Britain STILL paying the EU: UK paid £9billion to Brussels for Euro aid projects
The European Parliament during a rain storm on May 12, 2016 in Strasbourg, France
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The United Kingdom has still been paying billions of pounds to the European Union as Brussels bureaucrats squander cash on aid projects.
Britain’s post-Brexit payments for leaving the bloc increased by 60 per cent to £9.3billion last year.
The figure previously stood at £5.8billion in 2021, data compiled by the Office for National Statistics has shown.
Britain’s payments stand higher than at moments when the UK was part of the EU.
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The UK made an estimated post-rebate gross contribution of £17billion in its last full year of EU membership, with a net contribution of £12.6billion
Increased payments have been labelled as a “slap in the face” by Brexiteers.
In another blow to hard-pressed British taxpayers the EU’s financial watchdog found around £7billiom was paid out by the bloc in error in 2022.
Former Brexit Minister David Jones told The Daily Mail: “This will stick in the craw of taxpayers.
Rishi Sunak continues to advocate the benefits of leaving the EU
PA“People will be looking at this and saying, 'Why are we continuing to make a contribution to this almighty wasteful and profligate organisation that is the EU?'
“My view at the time of the [Brexit] negotiations was that we didn't owe them a penny and a Lords sub-committee said as much.
“But, ultimately, we were keen to have a free trade agreement with the EU so we agreed to pay them over the odds.”
Ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith added: “This is a huge slap in the face for taxpayers. It seems totally excessive.
Brexit has become a divisive topic in BritainPA“It's time for us to just draw a line in the sand and say, 'We've left'.
“We're still hooked in and paying money and all they're doing is wasting it.
“That money would be much better spent here in the UK getting the economy growing.”
The UK agreed to make payments to the EU under the terms of Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses for photographs after signing the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU, the Brexit trade deal
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Downing Street previously rejected an EU estimate of a total bill of nearly £41billion.
It instead insisted the figure stood between £35billion and £39billion.
However, a more recent estimate suggested the bill stood at £42.5billion.
Frank Furedi, head of the MCC Brussels think-tank, said: “From our work in Brussels, we know that people in the EU have serious questions and concerns about the lack of transparency, accountability and common sense surrounding spending at the EU.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed a new deal for British scientists
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“UK citizens should feel all the more concerned that, having exited, they are still writing large cheques to the EU bureaucrats and largely signing those cheques in the dark.”
Rishi Sunak's Government struck another deal with the EU in September to enable UK scientists to have access to an £81billion funding pot.
A Treasury spokesman said: “We have taken back control of our rules and borders and our 2022 payment doesn't reflect what we'll pay in the future.”