Brussels threatens to strip Britain of £4bn budget rebate if second referendum ‘overturns Brexit vote’
Eurocrats said the UK’s discount will be chopped if a second referendum overturns the Brexit vote in a blow to Remainers
BRUSSELS has threatened it will strip Britain of its £4billion budget rebate if a second referendum overturns the Brexit vote.
Eurocrats said the UK’s discount, which was hard won by Margaret Thatcher then squandered by Tony Blair, will be chopped if we stay in the bloc.
Their verdict, delivered by budget chief Gunther Oettinger yesterday, will deal a hammer blow to Remainers agitating for a referendum rerun.
The German official said Britain’s “mother of all rebates” was “something that’s no longer appropriate” now that we’ve has voted to leave.
He said: “Even if in the improbable but pleasant case that the UK were to remain then the gradual exit from the rebate would still be kept.”
Stewart Jackson, former chief of staff to Brexit secretary David Davis, said: “This is why a second referendum isn’t going to happen.”
Mr Oettinger also raised the possibility of Britain staying in the customs union after Brexit but insisted it won’t get a special deal.
He said: “Should the UK or part of the UK permanently or temporarily remain in the customs union, then they will be treated in an equal fashion with regards to all their rights and obligations.”
His bombshell warning came as trade experts warned staying in the bloc’s trade policies could cost us £6.2billion a year in tariff revenues.
Figures show that the UK sent £3.2 billion in import taxes to Brussels and a further £3 billion in VAT contributions in 2017.
Shankar Singham, from the IEA think tank, said: “At the very least the EU would want the same contribution as now.”
And former Tory adviser Dr Lee Rotherham said, “The UK was already in the wrangle when an EU member.
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“The Rebate in particular was on borrowed time, especially once Tony Blair started frittering it away.
“Why should EU commissioners change the colour of their spots now?”
Currently the UK pays around 80% of all tariffs it collects into the EU’s coffers, with the remaining fifth set aside to cover administrative costs.
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