History shows the Midlands won’t benefit if we leave the European Union

by danielbarker on 22 June, 2016

The Birmingham Mail is backing a vote to remain in the European Union in the forthcoming referendum.

Local Government Correspondent Neil Elkes looks at the issue of sovereignty.

The Leave campaign’s economic trump card has been the £350 million a week Britain pays to the EU – and will be able to plough this into the NHS and education or even tax cuts.

Leaving aside the £100 million rebate that overlooks, let’s say there is extra money around if Britain leaves – given the track record over decades, there’s little chance anyone in Birmingham will see any of it.

Meanwhile, according to the vast majority of economists, the likelihood is our economy would suffer and anything left will be wiped out by diminished tax returns, increased costs of unemployment and trade tariffs.

Last week, we learned from the new combined authority that there is the £3.9 billion a year difference between public sector spending in West Midlands and what is raised in taxes. The Government is not going to widen that gap by spending even more here.

Just look at the Government’s track record over the last 30 or 40 years.

Successive governments have failed this city, they have allowed it to stagnate and decline. As the car industries closed and manufacturing suffered they have failed to invest or support the city.

The National Stadium bid was among many projects rejected in favour of London, it took years to get New Street Station redeveloped, there was sympathy but little practical help when Rover collapsed and no aid came when the tornado ripped apart buildings in Balsall Heath in 2005.

Over the same period there has been a trickle of funding from Brussels – not enough perhaps – but there has been investment in Birmingham.

There was £50 million chipped in for the building of the International Convention Centre and Symphony Hall, a £30 million cheque towards the refurbishment of the NEC and more recently £6 million for the Innovation Hub at Aston Science Park and £33 million towards training for young unemployed in the city.

That’s not the whole story, but if the main motivation to vote is the thought that Britain gets its EU membership fee back, then consider how much we in the West Midlands will see of that.

Published on Birmingham Mail website

by Neil Elkes 20 Jun 2016

Editor’s comment: If Birmingham won’t benefit, neither will the Midlands. Our local economy needs a successful Birmingham, bringing in trade and tourism and creating jobs. Mr Elkes in right; we get more back from the EU in investment than we get back from the Government from the taxes we pay!

This MyCouncillor website is printed (hosted by) Via Studios Published and promoted byTim Gordon on behalf of the Liberal Democrats all at 8-10 Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AE.
“Content published and promoted by Roy Sheward on behalf of Dan Barker (Liberal Democrats) all at 144 Redhouse Lane, Walsall, WS5 0DB

   Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>