Brexit ‘divorce settlement’ cheap compared to ‘cost of EU fraud’

Since 1997, the UK has lost £160 billion pounds in one type of EU VAT fraud… that was taken bit by bit, not in a lump sum. And it has been directly stolen from the taxpayers in the UK, says Graham Moore, political commentator.

Germany, Italy and a number of other EU countries are backing the European Commission's calls for London to pay billions in a ‘divorce bill.’

The sum at stake is over €60 billion ($75 billion), and the EU Commission wants it all to be paid before the bloc starts negotiating future trade deals with London.

The final payment's reportedly due in 2023.

RT: Does this $63 billion Brexit bill, proposed by Brussels, mean that friendship between the UK and EU is impossible after all?

Graham Moore: Well, to be honest there are other things that we need to look at. For example, the Vienna Convention on Treaties, section two. There are several articles under that convention that invalidate treaties. They need to be very careful what they are implying and the threats that they are making. 

The second thing I would like to say, and this is crucial to the people in the UK and especially in England to understand, that since 1997 the UK has lost £160 billion pounds in one type of EU VAT fraud… that was taken bit by bit, not in a lump sum. And it has been directly stolen from the taxpayers in the UK. Now £160 billion, if you are look at it towards the final exit €60 billion, or whatever it is, I’d still say to be fair that is cheap, because that is just one type of fraud where we have paid dearly over the years.

RT: It is going to be painful divorce, isn’t it?

GM: Well, it is going to be painful if they continue with this rhetoric, if I can use that word. Again, Germany has got a lot to lose with the UK just walking away, and of course we can. And again, if I am being really honest, I still think that we should just simply repeal, because it no longer has consent, the European Community Act of 1972... just step in and revoke her assent to that bill, because there is no assent from the people. Then the rest is detail. But to be fair, Germany and Italy are already in financial problems, and we’ll see what happens with France and Holland with their elections. I think the next people that you will see to crash out the EU will be France and possibly Greece.

RT: For the sake of the Union, doesn't it make sense for the EU to slap Britain with this huge bill, to discourage anyone else from leaving?

GM: Well, it is the primary thing. Yes, of course he is going to discourage people. But at the end of the day, if you were in a marriage and someone just threatened with just cutting off your finances and threatened you with all sorts of things, other people would step and say: “No, you can’t do that, you’re not going to do that. We need to be fair.” That is what takes you back to the Vienna Convention on Treaties. Again, section two – there were several articles that cover that and there are numerous threats that are coming from Germany, from Italy, and from other countries.

If you look it the other way, Spain, for example, we have always had a good relationship with Spain; we’ve always had a good relationship with Portugal – we’ve been their best allies in the past. At the end of the day there must be people looking – I understand why they are doing it – it may just be their negotiation tactics, if you like… I am hoping that people in this country get fully behind Brexit, because anyone who is still supports the EU with this kind of rhetoric must say that they are not partners.