Cornish local taxes have risen 10%, about 7% above inflation with pensions set to rise 1.1% this year. Cornwall has been granted £320m by way of Objective One funding from European Union.

The above facts are interlinked as follows: Cornwall County District and Town/Parish Councils have used most of the increase in taxation for Objective One Funding, approximately £27m a year for possibly seven years. Every Cornish resident will pay around £54 a year for Objective One funding.

The Regional Development Agency (Quango) will charge £2.16m to administer the funding. Cornwall will receive £24.84m per annum for approved projects.

HM Treasury pay the EU £11b via Government Taxation per year. This is about £4.00 per week for every resident of the UK. Cornish residents pay £102.95m to the EU from the poorest county in the country via HMG. Add the £27m from local taxes the amount is £129.95m or £909.65m over seven years to obtain £173.88m unless further match funding is forthcoming from other sources of taxpayers money.

Unless the UK withdraws from the EU these extortions are set to rise when the EU expands into the impoverished nations of Eastern Europe.

Pro Europeans tell us that withdrawal will be an economic catastrophe, when our trade balance with the EU is badly in the red, in addition to the many billions in direct and indirect monies handed to the EU, Europe will still trade with us as the EU has more to lose if it does not.The next election in this country could be the last held under proposed legislation to defer or cancel elections. This is tyranny not democracy.

A Cook

U K I P

S E Cornwall