Reality Check: Could Brexit lead to an end to austerity?

  • Author, Anthony Reuben
  • Role, 大象传媒 Reality Check

John Redwood was on Today this morning talking about a report from Conservatives for Britain saying the country can end austerity if the UK leaves the EU.

The report says: "The UK currently hands over 拢19bn to the EU every year. We get 拢9bn back in services and the rebate which means when we vote Leave we will be able to guarantee all the funding to farmers, universities and regional grants that currently come from the EU and still have 拢10bn more to spend on our priorities like the NHS."

Let's have a look at those figures in turn.

The gross contribution in 2014 was indeed just under 拢19bn, although that wasn't the amount "handed over" to the EU, because the rebate is deducted before the contribution is paid.

The amount that we got back via the rebate was 拢4.4bn and then services to the public sector such as support for farmers and regional grants added up to another 拢4.6bn, making up the 拢9bn the report refers to.

But that money will not cover private sector grants such as those to universities, to which the report also refers, which adds another 拢1.4bn.

It means that the amount the government had left to spend would be 拢8.4bn and not 拢10bn.

And that assumes that the UK would not end up having to make any contributions to the EU Budget in order to get access to the single market, as countries such as Norway do, and there would be no other costs to the economy as a consequence of leaving the EU.

Reality Check Verdict: They've got their sums wrong - post-Brexit UK certainly wouldn't have 拢10bn extra to spend and it could be considerably less.

READ MORE: The facts behind claims in the EU debate