blackbike wrote:Psamathe wrote:From the governments Statistics authority own web site, in particular "As we have made clear, the UK’s contribution to the EU is paid after the application of the rebate."https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/uk-statistics-authority-statement-on-the-use-of-official-statistics-on-contributions-to-the-european-union/ wrote:Sir Andrew Dilnot, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority has said today:
Given the high level of public interest in the European Union referendum debate, it is vital that official statistics are used accurately, with important caveats and limitations explained.
The UK Statistics Authority is disappointed to note that there continue to be suggestions that the UK contributes £350 million to the EU each week, and that this full amount could be spent elsewhere (see Annex A).
As we have made clear, the UK’s contribution to the EU is paid after the application of the rebate. We have also pointed out that there are payments received by the UK public and private sectors that are relevant here. The continued use of a gross figure in contexts that imply it is a net figure is misleading and undermines trust in official statistics.
So EU does not take money from the UK, UK gives money to the EU. and the amount paid is the net amount (after the rebate - "UK’s contribution to the EU is paid after the application of the rebate").
Ian
I can't see anything misleading at all. The figure mentioned in the slogan is factually correct for our gross, pre-rebate contribution to Brussels and nobody ever suggested it was the net amount....
The statement is totally untrue. We do not send £350 million a week to the EU. they EU don't take £350 million a week from the UK. The amount we send is the net amount. So the cheque each week (or direct debit or bank transfer) is not for £350 million. It is for a significantly lower amount. So it is a lie (no two ways about it - as stated by the Statistics authority).
The slogan makes no reference to gross or net. It states that we send (or they take) £350 million a week - which is rubbish because it's £350 million minus the rebate.
In fact saying my cucumber at Tesco cost me £10 is more accurate (even though they gave me £9-50 change) because I did actually hand over £10. But in the case of the EU we don't even hand over £350 million a week (as clearly stated by the Statistics Authority).
blackbike wrote:...The fact remains we are obliged to pay £361 million per week and then the EU kindly gives us some of our own money back to fund things we could have funded ourselves using the same cash, but with the condition that the EU gets to put its own symbol on them telling us the outright lie that they are 'EU funded'....
No. You are confusing the rebate with projects in the Uk funded by the EU. We give them/they take £350,000,000 minus rebate. And then on top of that we get even more back through projects fund through the EU,
Your argument is like saying if I hadn't purchased my cucumber in Tesco I would have had £10 to spend on other things - whicg is totally wrong because I'd have only had 50p to spend on other things.
Hence the statement is a total lie. And you have demonstrated how misleading it is through your own misunderstanding (confusing funded projects with the rebate).
Ian
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