestic right to influence UK taxation, eg to have VAT abolished or reduced on domestic fuel (sources)
No domestic right to keep steel jobs by banning cheap, state-subsidised steel from EU countries (sources)
No domestic right to benefit from clinical trials of new medicines (sources)
No domestic right to be protected against harmful chemicals (sources)
No domestic right to control river management to prevent flooding (sources)
This could be a very long list if we had the time and money to provide it. The list above is merely a flavour of the domestic rights which can be returned to UK citizens, starting with the triggering of Article 50.
And yes, we do understand that the lawyers in the Supreme Court are arguing about legal domestic rights and not our domestic rights in general. We will return to this question in a later article.
[ Sources : Contained within the links above. ] 11.30am, 07 Dec 2016
LibAnti-Dems move for 2nd Referendum in Parliament
Tim Farron
Nick Clegg
LIBDEMS TABLE 2ND REFERENDUM IN PARLIAMENT
Article 50 motion will be debated this afternoon in the Commons, while the Supreme Court sits.
The LibDems have tabled an amendment to Labour’s motion in Parliament today :
“the Prime Minister to commit to a referendum on the final agreement following the negotiations and before the UK leaves the EU”
This is the first time the LibDems have formally proposed in a Commons motion that a 2nd Referendum should be held before the UK can leave the EU. The main motion comes from Labour.
Here are our summaries of the motion and amendments :
Labour main motion : “calls on the Prime Minister to commit to publishing the Government’s plan for leaving the EU before Article 50 is invoked”
SNP amendment : “calls for a formal role for the devolved administrations including their agreement before Article 50 is triggered”
Government amendment : “and further calls on the Government to invoke Article 50 by 31 March 2017”
LibDem amendment : “and further calls on the Prime Minister to commit to a referendum on the final agreement following the negotiations and before the UK leaves the EU”
Meanwhile, over the road in the Supreme Court, m’Lady and m’Lords are considering whether to introduce legal impediments to the UK leaving the EU in a clear and simple fashion, as desired by the Government and the majority of the British people.
The British people made their decision nearly 6 months ago. They want the UK to leave the EU – no ifs, no buts.
By far the worst offenders here are the LibAntiDems, who refuse to accept the democratic decision of the people and insist on a re-vote. However the other parties should also stop playing politics.
Statements by various Labour shadow ministers since June have suggested more policies towards Article 50 than Islington residents have had warm buttered croissants. The moment we think they really won’t obstruct Article 50, one of the shadow cabinet makes a subsequent statement throwing this into doubt.
Immediately after the Referendum we called on the Government to invoke Article 50, as we feared exactly the kind of legal and parliamentary nonsense we are now all witnessing on a daily basis.
Following the High Court Decision to block Article 50, we called on the Government to put an emergency bill through Parliament to permit the invoking of Article 50, and to enact this immediately. We even supplied the wording.
We stand by our positions taken during the last six months. The British people do not want or need all these shenanigans. They just want Brexit, as demonstrated by recent polls (see our report here).
Have our politicians and judges learnt nothing this year?
The EU Commission's indoctrination of Europe's youth continues
Echoes of where this kind of thing went in the past:
‘JUNCKER YOUTH’ TO BE LAUNCHED TOMORROW
Brussels will launch the ‘European Solidarity Corps’ for the EU’s youth
President Juncker’s new corps of 100,000 youth “volunteers” will be launched tomorrow with the main event in Brussels being mirrored by events across the EU.
We reported on this when it was proposed, (see article below), and found the idea disturbing.
Unfortunately our report was not picked up by the BBC or the mainstream media, with the Daily Express being the only paper to report Mr Juncker’s announcement.
This new EU youth organisation requires allegiance :
Membership is open to all EU citizens under the age of 30
“The European Solidarity Corps will in the first place be based on the value of solidarity”
Members are required to sign up to its ‘mission’
Members must “declare their engagement and willingness to undertake solidarity-minded activities”
What this new Corps will do :
Members will be deployed across borders : “Members of the Corps could be deployed in their home country or in another EU Member State”
“Rebuilding communities following natural disasters; addressing social challenges such as social exclusion, poverty, health and demographic challenges; or working on the reception and integration of refugees”
Example : “A young Greek social worker from Athens takes up a job offer to work in a refugee reception centre in Thessaloniki. He will join forces for the next eight months with a team of psychologists, social workers and teachers, to help refugee children adjust to their new reality. He will receive a net monthly salary as well as a monthly allowance.”
This isn’t ‘volunteering’, it will be paid for by the taxpayer :
Members will receive a salary and living allowances, paid via the EU
Part-time members will receive a minimal salary, plus living and travellling allowances
All of this sounds to us ominously like a youth organisation founded on one doctrine, with an EU oath of allegiance to values dictated by the EU Commission.
Are we the only ones to find this to be a sinister development, reeking of an acceleration of the EU’s indoctrination of the young people of Europe?
EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during today's State of the Union debate
FACTS4EU.ORG REPORTED EXCLUSIVELY ON THIS IN SEPT
‘JUNCKER YOUTH’ - EU ANNOUNCES NEW BODY
Corps of 100,000 ‘youth volunteers’ to be ready to deploy anywhere in the EU by 2020
From Jean-Claude Juncker’s State of the Union speech today:
“The Commission is proposing today to set up a European Solidarity Corps.”
“I want this European Solidarity Corps up and running by the end of the year.”
“And by 2020, to see the first 100,000 young Europeans taking part.”
Juncker gave the example of the new Corps helping with the immigrant crisis.
This new ‘European Solidarity Corps’ is clearly another attempt to indoctrinate the EU’s youth. Young Europeans already have numerous volunteering options, via national and international charities.
If the EU wants to help young people, it should focus on the trade deals it has signally failed to put in place with the rest of the world, which might reduce the appalling level of youth unemployment across its member states.
Prof Minford is founder of 'Economists for Brexit' and has researched and written widely on the EU for over 30 years. He is Professor of Applied Economics, Cardiff Business School, having previously been a Member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and one of the HM Treasury’s Panel of Forecasters (‘Wise Men/Persons’) in the 1990s.
The FINAL PART of our exclusive Brexit interview with the eminent economist Professor Minford.
PART 6: “GIVE THE EU 3 MONTHS, THEN WE'RE OFF.”
Q: Will we ever truly leave the EU?
A: "Yes I think we will. There’s no way in which they can deny the democratic outcome. If they were to try, there would be complete uproar in the country.
"There has been this tectonic shift in public opinion. The penny dropped with an awful lot of voters that by leaving they would get control of the impoverishing effect of this unskilled immigration. That really is very serious for a lot of these communities ...
"... The cost that I talked about – the £3,500 per year per adult immigrant – falls on our poorest communities. That was a big issue economically ..."
"The other big issue is the cost of living and I think the penny dropped there too. The EU pushes up the cost of living. The exchange rate has fallen of course which has an inflationary effect but it will slowly drift back up.
"I would say over the next 2-3 years the exchange rate will go back up and you’d be left then with just the pure effect of the EU on prices when we come out.
"People are also clear about the sovereignty issue, the control of our lives, and laws.
"What you’ll get will be shows of resistance, there’ll be a lot of parliamentary committees asking questions which is all very healthy, and there’ll be lots of debate. But the government will get its way to do the negotiation."
Q: "What about the negotiations with the EU? Will they not drag things on for 10 years if we let them?
A: "Yes I agree ...
"... Give them 3 months and if they’re not going to be sensible then we’re off ..."
"... Then we can do deals over important nuts and bolts things like the rights of EU people living here and British people living there. The biggest worry would be if they just kept us at the table for umpteen years.
"All we really want is our own unilateral free trade. If we can get it by multilateral action I’m not against that, as it brings in less short-term disruption but fundamentally that’s the big gain to be had here.
"I don’t think the EU is going to do a deal, but miracles may happen ..."
"... After all, Eastern Europe needs us for NATO, Bavaria needs us for car sales, so who knows? But I rather think it may not happen.
Q: "AND FINALLY PROFESSOR, what would you do if you were in charge?
A: "I would trigger Article 50 straight away. Then I would bring in the Great Repeal Bill. I would then press on very rapidly with the whole process ...
"... Give them 3 months to get their act together in terms of an FTA. If they can’t do that in 3 months I would simply say okay and press on. ..."
"... I would say maybe you’ll come to your senses, but go ahead, put up the tariffs against us, it’s 3.5% average, we’ll deal with it. The main thing is for us to remove our own barriers which you’ve erected on our behalf. We’ll have control of our regulations and our borders, with a sensible approach to unskilled immigration.
"It could be done very fast. There’s lots of nuts and bolts which have to be negotiated which would go on, to do with customs controls etc, which could be done over time. But I would get the main things done, and publish everything to give total certainty to everyone about what we’re doing.
"There’s been this uncertainty about a Soft Brexit – which is simply the status quo – or the Hard Brexit would bring all these benefits that we talked about. They would know it would be a Hard Brexit, they would then start thinking about the opportunities that would bring, and I think that would be tremendously positive for the economy.
"Then out of all that there would a whole reform agenda for how we become a competitive economy in the light of the competitive world we live in, get the tax system right, get all sorts of regulatory systems right."
"It’s an incredibly exciting agenda I think. I think it’s like a second supply-side revolution."
The glorious variety of asparagus from the Vale of Evesham
But is this what the EU Commission should be working on?
EU COMMISSION NEWS – ARE THEY SERIOUS?
Commission approves British ‘Evesham asparagus’
It seems that the EU Commission are not overworked. In their final news summary of last week, they announced a ruling.
We’re sure that the farmers of the Vale of Evesham will be delighted to learn that their particular type of asparagus is now on the EU’s ‘protected list’.
It’s rare for us to be report on good news from the EU. Usually we only wade through bizarre legal actions which the EU is bringing against the UK, such as our recent report on the UK’s alleged failure to provide enough safe spaces for porpoises.
However, is this really what the EU Commission considers to be top of their priorities? Perhaps this is why the whole EU project is falling down around their ears.
For the record, here’s the EU’s ruling:
“The European Commission has approved the application for the inclusion of ‘Vale of Evesham Asparagus’, a green asparagus grown in the districts of Malvern Hills, Wychavon and Stratford-upon-Avon. Evesham is the only urban center in the UK to house an asparagus field and the importance of this vegetable is so great for the region that a festival is dedicated to it each year. This asparagus will be added to more than 1370 products already protected.”
(Strangely this was reported in French, which we’ve translated for Evesham’s farmers.)
Austrian Green wins Presidential election, French PM to stand for President
In Austria, ‘establishment’ candidate Alexander van der Bellen, former head of the Green Party and half-Russian/half-Estonian, has won the Presidential election with 55% of the vote. The big news is that the anti-immigration Freedom Party candidate (who is actually Austrain) won 45% of the vote.
We didn’t cover this election because :
We thought Herr Van Der Bellen would win, so it wasn't newsworthy
The role of President is mostly ceremonial in Austria
The result – either way – is irrelevant to most British voters
In France, Spanish-born French Prime Minister Manuel Valls is expected to announce later today that he will stand as a candidate for French President.
[Sources: Austrian and French press] 08.45am, 05 Dec 2016
Prime Minister Renzi has quit, Euro has dropped by 1%
High turnout, 17/20 regions to 'No' side, overall majority 6 million voters
When all votes are counted we expect a minimum 58% to 42% split.
Signor Renzi's attempts to buy off dissent hasn't worked and was an expensive gamble. Increasing pay for civil servants - cost: €5 billion. Higher pensions - cost: €7 billion. More on various programmes including medicines - cost: €3 billion. Total cost: €15 billion p.a. The sudden largesse from Renzi didn't prevent the landslide for the No campaign. He has gone and it will be many weeks or months before a new administration is formed, which will have to pick up the tab.
This result is relevant to the UK. The Italian banks including the three largest are in crisis mode and we now have to wait and see if foreign investors such as the Qataris pull out of rescue deals. If that happens then the EU in the form of the ECB will have to stump up - something which Angela Merkel has stood firmly against.
Italy is not Greece - as the 3rd largest Eurozone economy it's too big to be allowed to fail. It's not in the UK's interests for the Eurozone to continue to suffer major setbacks. However from a trade perspective this just highlights the urgent need to exit from the EU and to build stronger trading relationships around the world.
This result is relevant to the EU 'project'. Economically this will hit the Eurozone. Politically it will hit the plans for 'more Europe'. At the time of writing, the EU Commission are unavailable for comment. No doubt after President Juncker has had his first cognac of the day he will make a statement.
Have you had your say yet? Your chance to describe to Ministers the Brexit you voted for.
5 simple questions - Read the opinions on the new 'O Brexit, My Brexit !' page and then submit your thoughts.
Facts4EU.Org Dec 2016
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The same ‘experts’ want us to stay in the EU and the single market
Here’s what happened to an EU country and their people who did what the ‘experts’ said.
How has Single Market membership helped Italy?
This is Italy, which voted yesterday in their Referendum on constitutional reform. The graphs above show their fall in national income since 2008 and their rise in unemployment in the same period. Using the same scales, we've shown what the UK achieved in the same period.
If our 'experts' had had their way, this could have been the UK. Fortunately a hard battle was won to keep the pound and not join the Eurozone. These same experts now want to dilute what Brexit means, to keep us in the single market and customs union, and therefore to keep us fundamentally in the EU.
How has being a member of the Single Market helped Italy?
We wonder how long it will be before the peoples of Europe truly wake up to what is being done to them, by undemocratic elites?
More importantly for the British people, how much longer do we have to endure the continued attempts by British elitist politicians and so-called experts to brainwash us into reversing our clear vote to leave this failed political project?
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FACTS4EU.ORG
GIVING YOU THE FACTS
LA DOLCE VITA ?
Facts4EU.Org’s Guide to the Italian Referendum
By the time you read this, the polling stations will have opened in the EU’s 4th largest economy for the Italian Referendum.
in 4 short articles which we published 2 weeks ago.
Exit polls will be announced soon after 11pm UK time, with official results coming in during the night. If this news isn’t on British TV, you could try watching France24 live in English here.
Prof Minford is founder of 'Economists for Brexit' and has researched and written widely on the EU for over 30 years. He is Professor of Applied Economics, Cardiff Business School, having previously been a Member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and one of the HM Treasury’s Panel of Forecasters (‘Wise Men/Persons’) in the 1990s.
Continuation of extracts from our exclusive Brexit interview with the eminent economist Professor Minford.
PART 5: “EU HAS GONE EX-GROWTH. IT'S A RUINOUS PROJECT.”
Q: What are your views on the prospects for the EU27 and the Euro?
A: "The point is that the EU is a political project, so it’s very hard to judge how much pain and disaster the EU27 will endure in order to stick with this political project. I’ve been appalled by how the Greeks, the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Italians, have been prepared to put up with mayhem in their economies simply to stay inside the EU structure. The Greeks in particular would not even leave the Euro because they saw that as so politically threatening, leaving the Euro and then maybe being ejected from the EU and being at the mercy of the Turks. With the Spanish, they’re terrified of their own politics. They think the EU disciplines their own politics. So these countries won’t leave the institution."
"People in the UK think that somehow in Europe they’ll throw over the traces and give up on the EU or give up on the Euro. I have to say I don’t think that’s at all likely. Unless there’s some big overturning of the existing order in say Italy, or in France if Le Pen were to win, but otherwise the elites of these countries have frightened their populaces into never leaving the EU institution..."
"... I’m just incredibly gloomy, I think Europe has gone ex-growth ..."
"... There’s so much overlay of bureaucratic intervention, regulation, centralising diktat in every area, and cover-up. You look at the Italian banks and everyone knows they’re in terrible shape, but it’s just being swept under the carpet the whole time."
"The EU will stagger on for political reasons because there’s so much invested in this project..."
"... We just have to accept that this is a ruinous project. The Euro itself is a ruinous project ..."
"... The centralisation that’s going on in the EU in order to save the Euro will also be a ruinous project. The single market regulatory system is not a good project. It’s accompanied by all sorts of intrusive and growth-denying regulations. This is just going to go on and on."
"I’m afraid I’m just very pessimistic about the future of growth in Europe. It will probably just stagger on. It may achieve a bit over 1%, who knows if it will even achieve that. Italy is still 8% below its previous peak, it’s extraordinary. The unemployment is dreadful. The lack of ability to reform comes out of that. The EU will never reform."
"It’s going to become a backward area I’m afraid, in terms of the rest of the world. The growth is all going to be somewhere else."
DON'T MISS THE CONTINUATION OF THIS INTERVIEW, COMING THROUGHOUT THIS WEEKEND
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Facts4EU.Org Dec 2016
FACTS4EU.ORG
FIGHTING TO ENSURE LEAVE MEANS LEAVE
John Redwood MP
THE EU'S SINGLE MARKET IS FAILING FAST
Here's the EU's share of the World market
And here's what the rest of the World has been doing
‘THE SINGLE MARKET ISN’T A PRECIOUS GEM’
Former minister questions whether the ‘experts’ know the facts
He asks if the ‘experts’ have looked at the evidence
The same ‘experts’ got it wrong on the ERM and Euro
“Now we have to debate much of this all over again as we leave the EU. Some say the single market is a precious gem, essential to our prosperity as a nation.
“They have not studied the evidence. The UK’s growth rate was slower from 1972 when we joined the EEC up to 1992 when the single market was “completed” than it had been in the post war decades before. The growth rate slowed again after 1992 when the EU claimed it had completed its single market. Of course the advent of the full single market in goods came at the same time as the full impact of the ERM recession was felt. The UK has run an almost continuous large deficit on trade in goods with the rest of the EU both before the completion of the single market and afterwards. One of the costs of joining the EEC was the competitive shock administered to UK manufacturing which lost us factories and jobs in the 1970s.
What is so odd is how many so called experts just assert that the single market must be good without examining the data or asking some basic questions.”
Logic suggests that having common standards and specifications helps manufacturers by allowing them longer production runs and permitting more standardisation of product. However, this is a benefit of the EU single market that all exporting countries to it benefit from, whether they are in the single market or non members. Evidence also shows that the single market in energy, for example, is damaging to European competitiveness because it gives us much higher energy prices than our US and other competitors.”
Dr Redwood was the minister responsible for Single Market negotiations when the EU claimed to have completed it. (It's still not completed nearly 25 years later.) He therefore knows a thing or two about it, unlike many who pronounce on it.
Every day we hear pro-Remain politicians and 'experts' telling us how essential it is for the UK to continue to be a full member of the Single Market after Brexit.
Why? Do they have any idea what they're talking about?
Prof Minford is founder of 'Economists for Brexit' and has researched and written widely on the EU for over 30 years. He is Professor of Applied Economics, Cardiff Business School, having previously been a Member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and one of the HM Treasury’s Panel of Forecasters (‘Wise Men/Persons’) in the 1990s.
Continuation of extracts from our exclusive Brexit interview with the eminent economist Professor Minford.
PART 4: “PRICES FALL ON DAY ONE BY 8%”
Q: How will Brexit affect prices overall?
A: "The moment we leave the EU, and leave the CAP and the customs union, prices fall on Day One by 8% and in the long run after that works its way through the economy. This is the case even though we assume that over the next decade EU protection would have fallen gradually to half its current level. It’s still 8% because it lowers prices in the non-traded sector."
Q: And how will Brexit affect growth?
A: "We’ll get about 2% extra cumulative growth by 2020. In the long term, trade alone brings in another 4%, but of course this requires all the protectionism to be gone and time for things to work through. Then on top of that you get gains from having control of our regulations and you get further gains from controlling unskilled immigration."
"We estimated that the existing regulations brought in by the EU over the last 20-odd years have probably knocked 6% off our GDP. Of course we’ve adjusted to those and brought in some offsetting regulations, things like zero-hour contracts which have offset quite a lot of that EU interference in our labour market."
"Although that was what EU regulation did to us, we think about 2% of that could be rolled back."
Q: So what are the prospects for our manufacturing sector?
A: "I see manufacturing doing what it has done in the past, which is to go up the value-added chain, increasing productivity by going more high-tech. This would essentially preserve many parts of it, and it would take on more of the characteristics of the service sector. The kinds of things service industries do are skilled labour-intensive, not the pure production end of things."
Q: What about the rejuvenation of the British car industry?
A: "When you exert competition on an industry, it reinvents itself, going high-tech, and that’s exactly what cars have done. I always enjoy pointing out that 2/3rds of our car exports go outside the EU. It’s a highly competitive world market."
"Some of manufacturing will further contract but of course it’s already contracted massively, from 35% of employment in 1970, to 8% today, so there’s nothing new about that. I think gradually people have got used to this. Initially it was all shock-horror because politicians are used to paying huge obeisance to the idea of manufacturing and George Osborne was always talking about rebuilding and rebalancing towards manufacturing which was always complete nonsense of course. None of it happened. But there is this great taboo subject amongst politicians as I discovered."
"Now we’re in the business of Brexit they’re beginning to face up to it and see that it’s not as horrible as they thought. It was a bit of a shock to them when all the car manufacturing constituencies voted Leave!"
DON'T MISS THE CONTINUATION OF THIS INTERVIEW, COMING THROUGHOUT THIS WEEKEND
You don't want to miss his views on Brexit, the opportunities ahead of the UK, how the EU has become a 'ruinous project', the manner in which we should leave the EU, and other topics.
On the BBC’s Question Time, two members of the public and Richard Tice of ‘{Removed}’ destroy Remoaner arguments
A constant refrain since the Referendum has been that Leave voters didn’t know what they were voting for. Leave voters have been characterised as being too stupid, too old, lied to by the Leave campaign, and anything else Brexit-deniers can think of.
Below are three short clips from last week’s BBC Question Time which demonstrate that none of this is true.
Leafy and wealthy Richmond Park is unrepresentative of the country
RICHMOND PARK BY-ELECTION – IRRELEVANT TO BREXIT
The Lib Dems won the Richmond by-election yesterday
They will be telling the media that this result represents the views of the British people about Brexit. It doesn’t. As the BBC said this morning :-
“Seventy per cent of voters here backed Remain. But [former Conservative MP] Zac Goldsmith didn't.
The Liberal Democrats, unapologetically pro-EU, ruthlessly exploited this.”
BBC, 02 Dec
The media will make hay with this today. We suggest that this simply be ignored. Richmond was wholly unrepresentative of the UK's voting patterns in the Referendum.
It makes no difference whatsoever to the decision of the British people to leave the EU.
David Davis yesterday committed a cardinal sin for professional negotiators
In Parliament yesterday, Brexit Minister David Davis gave his latest regular update to MPs.
Despite all the government talk about ‘not declaring our hand’ and ‘not giving a running commentary’, Mr Davis has been doing just that, as have the Prime Minister and other ministers.
Yesterday Mr Davis suggested that the UK would consider making continuing contributions to the EU as part of a deal.
Q: "Will the Government consider making any contribution in any shape or form for access to the single market?"
A: "The major criterion is that we get the best possible access for goods and services to the European market. If that is included in what he is talking about, then of course we would consider it."
On hearing this during a visit to Edinburgh, the pro-Remain Chancellor Philip Hammond took evident satisfaction in saying : “I think David Davis is absolutely right not to rule out the possibility that we might want to contribute in some way to some form of mechanism.”
The EU will have been listening with great interest as usual. They now know that continued payments by the UK to the EU are definitely on the table as part of the Brexit negotiations. Mr Davis’ answer suggests that any free trade deal with the EU will in fact not be free. It could be very expensive, and wholly unacceptable to the British public.
David Davis yesterday committed a cardinal sin for professional negotiators
We’re sorry to have to say it, but this is crass incompetence.
We’ve stayed silent as we’ve read and watched the Prime Minister and her ministers talking about Brexit, despite growing misgivings. We had hoped things would improve and wanted to be positive.
Over the months, we’ve watched as Mr Davis has given jovial testimony to Select Committees, and has regularly leant on the despatch box in the House as if he’s having a cosy bar-side chat, joking his way through questions.
Now we feel we must speak out. To announce to the EU that continued payments to their ever-thirsty, cash-guzzling coffers could be part of any deal is simply incompetent. Any professional negotiator will tell you that you should never indicate in advance that something might be up for negotiation. Admit this, and it will be pounced upon.
The correct way to do things is to look and sound confident, serious and intransigent. If Mr Davis needs a lesson in this, he should look at the EU. Has the EU Council, the EU Commission, or Mrs Merkel ever suggested that they might compromise on freedom of movement? No. In fact they’ve repeated countless times that the four freedoms are non-negotiable.
It is now evident that the UK government somehow thinks it’s in a weak position. It’s not. The EU is staggering from crisis to crisis, its people are rising up in increasing numbers to complain, and unemployment is at disastrous levels in large parts of the organisation’s territory. Even this coming weekend, two national elections take place in Italy and Austria which could have serious repercussions for the EU.
Conversely, the UK will be the fastest-growing major economy in the world this year according to the EU-loving IMF. Our unemployment is half that of the EU, and the world has started lining up to do trade deals with us – including the USA, which the EU has failed to do a deal with in all its 59 year history.
The UK government needs to adopt a positive, confident, and resolute stance – and stick to it. It can generously offer the EU continued tariff- and barrier-free access to the lucrative and growing UK market, provided this is reciprocated.
No question of continued payments. No question of free movement in any way. No question of any jurisdiction by the European Court of Justice. No question of any ‘associate membership’ or membership of the EEA or EFTA.
Just a fully-independent and confident country, open and willing to be a good neighbour on trade, security, and defence.
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FACTS4EU.ORG
"O BREXIT, MY BREXIT !"
Have you had your say yet? This is rapidly becoming one of our most popular pages. Your chance to describe to Ministers the Brexit you voted for.
5 simple questions - Read the opinions on the new 'O Brexit, My Brexit !' page and then submit your thoughts.
Facts4EU.Org Dec 2016
Professor Patrick Minford CBE
FACTS4EU.ORG EXCLUSIVE
THE MINFORD TAPES - PART 3
The Cost of Unskilled Immigration
Prof Minford is founder of 'Economists for Brexit' and has researched and written widely on the EU for over 30 years. He is Professor of Applied Economics, Cardiff Business School, having previously been a Member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and one of the HM Treasury’s Panel of Forecasters (‘Wise Men/Persons’) in the 1990s.
Continuation of our lengthy and exclusive Brexit interview with the eminent economist Professor Minford.
PART 3: 'EACH UNSKILLED EU MIGRANT COSTS THE TAXPAYER AN AVERAGE OF £3,500 PER YEAR'
Q: EU migrants are said by many experts to have a positive benefit for the UK economy. What is your analysis?
A: "Firstly, no-one is arguing that we should restrict skilled immigration. The net benefits from skilled immigration would remain broadly the same and it would be unskilled EU immigration that would fall.
"The key question about immigration is what are the costs of unskilled immigration. We quantified this unskilled immigration from the EU. We calculated that ... "
"... the average adult unskilled EU immigrant costs the taxpayer £3,500 per year."
"That’s a revision of the paper we originally put out and it’s available on the Economists for Brexit site. That comes to a cost to the UK economy of about £6 billion a year."
Below we're reproducing one of the calculations from the Economists for Brexit site.
This shows how the full costs of unskilled migrants need to be taken into account. These include in-work benefits, housing, and other costs such as education and usage of the NHS.
Economists for Brexit looked at a great deal of data in producing their average cost per adult migrant figure of £3,500 per year. For example the high cost of migrants who are couples with children is mitigated by the much lower cost of a single EU migrant with no dependents.
It still results in unskilled EU migrants being a net cost to the UK taxpayer of £3,500 per year per adult migrant.
DON'T MISS THE CONTINUATION OF THIS INTERVIEW, COMING THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK
You don't want to miss his views on Brexit, the opportunities ahead of the UK, how the EU has become a 'ruinous project', the manner in which we should leave the EU, and other topics.
We fought hard in the Referendum campaign and we've been fighting ever since, to ensure Leave really does mean Leave.
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Facts4EU.Org Dec 2016
FACTS4EU.ORG
IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BREXIT
Immigration concerns of Leave voters are vindicated again
629,000 NI NUMBERS ISSUED TO EU MIGRANTS
Latest ONS report on immigration shows shocking results
629,000 N.I. numbers issued to EU nationals in the year to Sept 2016
Employment numbers overall increased by 454,000 in the quarter, compared to 2015
More of these jobs went to EU migrants than to British nationals
The top nationality of immigrants is now Romanian
Romania is one of the poorest countries in the EU
Minimum wage in Romania is £1.10/hour, 1/7th of the UK's
In YE June 2016, 284,000 EU citizens immigrated to the UK
This is the highest number on record
One thing is clear. The latest report from the Office of National Statistics shows that voters were right to be very worried about the levels of EU workers entering the country. The figures are at record levels.
More on this story after we have done detailed analysis.
Informal discussions 'could take place prior to the notification of Article 50'
The paper is: “Article 50: Withdrawal of a Member State from the EU”
Written and published in February of this year
Official briefing paper from the European Parliamentary Research Service
That’s the EU’s equivalent of the House of Commons Library Service
States that “informal discussions could take place prior to the notification”
Here's the part on 'Procedure' from this official EU Parliament document:-
"The formal withdrawal process is initiated by a notification from the Member State wishing to withdraw to the European Council, declaring its intention to do so.
The timing of this notification is entirely in the hand of the Member State concerned, and informal discussions could take place between it and other Member States and/or EU institutions prior to the notification.
The European Council (without the participation of the Member State concerned) then provides guidelines for the negotiations between the EU and the state concerned, with the aim of concluding an agreement setting out concrete withdrawal arrangements."
This has now been replaced by a political decision by the European Council
That statement was made after the result of the UK’s Referendum
It was emphatically not part of “the rules” of the EU before the Referendum
The EU Parliament briefing paper shows this quite clearly
The EU – making it up as it goes along. No consideration of the consequences for 4.5 million EU citizens who had taken advantage of the EU’s much-prized ‘freedom of movement’ principle.
Prof Minford is founder of 'Economists for Brexit' and has researched and written widely on the EU for over 30 years. He is Professor of Applied Economics, Cardiff Business School, having previously been a Member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission and one of the HM Treasury’s Panel of Forecasters (‘Wise Men/Persons’) in the 1990s.
At the weekend Professor Minford kindly gave us a lengthy and exclusive interview on a wide range of subject matter connected with Brexit. This is Part Two.
2. 'THE EU PRICES WE’RE PAYING ARE 20% HIGHER'
Q: What are your views on the single market and the customs union?
A: “The single market regulatory system is not a good project. It’s accompanied by all sorts of intrusive and growth-denying regulations.
"The research work that I’ve done with my co-authors has revealed that the EU is highly protectionist in the areas of food and manufactures. When we compared prices between imports from the most competitive supplier in the OECD and ex-factory prices at a border inside the EU...
... the EU prices we’re paying are 20% higher."
Q: What about the services sector?
A: “When it comes to services, the EU doesn’t have any commercial policy. The UK has always been very competitive and we’ve had very liberal entry into our services market. Fundamentally the EU has brought down the pre-existing national barriers in services but this hasn’t affected us, because we’ve been free market in services for a very long time.
Q: So your general thoughts are what?
A : "What all this talk about trade comes down to is that the big gains we make from leaving the EU are by going to free trade, by getting rid of these barriers that the EU has set up on our behalf.
"Going to free trade in food and manufactures, getting rid of the CAP, getting rid of the customs union, and either just abolishing our trade barriers or negotiating them down by free trade agreements...
... this all means consumer prices come down.
This is like a huge tax cut for the consumer and leads to more competition across the economy, particularly in food and manufactures, and also leads to some shift of resources away from these protected sectors into non-protected sectors.
Q: How important are free trade deals versus doing things unilaterally?
A : "There are many ways to get to that free trade outcome. One way is to go to unilateral free trade and just ‘walk away’ and not care what the EU does. You would still get that gain. The point we make is that in that long-term trade model, any protection that anyone puts on us just causes trade diversion – we would sell less to them and more to other people. That’s the result of free competition and free entry in the long run.
"In our long-term trade analysis we don’t really give a fig for the FTAs [free trade agreements] we might do with the EU and across the world. However, when you get to the short run – obviously there are many routes to this free trade outcome – there is less disruption of the economy if you can get less trade diversion.
"You can do FTAs with people, and this is perfectly fine. As long as it doesn’t interfere with our free trade with them. Our main object is to get to free trade with other people. If as part of this they can reduce trade barriers towards us then that’s a bonus because it reduces short-term disruption."
DON'T MISS THE CONTINUATION OF THIS INTERVIEW, COMING THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK
You don't want to miss his views on Brexit, the opportunities ahead of the UK, how the EU has become a 'ruinous project', the manner in which we should leave the EU, the cost of EU immigration, and other topics.
EU ELITES DECIDE TO PUNISH 4.5 MILLION EU CITIZENS
The EU refuses to talk about guaranteeing the rights of its own citizens who have benefited from the free movement which the EU itself espouses.
This very directly affects the lives of the 3.3 million EU citizens living in the UK and the 1.2 million UK citizens living in the EU.
Mrs May tried to address this directly with Angela Merkel in Berlin on 18th November, but was rebuffed. Presidents Juncker and Tusk have repeated the same mantra.
In fact this stems from a purely political decision made by the EU elites only 6 days after the British people voted 'the wrong way'.
EU'S 'RULES' FOR NEGOTIATION WERE MADE UP AFTER THE REFERENDUM
The EU decides. The people suffer.
‘NO NEGOTIATION WITHOUT NOTIFICATION’ – SAYS WHO?
Article 50 says nothing about this. The EU made up this 'rule' after the Referendum, on 29th June.
The EU constantly refers to the 'rule' that there can be no discussions about anything, before the UK triggers Article 50.
This was a purely political decision taken by the EU elites six days after the British people voted 'the wrong way'.
It's not in the EU Treaties, nor in any EU laws.
There is nothing in the EU Treaties, nor in any legal documents, to say that it would be ‘against the rules’ for the EU27 and the UK to agree something like the retention of each other’s citizens’ rights, before the UK triggers Article 50. This was a purely political decision taken by the EU after the British people voted to leave.
The Vice-Chairman of the largest group in the EU Parliament yesterday repeated it to Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics. He tried to make it sound like 'no negotiation without notification' was a pre-existing rule. It wasn't.
Rangel: "They know the rules. UK is the country of the rule of law, and the rule is they have to trigger Article 50" https://t.co/c1giOg9Nv8
If it’s “the rules” as Senor Rangel claims, can he please tell us where it’s written into the EU Treaties, primary or secondary legislation, directives or regulations?
This was a decision taken by EU politicans after the UK's Referendum.
This is not a technicality. It affects the lives of millions of EU citizens. There is nothing stopping the EU from agreeing with the UK that existing immigrants in all countries will retain their rights, after the UK's departure from the EU.
Important articles like the one above take many hours of research, writing, editing, and coding. They get picked up by senior politicians and by the mainstream media.
Can you help us to fund our work to ensure that Leave really does mean Leave?
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We're a small not-for-profit team, relying on voluntary donations.
Please donate whatever you can afford, to keep us fighting.
Facts4EU.Org Dec 2016
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This result is relevant to the UK. The Italian banks including the three largest are in crisis mode and we now have to wait and see if foreign investors such as the Qataris pull out of rescue deals. If that happens then the EU in the form of the ECB will have to stump up - something which Angela Merkel has stood firmly against.
This result is relevant to the EU 'project'. Economically this will hit the Eurozone. Politically it will hit the plans for 'more Europe'. At the time of writing, the EU Commission are unavailable for comment. No doubt after President Juncker has had his first cognac of the day he will make a statement.
