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SOUND-BITE FACTS   -   BREXIT NEWS  (Latest news appears first)
HOW THE EU IS EXPOSED TO A £300 BILLION DEBT MOUNTAIN
BY JUST 6 EU COUNTRIES 
Revealed: An exclusive Facts4EU.Org report into the debt exposure of the EU
A document obtained by Brexit Facts4EU.Org shows how vulnerable the EU is to the fortunes of just six of its member states.
© Facts4EU.Org
The debts of these six countries stem from a number of sources of EU funding, including the ESM, EFSF, EFSM, BoP assistance facility, and EA MSs.
© Facts4EU.Org
The above only relates to macro-economic financial assistance for these EU countries from the EU.
In addition to the above, some of the countries have additional debts to the IMF. Ireland also owes £4.1 billion to the UK, Denmark and Sweden on a bilateral basis.
The total outstanding indebtedness of these six countries to the EU,
to the IMF, and bilaterally is £334 billion.
With so many senior EU figures talking of the EU being in crisis during recent months, we believe it's important to start looking at the EU's exposures.
With more funding, we could analyse the amount owing to the UK from the EU's loans mentioned above. We could also analyse the various other funds to which the UK has contributed, some of which are much higher than those above.
[ Research by DC & LE of Facts4EU.Org. Sources: Various official EU sources ]   As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research.        07.00am, 28 Feb 2017
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JOHN MAJOR'S CHATHAM HOUSE SPEECH 
Last night the former Chancellor responsible for taking the UK into the disastrous European Exchange Rate Mechanism, costing thousands of jobs and billions of pounds, gave a speech at Chatham House on Brexit.
Dear Sir John,
Thanks for the advance copy of your speech. We had to make some corrections.
Yours sincerely,
The Brexit Facts4EU.Org Team
[ Sources: Chatham House ]        05.10am, 28 Feb 2017
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FRENCH LAME DUCK PRESIDENT
OFFERS MICKEY MOUSE VACATION TO PRESIDENT TRUMP 
President Hollande yesterday offered the US President a ticket to Disneyland Paris
“to understand what France is”
© Elysee Palace
France’s lame duck president, Francois Hollande, visited Disneyland Paris last night. During his visit he talked about Americans, saying :
“I may send a special ticket to one of them so that he will at least come to Eurodisney and so that he understands what France is.”
Hollande’s comments were in response to implied criticism of France by President Trump the previous day, when he talked of a friend who has stopped going to France because “Paris is no longer Paris”.
Strangely, it seems that the President of France thinks that Donald Trump visiting the theme park of one of the most iconic fictional characters of US popular culture would help the US President to understand France.
Photo: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo yesterday with Mickey and Minnie Mouse
[ Sources: Elysee Palace | YouTube ]   As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research.        07.00am, 26 Feb 2017
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WAS HOLLANDE RIGHT? IS FRENCH TOURISM BACK TO NORMAL? 
As usual Facts4EU.Org did the research, using the latest official French sources
Before offering President Trump an enlightening French holiday yesterday so that he could better understand France, Monsieur Hollande had been defending France’s reputation as a tourist destination.
“Fortunately, for several months, American tourists have returned in numbers because they see that the French authorities are making a considerable effort to ensure security," said the French president.
The figures below come from the official French government statistics body.
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
Nights stayed by overseas tourists in Paris hotels has dropped by 13% in the last 4 years, with the bulk of this drop happening last year.
Perhaps President Trump wasn't too far off the mark with his comments, after all.
Two further things to bear in mind:
  1. Americans typically spend more than tourists from many other countries, so the negative impact on tourism revenue will be higher than 13%.
  2. The French government always understates bad news. We know French tourism providers who say that tourism in France has suffered far more than official statistics suggest.
[ Sources: Official French governement figures ]   As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research.        07.00am, 26 Feb 2017
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GOVERNMENT PROMOTES BREXIT BRITAIN WITH REMAIN-ERA VIDEO 
The Government is selling Britain to the world with a Remainer message:
“The UK is a member of the World’s largest single market – the EU”
Exclusive report by Facts4EU.Org
After 7 months, just who is running things at the new Dept for International Trade?
A key role of the new Dept for International Trade should be to promote investment in an exciting, global, post-Brexit Britain.
Photo: Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP
Incredibly, the Dept for International Trade is trying to persuade foreign business people and corporations to invest in Britain using a video from 2014, stating the advantage of the UK being in the Single Market and EU.
“The UK is a member of the World’s largest single market – the EU” - Hitachi
© UKTI 20 Nov 2014
The video above comes from a page on the Dept for International Trade's website which was last updated on 14 February - only 11 days ago - and it's promoted on the homepage of the DIT's site.
© Gov.uk DIT 2017
SECOND VIDEO
Exactly one month ago the DIT launched a new video to promote investment in the UK. At 1 minute 30 seconds, we presume they’re using a shorter version for TV advertising in other countries.
© DIT 25 Jan 2017
No doubt Aston Martin will be delighted at the first 30 seconds of this video, which promotes their beautiful DB11 released last year.
As for promoting Britain as the place to invest in, this video just released is long, glossy, and unfocused. There are further videos which have been produced in recent days and which address specific industry sectors using ‘talking heads’, but the video above seems to be the generic one.
DOES THE DEPT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE EVEN KNOW WE VOTED TO LEAVE THE EU?
It is incredible to us that no-one in the Dept for International Trade has looked at its own content online. We assume it lifted content from the old Dept for UK Trade and Investment and in the 7 months of its existence no-one has thought that perhaps this needs updating for the fact that the UK voted to leave the EU.
To promote Brexit Britain by highlighting the alleged benefits of the UK as an EU member ranks as gross incompetence from the Dept responsible.
VISIT THE DEPT FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE'S SITE AND WATCH BREXIT DISAPPEAR
Unfortunately, this is indicative of an apparent reluctance on behalf of the DIT even to mention Brexit at all. There are over 1200 words on DIT’s homepage. Brexit isn’t even mentioned once. And if you go to the page for international business people and corporations thinking of investing in the UK? No, Brexit isn’t mentioned on there either.
Are the Remainer civil servants embarrassed by the British people’s decision to leave the EU? We’re struggling to think of any other reason they won’t mention all the advantages of an outward-looking, dynamic, independent, Brexit Britain.
It’s important that a positive image of the UK is portrayed to the world. Brexit has made it paramount that this now be done in an even more effective way. To us, the key role for the new DIT is as the UK’s facilitator for exporting and as the promoter of all things British.
Neither the DIT’s online content, nor its use of outdated and pre-Brexit videos, inspire us with confidence.
Call us old-fashioned, but if the kind of incompetence we discovered above – and in the report below – were to happen in a business, someone would now be looking for another job.
We wish the problem didn’t stop with the example we’ve given above. However please read our next report, on the ‘new’ TV advert you may have seen in recent days, persuading British businesses to consider exporting.
[ Sources: DIT website | YouTube ]   As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research.        08.00am, 25 Feb 2017
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BREXIT EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES PROMOTED WITH PRE-BREXIT
TV ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN 
British business people exhorted to export, using 2015 government TV advertising
Another exclusive report by Facts4EU.Org
Some of you may have noticed a TV advert in recent days, aimed at persuading more British businesses to export their goods and services. The glossy advertising video comes from the new ‘Dept for International Trade’, led by Secretary of State Dr Liam Fox MP.
However, this advert was actually produced and launched in 2015 before the Referendum and before this new government department had even been thought of. At that time the Minister for Trade and Investment was Lord Francis Maude and the government department was the ‘UK Trade and Investment Department’ (UKTI).
© UKTI Nov 07 2015, republished by DIT 25 Jan 2017
The advert is now playing on commercial TV channels such as Sky News and it has two versions of 30 seconds and 1 minute. Airtime costs will therefore be substantial.
Bizarrely, the Dept’s YouTube channel has listed this video as private, making it difficult to find. It has the following message:
Why would you re-release an expensive TV ad and then make it private on YouTube?
SOMEONE AT THE DIT NEEDS TO GET A GRIP FAST
We don’t know who in the new department is responsible for marketing, but this video and the two shown in the previous article raise serious questions. It’s laudable that British business people are being encouraged to consider exporting, but does an old pre-Referendum video do this effectively? Those on our team who are in business say no.
Sorry Dr Fox, but you need to put a bomb under your team at the DIT.
[ Sources: DIT website | YouTube ]   As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research.        08.00am, 25 Feb 2017
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DO YOU WANT £900 BILLION OF EU BAD DEBTS? 
European Banking Authority’s proposal for taxpayers
to ‘take over bad debts’ of EU’s failing banks
Exclusive research by Facts4EU.Org
The Chairman of the European Banking Authority (EBA) has proposed the formation of a taxpayer-funded EU-wide organisation to take over the ‘bad debts’ of struggling EU banks. He also confirmed that these non-performing loans have now exceeded €1 trillion in value.
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
At a meeting of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the EBA Chairman Andrea Enria said that dealing with so-called non-performing loans or NPLs was "urgent and actionable".
The head of the ESM, Klaus Regling, immediately welcomed Enria's proposal and confirmed that state support would be needed. In other words, the taxpayer would be on the hook.
Photo top: EBA Chairman Andrea Enria
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
THE UK’S NON-PERFORMING LOAN RATIO IS THE LOWEST OF ALL MAJOR EU ECONOMIES
The UK’s banks have already taken significant action on non-performing loans, and the UK’s ratio of these loans to the total of all lending is one of the lowest in the EU at 1.9% in Q2 last year, coming third out of the 28 member states after Finland and Luxembourg.
At 3.9% France’s ratio is nearly double the UK’s and Italy’s is a disastrous 8 times higher. The worst performer among EU economies was Greece. With almost half its bank loans classified as non-performing, Greece’s ratio is almost 25 times that of the UK.
Whilst the European Banking Authority’s proposal for taxpayers to bail out failing EU banks is only a proposal at the moment, these things have a habit of becoming reality in our experience.
Perhaps the proposal will be slowly amended, as Germany will be as reluctant as the UK to agree to it. However we’re sure that many readers will be relieved that the decision has already been taken by the British people to leave the dysfunctional and expensive EU.
It is inconceivable that voters would accept this latest expensive plan from a European body.
[ Sources: European Banking Authority | European Stability Mechanism | European Commission ]   As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research.        10.00am, 24 Feb 2017
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LATEST POLL : EUROSCEPTICS TAKE THE LEAD IN SWEDEN 
How socialist Sweden is rapidly becoming more nationalist and rejecting the EU
Exclusive latest official data on the EU's most liberal country, from Facts4EU.Org
Yesterday we presented our report on the rise in crime in one of the EU’s most northerly members: Sweden. Today we show how this socialist, socially-liberal country is reacting to the effects of the mass immigration policies its governments have been pursuing for years.
  • The Eurosceptic 'Sweden Democrats' take the lead in the polls
  • Last year, Sweden took in one of the highest number of migrants per capita in the EU
  • President Trump’s weekend comments about Sweden created a backlash on Twitter
  • Forget the Twitterete, what do real Swedish people think?
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
In the latest poll by YouGov in Sweden, the right-of-centre Sweden Democrat party has taken the lead. The question was: “How would you vote if the election were today?”
For many years Sweden has had a reputation as a welfare state economy with some of the most socially liberal views in Europe. Gradually this is changing.
Photo left: Jimmie Akesson, Leader of the Sweden Democrat Party
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
Sweden has been a member of the EU since 1995, but its people voted in a Referendum in 2013 to reject joining the Euro.
You can easily see from the graphs we’ve produced above that something has been changing in Sweden to make the Eurosceptic ‘Sweden Democrat’ party the most popular. It’s important to look at their policies:
  • Eurosceptic – want to renegotiate Sweden’s EU membership
  • Anti-multiculturalism, preferring immigrants to assimilate into Swedish culture
  • Anti-immigration, wanting to curtail mass-immigration
  • Pro-family, tough on crime
It seems that Sweden is slowly changing its views, as the realities of the EU’s policies and the effects of mass immigration start to come home.
See our article below on how mass immigration policies have affected this EU country.
[ Sources: Sweden Statistics (official body) | YouGov ]   As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research.        07.00am, 23 Feb 2017
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SHOCK REPORT JUST ISSUED BY SWEDISH GOVERNMENT 
Official statistics just released show a huge jump in 2016 due to immigration
Exclusive analysis of latest official data, by Facts4EU.Org
This week Statistics Sweden (the official government body) announced that 2016 saw “The largest population increase since 1861”.
Below we show how annual immigration has rocketed by 65% since 2010.
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
With a population of just 10 million, Sweden has the third-largest land-mass in the EU. The majority of that population is located in the south of the country.
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
In some parts of southern Sweden such as Malmo, the proportion of the population who are migrants has exceeded 50%.
The broadcast media in the US and in Europe has been quick to criticise and ridicule President Trump for mentioning Sweden in relation to immigration.
The facts show that whatever the government and liberal commentators might say, the Swedish people are reacting to the enormous jump in immigration into Sweden in recent years. They’re the ones who feel the effects of liberal policies.
For the mild-mannered and socially-liberal Swedes to show a continual move to the right, the question must be asked: “Why?”
The government, media, and police in Sweden are saying that nothing’s wrong.
The polls are telling a different story.
[ Sources: Sweden Statistics (official body) ]   As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research.        07.00am, 23 Feb 2017
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LORDS PASS BREXIT BILL UNAMIMOUSLY 
Yesterday the House of Lords gave an unopposed second reading to the draft legislation to trigger Article 50 to leave the European Union.
The next step is the Committee Stage, which begins on Monday 27 February at 3pm. You will be able to watch that live here - we will provide this facility on Monday.
[ Sources: House of Commons | Parliament TV. ]        08.15am, 22 Feb 2017
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PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE SWEDISH BRA REPORT 
(And that’s not a headline you see from us every day)
Another exclusive from the Brexit Facts4EU.Org Team
Was President Trump right to mention EU member Sweden in his latest speech? We give you some interesting official facts from the Sweden Bra Report, just published. (Brottsförebyggande rådet - Brå - is part of the Swedish Ministry of Justice.)
The new US President was roundly attacked by the White House press corps in the last few days, for mentioning Sweden when talking about the safety of US citizens. This agenda was then widely pursued on the BBC, Sky and ITV.
President Trump's comments were in relation to the level of immigration in EU member Sweden as a result of its government's policies in recent years. The media chose to ridicule the President based on a limited interpretation of what he said and focused purely on terrorist crimes. Below we look at the overall crime statistics, using official Swedish government sources.
LATEST OFFICIAL CRIME STATISTICS FOR SWEDEN - FEB 2017
From BRA – the Swedish equivalent of the UK’s Office of National Statistics.
We analysed the core data released by BRA last week. This shows the actual statistics for crime in Sweden.
   
   
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
Last night the BBC reported briefly on Sweden as a result of Swedish police opening fire on protestors “after a riot erupted in a predominantly immigrant suburb of the capital, Stockholm”.
The report went on to ask “How Safe is Sweden?” and commented on President Trump’s remarks about the country. Unfortunately, their analysis of crime in Sweden merely involved reproducing a report from theLocal.se, which is the Swedish franchise of an expat newsite in English, existing in many EU countries.
If you rely on the major TV outlets of the BBC, Sky News, and ITV for your news, (as most of the British public do), you won’t be aware of what has been happening in Sweden in the last ten years.
In essence EU member Sweden has pursued what amounted to an open door policy on immigration. Regrettably the Swedish media and the Swedish police have been complicit in a government policy to play down the consequences of mass immigration into Sweden.
If you do your own Google and Youtube searches you will find many hundreds of examples of people trying to show what has really been happening there.
[ Sources: Detailed Swedish government official data from BRA | BBC and thelocal.se. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        07.45am, 22 Feb 2017
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REVEALED: HOW THE UK HAS SUBSIDIZED THE DEFENCE OF EUROPE FOR YEARS 
EU WANTS £51 BILLION DIVORCE SETTLEMENT FROM UK
BUT FAILS TO PAY £530 BILLION FOR DEFENCE OF EUROPE
An Exclusive Facts4EU.Org Investigation - PART 1
  • The UK has exceeded its NATO defence commitments for years
  • 21 of the other EU countries are members of NATO
  • Their combined shortfall in defence spending is £530 billion over the last 8 years
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
While the EU was focused on writing up a bill for the UK to leave the EU, we spent time doing research ahead of the weekend's Munich Security Summit, which was attended by many world leaders including Angela Merkel and US Vice-President Pence.
Our exclusive research shows the yawning chasm that exists in funding the defence of Europe. By far the largest contributor is the United States, responsible for more of the spending than all the other countries combined.
The second-largest funder of the defence of Europe is, of course, the UK.
HISTORY OF THE 2% OF GDP DEFENCE EXPENDITURE COMMITMENT
In 2006 at the NATO summit in Riga, “NATO allies set a target to spend 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defence” [House of Commons Library Briefing Paper Oct 2015]. This was reinforced at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales and was included as part of the final communique.
SEE OUR NEXT TWO REPORTS - on Germany's performance in the last 8 years, and on all the EU countries in the last year.
[ Sources: NATO Paper on Defence Expenditures 2009-2016 | Munich Security Conference Feb 2017 speeches | German Chancellery | House of Commons Library. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        07.00am, 21 Feb 2017
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SHOCK REPORT ON EU'S LARGEST ECONOMY
GERMANY UNDERSPENDS NATO COMMITMENT BY £168 BILLION
An Exclusive Facts4EU.Org Investigation - PART 2
  • The UK has more than met its NATO defence commitments for years
  • Germany has failed by £168 billion over the past 8 years
  • Chancellor Merkel will only say they will try to meet their commitments in 8 years’ time
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
The graph above shows how the most powerful economy in the EU, Germany, has fallen short of NATO's agreed 2% defence spend minimum by over £168 billion in the last 8 years.
President Trump has made a number of statements about NATO and the EU which have upset EU leaders. In the last 2 days, Vice-President Pence attended the Munich Security Conference and yesterday he visited the EU in Brussels.
In Munich, Germany’s Chancellor Merkel spoke first, in a nervous and disjointed speech. Speaking of NATO funding and the minimum 2% defence spending commitment, she said :-
CHANCELLOR MERKEL, 18 FEB 2017
“We will make every effort, we believe we have an obligation to work toward this goal. Germany knows its responsibility.”
“However, expenditures for development cooperation and crisis prevention must also be factored in.” [Official Chancellor website report on speech]
In other words, Mrs Merkel says Germany will make an effort to meet its obligations in 8 years’ time (which all NATO countries again agreed to at their last Summit), but it has to deal with its self-created migrant crisis first.
THE NEXT SPEAKER WAS US VICE-PRESIDENT PENCE :-
“The promise to share the burden of our defense has not been fulfilled by too many for too long, and it erodes the foundation of our alliance,” Pence said in Munich.
“The President of the United States of America expects our allies to keep their word, to fulfill this commitment, and for most, this means, the time has come to do more.”
“If you don't yet have a plan, get one. It is time for actions, not words.”
    US Vice-President Mike Pence
WHAT PRICE THE EU DEFENDING EUROPE WITH ITS OWN ARMY?
Despite the protestations of Mr Clegg and many other Brexit-denying politicians before the Referendum, there is now no doubt that the EU is developing its own defence force. This is not contested any longer by the EU, although Mr Clegg and others have yet to apologise for lying to the public prior to the Referendum vote.
Given the information we have uncovered from NATO papers, one has to ask the obvious question.
How do the EU elites expect any sane member of the public in any EU member state to believe that the EU will ever be capable of defending them, without the umbrella of NATO and the contributions of the UK and the USA?
[ Sources: NATO Paper on Defence Expenditures 2009-2016 | Munich Security Conference Feb 2017 speeches | German Chancellery | House of Commons Library. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        07.00am, 21 Feb 2017
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SHOCK RESEARCH INTO THE DEFENCE OF EUROPE
ONLY 4 EU COUNTRIES PAID THEIR WAY
FOR DEFENDING EUROPE IN 2016
REVEALED: HOW EU COUNTRIES DEVELOPING THEIR OWN ARMY HAVE FAILED TO FUND MINIMUM COMMITMENT TO DEFENCE EXPENDITURE FOR YEARS
An Exclusive Facts4EU.Org Investigation - PART 3
  • Only 4 countries pay the minimum NATO guideline of 2% of GDP on defence
  • The only major EU economy which does this is the UK
  • 6 EU countries aren't even members of NATO
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
Out of the major economies in the EU, only the UK spent the NATO agreed minimum of 2% of GDP on defence last year. This has been the case for many years.
6 of the EU countries aren't even members of NATO, including Ireland and Sweden.
When Brexit-denying MPs and peers talk about how the EU has made us safer, perhaps they might want to read our information above.
[ Sources: NATO Paper on Defence Expenditures 2009-2016 | Munich Security Conference Feb 2017 speeches | German Chancellery | House of Commons Library. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        07.00am, 21 Feb 2017
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MR BLAIR WILL HAVE NO TROUBLE RAISING MASSIVE SUMS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE FOR HIS PROPOSED NEW 'MOVEMENT', URGING PEOPLE TO RISE UP AGAINST BREXIT
Meanwhile we struggle on, barely surviving, producing the best pro-Brexit research there is
Facts4EU’s articles and research are used and quoted by the national press.
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THE PEOPLE DECIDED, PARLIAMENT DECIDED 
TODAY, PEERS WILL PONTIFICATE, PREVARICATE, AND POSE
The House of Lords starts considering the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. If you really want, you can watch live proceedings here from 2.30pm (below).
OFFICIAL SUMMARY OF ARTICLE 50 BILL
“A Bill to confer power on the Prime Minister to notify, under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union, the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the EU.”
Parliament Services 2017
Watch the House of Lords debate live at 2.30pm, Mon 20 Feb 2017
© Official Parliament TV
The House of Lords has an important role in scrutinising legislation and suggesting amendments. In the case of the Article 50 Bill, however, there’s nothing to scrutinise.
  • The Bill merely (but importantly) gives effect to the decision of the people last year.
  • It authorises the Prime Minister to give notice to the EU under Art 50 of the EU Treaty.
  • This Bill is an endorsement and an instrument to enact a decision already made.
  • The Bill says nothing about negotiations or settlements, so nor should peers.
  • No scrutiny is required, thank you.
Regardless of these simple facts, the House of Lords will today start debating this one-line Bill. This is a huge waste of time and money, but that won’t stop more than a hundred peers from trying to speak, many of them making the same points as each other, and making the same points as Brexit-denying MPs did two weeks ago in the House of Commons.
In effect, this will be two days of free publicity for the Remoan campaign and it will be all over the BBC, ITV and Sky News.
Your Lordships,
The people decided, the House of Commons decided, now all you have to do is endorse these two clear, national expressions of the democratic will of the country.
Kind regards, the Brexit Facts4EU.Org Team
[ Sources: House of Commons Parliament Services | Parliament TV. ]        06.00am, 20 Feb 2017
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WHERE IS THE CLIFF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO FALL OFF? 
An open letter from Facts4EU.Org to the anti-democratic, EU-loving elites
Dear Mr Blair, Brexit-denying MPs and peers, and all the EU leaders who say that British voters were lied to over Brexit,
Naturally you will have no wish to mislead the peoples of the UK and the World about the sovereign decision of the British people on 23rd June last year to leave the European Union.
We’re therefore sure that you will now wish to correct your many statements over the past eight months, that the British people were lied to by the Leave campaign. You might want to do this now, because the list of Remain lies is growing embarrassingly larger by the day.
  • We have had no immediate recession
  • We have had no emergency ‘punishment’ budget
  • Employment is up by 302,000, not down by 800,000
  • GDP is up by 2%, not down
  • The UK was the fastest-growing economy in the G7 last year
  • Retail sales are up by 4.6% over the past year, not falling
Yes, the UK hasn’t officially left the EU yet but you threatened us with Armageddon as an immediate consequence if we voted to Leave. In fact all the news just keeps getting better.
Given the above we’re looking forward to seeing your public statements to correct the misleading impressions you’ve given to the people of the UK, of Europe, and of the rest of the World, that the only reason we voted to Leave was because we were lied to.
You may wish to go further and admit that in fact the overwhelming lies came from the Remain campaign which included the then British government. Whilst you’re at it why not concede that every ‘expert’ international institution you could find to discredit the idea of Brexit got it hopelessly wrong.
Honesty is good for the soul.
Yours in facts,
The Facts4EU.Org Team
       06.30am, Sunday 19 Feb 2017
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'THE MISSIONARY' 
The Rev Tony Blair has an unexpected cliff-edge experience near Dover,
as he demonstrates the principles of his EU-vangelical 'Rise Up Movement'
If you like our cartoonist Sara's work, give her some encouragement
and she'll occasionally give us her humorous take on things.
       05.15am, Sunday 19 Feb 2017
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UK TOP PERFORMER IN MAJOR ECONOMIES IN 2016 – OFFICIAL 
The House of Commons Library has issued its latest ‘Economic Indicator’ report
Another Facts4EU.Org exclusive
On Thursday the highly-respected House of Commons Library released its latest briefing paper to MPs, which shows another excellent performance by the UK economy. This is important because all MPs should use this when wanting to inform themselves about real facts.
GROWTH IN FINAL QUARTER OF 2016
“Real GDP in the UK grew by 0.6% in Q4 2016 compared with the previous quarter. In the same quarter, the US saw growth of 0.5% and the Eurozone 0.4%.”
House of Commons Library briefing paper 16 Feb 2017
Key Message:
In Q4 of 2016, the UK economy grew at a rate 50% higher than that of the Eurozone.
PROJECTED UK GROWTH FOR 2017
“On 13 February, the European Commission raised its 2017 GDP growth forecast for the UK from 1.0% (in November) to 1.5%, noting the stronger-than-expected growth in the aftermath of the EU referendum.”
House of Commons Library briefing paper 16 Feb 2017
Key Message:
For 2017, even the EU has been forced to increase its growth forecast for the UK by 50%.
As usual, we have conducted our own research into the raw data from the OECD which the House of Commons Library used. Here’s a classic Facts4EU.Org graph which puts the good news simply :-
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
We’ll now wait to see if the BBC, Sky, ITV, the Times, the Guardian, and other Remainer outlets give prominence to this excellent news.
[ Sources: House of Commons Library | OECDStat. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        09.00am, 18 Feb 2017
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WHO WILL WIN THE FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? 
France shares the world’s political upheaval but will do things the French way
A simple guide for British readers, by our correspondent in France
Just like the UK, USA, Holland, Italy, and many other countries, France is seeing a very unconventional time in its politics. However, with under 10 weeks to go until the first round of voting in their presidential elections, the chance of France following the trend of a populist upset is remote.
MARINE LE PEN - THIRD FAVOURITE
Marine Le Pen of the Front National has the consistent support of around a quarter of the French voting population as first choice for President.
She is very likely to win the first round of voting, after which the field of 11 candidates will then be whittled down to the top 2.
It’s currently uncertain who Marine Le Pen will meet in the second round.
Whoever she meets in the second round, she is predicted to lose.
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
Up until a month ago, Ms Le Pen's rival for President was certain to be Francois Fillon of the Republicains – broadly the ‘Conservative’ candidate in UK terms.
FRANCOIS FILLON - SECOND FAVOURITE
Since then, Monsieur Fillon has been embroiled in a financial scandal called ‘Penelopegate’, named after his Welsh wife Penelope who has been paid vast sums by Fillon from the public purse, for jobs which she doesn’t appear to have done.
Yesterday the French public prosecutors confirmed that the investigation is continuing and all the news about Fillon is dominated by this scandal rather than his policies.
This has given a chance to Emmanuel Macron, the unelected former economy minister under current socialist president Hollande.
EMMANUEL MACRON - NEW FRONTRUNNER
Macron, a former Rothschilds banker, clearly saw that Hollande’s was a sinking ship, as the President’s approval ratings sank below 10%. He left his unelected ministerial position last year to form ‘En Marche!’ – a new political party.
Monsieur Macron is now marginally the favourite to go into the second round against Madame Le Pen. The caveat on this is that he has never stood for – or won – an election in his life. His new party (he calls it a movement, to try to benefit from the trend towards ‘non-establishment’) is ‘En Marche!’ and is rapidly trying to mobilise itself into an effective electoral force.
    Macron with his wife, who is 24 years older than him and was his teacher at high school
SO WHO WILL WIN IN THE SECOND AND FINAL ROUND OF VOTING?
© Facts4EU.Org 2017
Overall, you can see clearly that whoever Madame Le Pen meets in the second round of voting, she is predicted to lose by a margin of 14-24%.
WHERE ARE THE SOCIALIST PARTY?
You will note that the equivalent of the Labour Party – Le Parti Socialiste – is nowhere, despite the incumbent President Hollande coming from that party. Perhaps the one certainty of this election is that they have no chance. The Left in France is thoroughly fragmented and in disarray, with the French people not trusting them at all on the economy.
SUMMARY
In effect, given a choice between Mme Le Pen and anyone else, the majority of French will choose ‘anyone but Le Pen’.
Could there be an upset?
It’s certainly true that in the last 12 months the art of political forecasting has been turned upside down both in Europe and the US. At one time, Francois Fillon seemed to be a shoe-in for President, but that is now in serious doubt. Perhaps both he and Emmanuel Macron will suffer further difficulties in their campaigns.
That said, it currently seems that only a significant 'force majeure' will see Madame Le Pen enter the Elysee Palace in May.
One thing is sure. France may have elements of the populist revolution sweeping many countries, but whatever the eventual outcome it will continue to do things its own way.
[ Sources: Ifop-Fiducial | OpinionWay | Le Figaro | French party websites. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        09.00am, 17 Feb 2017
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IS THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY GUILTY OF HATE CRIME? 
A Facts4EU.Org Special 7-Part Report - PART ONE
Yesterday the BBC and the rest of the media were full of stories about the apparent rise in hate crime, attributed to the Referendum. In this and subsequent articles below, we blow the lid on 'hate crime' and show you the reality.
We start with an example. Everything that follows is based on official Home Office and Police guidelines in relation to 'hate crime'.
The Head of the Church of England, addressing the General Synod on Monday:-
  • “I want to pick three things which seem relevant to a Synod at such a time as this.” said Justin Welby.
  • “There are a thousand ways to explain the Brexit vote, or the election of President Trump, or the strength in the polls in Holland of Geert Willders or in France of Madame Le Pen and many, other leaders in a nationalist, populist, or even fascist tradition of politics.”
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, 13 Feb 2017
Under the official police guidelines for the reporting of ‘hate crimes’, here is our (notional) complaint of hate crime against the head of the Established Church of England and Wales:-
Our (notional) report of hate crime
The Archbishop of Canterbury implicitly linked our views and our Brexit votes to a ‘fascist tradition of politics’.
We perceive he showed prejudice against an identifiable group of people (those who voted Brexit like us) and we feel victimised as part of that group.
His comments weren’t directed at us individually and we weren’t present when he made them, but we know that this isn’t required in order for them to be recorded as a hate crime.
We do not have to justify or provide evidence of our belief, and as police officers or staff should not directly challenge this perception we require this to be logged as a hate crime.
Whilst the Archbishop was not being hostile to us - in the traditional sense of the word hostile - we understand that hostility is not required for this to be recorded as a hate crime.
Finally we are not prepared to give our names or details, but we know that we can complain completely anonymously using the Police’s online hate crime reporting tool and it will then be logged as a hate crime.
If you doubt any of the above, please read the rest of our 7-part report below.
[ Sources: Police Hate Crime website | Church of England General Synod: Archbishop of Canterbury's Presidential Address | BBC. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        05.30am, 16 Feb 2017
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If you care about what kind of society we live in, please read this special report
PART 2 - BREXIT HATE CRIMES : MYTH OR REALITY?
We look at what the UK National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says
© BBC, 15 Feb 2017
The NPCC’s own headline on their website on 13 October said : “Increases in hate crime incidents driven by better reporting”.
The NPCC report has an annex specifically on Brexit, in which it says:
“This analysis shows a clear increase following the referendum result. The number of racially or religiously aggravated offences then falls during August, with the number of offences at the end of August at a similar level seen prior to the referendum."
They then note that: “Figures may include offences that took place before the date of recording. It is possible they were reported as a result of the increased media attention on hate crime around the time of the EU referendum.”
They conclude: “Due to this, the NPCC have now ended their weekly collection of hate crime data [in relation to Brexit].”
In other words, in July the NPCC saw a spike in reported hate crimes due to Brexit, but this then dropped to the extent that they’re no longer recording them. It’s clear they believe that the reporting of ‘Brexit hate crimes’ was largely caused by media attention.
Crime happens for all kinds of reasons. We don’t doubt that there have been crimes attributed to the Referendum vote which we deeply regret. However the evidence now shows clearly that a 'Brexit hate crime epidemic' is yet more propaganda.
[ Sources: Police Hate Crime website | Home Office Hate Crime Report Oct 2016 | NPCC Oct 2016 | College of Policing - Hate Crime Operational Guidance | Crown Prosecution Service | Home Office Hate Crime Action Plan | Public Order Act 1986 | Football (Offences) Act 1991 | Crime and Disorder Act 1998 | Anti-terrorism; Crime and Security Act 2001 | Criminal Justice Act 2003. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        05.30am, 16 Feb 2017
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PART 3 - HATE CRIME : ARE YOU ALREADY GUILTY?
Have you criticised Remainers? You may already have committed a crime.
Read these articles and decide.
In many countries in the EU including the UK, true freedom of speech no longer exists under the law. The limitations placed upon it make the term inappropriate.
Any civilised and democratic society might reasonably wish to impose some limited exceptions, such as the prohibition of incitements to violence.
  • However a large number of EU countries have gone much, much further, including the United Kingdom.
  • The recent ‘hate crime’ laws governing free speech, and the interpretation of these laws by the Police and the CPS, are unknown to most British people.
  • You might already have written something on social media, or said something, which the police would consider to be a ‘hate crime incident’.
  • Read on to find out how this is defined by the authorities.
[ Sources: Police Hate Crime website | Home Office Hate Crime Report Oct 2016 | NPCC Oct 2016 | College of Policing - Hate Crime Operational Guidance | Crown Prosecution Service | Home Office Hate Crime Action Plan | Public Order Act 1986 | Football (Offences) Act 1991 | Crime and Disorder Act 1998 | Anti-terrorism; Crime and Security Act 2001 | Criminal Justice Act 2003. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        05.30am, 16 Feb 2017
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PART 4 - WHAT IS A ‘HATE CRIME OR INCIDENT’?
The Home Office says:
"A hate crime or incident includes assaults, criminal damage, minor public order, harassment, and incitement offences." It’s particularly the last two definitions of crimes or incidents which may worry many readers, as they could be open to interpretation.
Here is what the UK’s College of Policing has to say :
“Hate crimes and incidents are taken to mean any crime or incident where the perpetrator’s hostility or prejudice against an identifiable group of people is a factor in determining who is victimised.”
They go on to say that the crime or incident need only be “perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice”.
So that makes you subject to police action for telling any one of a large proportion of jokes in circulation, or for criticising a group of people. It doesn’t even matter if your accuser wasn’t the butt of the joke. ‘Any other person’ can accuse you even if they weren’t physically present. If you are deemed ‘hostile’ (see Article 5 below) then you can be investigated.
The guidance continues: “The victim does not have to justify or provide evidence of their belief, and police officers or staff should not directly challenge this perception. Evidence of the hostility is not required for an incident or crime to be recorded as a hate crime or hate incident.”
Yes, you read that right. Evidence of hostility is not required.
This is from the National College of Policing.
[ Sources: Police Hate Crime website | Home Office Hate Crime Report Oct 2016 | NPCC Oct 2016 | College of Policing - Hate Crime Operational Guidance | Crown Prosecution Service | Home Office Hate Crime Action Plan | Public Order Act 1986 | Football (Offences) Act 1991 | Crime and Disorder Act 1998 | Anti-terrorism; Crime and Security Act 2001 | Criminal Justice Act 2003. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        05.30am, 16 Feb 2017
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PART 5 - SO WHAT CAN GET YOU PROSECUTED?
In order for you to be prosecuted, the Crown Proscution Service needs to show ‘hostility’ in your words or actions. So how does the CPS define ‘hostility’?
We hope you’re sitting down for this. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) gives the following guidance to prosecutors:
Crown Prosecution Service :
“In the absence of a precise legal definition of hostility, consideration should be given to ordinary dictionary definitions, which include ill-will, ill-feeling, spite, contempt, prejudice, unfriendliness, antagonism, resentment, and dislike.”
Unfriendliness? Dislike? Resentment?
In relation to the term ‘hate crime’ these are not words which would spring to mind in the average person if they heard that someone was accused of being hostile. Most people would assume that if someone were accused of being hostile in an incident or crime, this might include anger and threats of violence.

There is clearly a move to define ‘giving offence’ as something to be investigated by the police. Unfortunately there are now numerous examples of people being subject to police investigation for a Twitter post, expressing an opinion but not inciting violence.
[ Sources: Police Hate Crime website | Home Office Hate Crime Report Oct 2016 | NPCC Oct 2016 | College of Policing - Hate Crime Operational Guidance | Crown Prosecution Service | Home Office Hate Crime Action Plan | Public Order Act 1986 | Football (Offences) Act 1991 | Crime and Disorder Act 1998 | Anti-terrorism; Crime and Security Act 2001 | Criminal Justice Act 2003. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        05.30am, 16 Feb 2017
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PART 6 - WHICH VICTIM GROUPS ARE MONITORED FOR HATE CRIME?
There are now 5 groupings against which hate crime is monitored: Race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and transgender identity.
The police guidance covers many forms of hate crime, including those against groups which are not specifically defined.
The national College of Policing mentions a further 21 groups but say that any group can be considered. Presumably this could include resentful comments about stamp collectors, or unfriendly comments about Remainers who don’t accept the Referendum result.
In short, you might no longer feel comfortable discussing ideas freely and openly, for fear of legal action by the State. You might not be an activist for the overthrow of the State or of our society. You might not be advocating violence or hostility (in the usual meaning of the word) to anyone. But you are nevertheless muzzled in expressing yourself.

You may wish to reflect on the stifling of public debate in the UK, where it can now become an incident involving a police investigation to say or write something which any other person might consider to be ‘unfriendly’ towards them or someone else, if the law considers them to be part of a vulnerable grouping.
[ Sources: Police Hate Crime website | Home Office Hate Crime Report Oct 2016 | NPCC Oct 2016 | College of Policing - Hate Crime Operational Guidance | Crown Prosecution Service | Home Office Hate Crime Action Plan | Public Order Act 1986 | Football (Offences) Act 1991 | Crime and Disorder Act 1998 | Anti-terrorism; Crime and Security Act 2001 | Criminal Justice Act 2003. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        05.30am, 16 Feb 2017
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PART 7 - GENUINE PERSECUTION, DISCRIMINATION, AND INCITEMENT TO VIOLENCE
This should go without saying, but we abhor all violence, discrimination, and persecution of minorities. Most people in the country have an innate sense of what's right and wrong. We don't deny for one moment that real hate crimes do take place and we deplore these.
Our concerns are 4-fold:-
1. Hate crime statistics are in fact only a record of complaints made, according to all-encompassing definitions which many people would consider to be far too broad. They can be made completely anonymously online and do not represent actual crimes investigated, committed and prosecuted.
2. The way in which Brexit is being used to explain the increase in 'hate crimes'. In fact there has been a major campaign by the Home Office and Police to persuade people to report hate crimes and the figures do not provide any qualitative analysis of how many are in fact 'real'.
3. No news is ever reported of the many thousands of people who are intimidated from even saying that they voted to Leave, by the combined weight of anti-Leave propaganda of the broadcast media such as the BBC.
4. The extent to which new laws are now being used, or are capable of being used, to stifle fair and reasonable debate.
We welcome your thoughts on this and are happy to publish them.
[ Sources: Police Hate Crime website | Home Office Hate Crime Report Oct 2016 | NPCC Oct 2016 | College of Policing - Hate Crime Operational Guidance | Crown Prosecution Service | Home Office Hate Crime Action Plan | Public Order Act 1986 | Football (Offences) Act 1991 | Crime and Disorder Act 1998 | Anti-terrorism; Crime and Security Act 2001 | Criminal Justice Act 2003. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        05.30am, 16 Feb 2017
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BREXIT SECRETARY DAVIS’ VALENTINE DAY TRYST WITH
SWEDISH MINISTER FOR EU AFFAIRS 
‘Show me your money first’, she tells Davis
© Sverige TV / TT
Yesterday Brexit Secretary David Davis flew to Stockholm for a tryst with EU-lover Ann Linde. Ms Linde is Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs and Trade and is a staunch Europhile.
Another EU country saying: ‘Financial settlement first, everything else after’
  • “We assume that Britain will meet its financial commitments,” said Ms Linde.
  • “As we see it, you have to first have a division of property, it may be called the divorce, to know what the rules are, and then you see what the future relationship should look like.”
Ann Linde, Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs, 14 Feb 2017
One month ago on 16 January, Ann Linde flew to the UK. The main headline of her visit was that she was “shocked” at the xenophobia and discrimination since the Referendum, shown to Swedes living in the UK.
“Swedish are experiencing treatment of this kind and I find that rather shocking I must say,” she said. “It’s a kind of discrimination you are speaking about that is not allowed if you are EU members and Britain is still an EU member.”
Interestingly, asked if Sweden would guarantee the rights of Britons living in Sweden, she said:
“I don’t offer anything. This is part of the EU negotiation that is conducted by the EU Commission.”
One would have thought that Ms Linde would have firm evidence before making such a serious allegation against a friend and ally when visiting their country as a Government minister.
Apparently not. Read the Guardian article carefully and make up your own mind if anything there justifies the criticism a Swedish minister made about the UK on UK soil.
In light of her claims of xenophobia against Swedes last month, some may find it surprising that Ms Linde is not prepared to countenance an early agreement on protecting the rights of EU citizens (such as Swedes) in the UK, preferring to insist that the UK first agrees to a financial settlement with the EU.
Naturally, Ms Linde is one of those EU-loving politicians who has never worked in ‘the real world’, having spent her working life solely in political organisations.
[ Sources: Expressen | SVT | Guardian. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research. ]        15.30pm, 15 Feb 2017
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"THE REST OF THE EU IS ONTO A WINNER WITH THE UK" 
Former Cabinet Minister John Redwood MP gives Facts4EU.Org his reaction to our breaking story that the EU countries made over £100 billion from the UK last year
A Brexit Facts4EU.Org exclusive
Earlier today we broke the story of the official figures just released by HMRC, which show that in 2016 the EU sold us £94 billion more than we sold them. Adding the UK's new contributions to the EU, that means the EU benefited from the UK by over £100 billion last year.
Speaking exclusively to Facts4EU.Org, the former Cabinet Minister and leading Eurosceptic John Redwood MP reacted strongly to our news pieces below :-
  • “The rest of the EU is onto a winner with the UK. As Facts4EU.Org show, they run a massive trade surplus with us, they pocket our large net contributions, and they receive large remittances of money from EU citizens working in the UK.
  • “That is why they should want a free trade agreement with us, to keep this stream of money flowing.”
On a more positive note Mr Redwood pointed out the other news today, that "prices in January fell compared to December, and the annual rate did not rise as much as the gloomsters said". You can read his further thoughts on this on his website.
[ Source: Rt Hon John Redwood MP talking to Facts4EU. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the list of links to the research for the full stories below. ]        15.00pm, 14 Feb 2017
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THE EU MADE OVER £100 BILLION FROM THE UK IN 2016 – OFFICIAL 
Latest shocking figures released by HMRC show how much the EU benefits from the UK
Another Facts4EU.Org exclusive report
Official figures released on Friday by HMRC show that in 2016 the EU sold us £94 billion more than we sold them.
Adding the £11 billion net contribution1 which the UK paid to the EU last year, it means
THE EU COUNTRIES MADE OVER £100 BILLION FROM THE UK LAST YEAR
1 Latest OBR figures
The UK’s balance of trade with the EU has got worse each year. Put simply, the balance of trade is the amount we export to them minus the amount they export to us.
For years they’ve sold us more than we’ve sold them. In just 8 years, the balance of trade in their favour has risen from £37 billion to £94 billion – an increase of 2.5 times.
On the current trend, when the UK leaves the EU in 2018 they will be benefiting by
£110 BILLION PLUS OUR NET CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THAT YEAR
That’s a lot of money at stake for our EU partners. In a world of logic and reason, they would never put that sum at risk. They would agree to a generous offer from the UK to continue the current tariff-free trade arrangements.
However the EU has never knowingly acted in a logical fashion when it comes to their precious EU ‘Project’ to unify the member states into one large country called the United States of Europe.
It remains to be seen if the sheer size of the pot of money at stake for them will mean that wise heads in the finance ministries of the Member States will prevail over the political posturing of the EU Commission, the EU Parliament, and the politicians in those countries.
[ Sources: Official figures from HMRC 10 Feb 2017 | OBR data for 2016. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        06.00am, 14 Feb 2017
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WHICH COUNTRIES GAIN THE MOST FROM TRADING WITH THE UK? 
Using the latest shocking figures from the HMRC, we show who has most to lose
if the EU doesn't do a trade deal with the UK
Another Facts4EU.Org exclusive report
Official trade figures released on Friday by HMRC show how much some EU countries have to lose.
It's barely denied anymore within the EU that Germany makes the important decisions. Looking at their massive trade surplus with the UK of £31.6 billion last year, it's hard to see how they will wish to see this put at risk, by political posturing.
That said, we continue to see a strong desire amongst many key players that the UK should be seen to be 'punished' on leaving.
Should that view prevail, one can only wonder how the people of Germany and other EU countries will react if they see their politicians playing with people's livelihoods for their own political ends.
[ Sources: Official figures from HMRC 10 Feb 2017. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        08.30am, 14 Feb 2017
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GONE IN 34 SECONDS – THE BIG ‘HARD’ BREXIT LIE 
Once and for all, Facts4EU.Org nails the big lie from MPs and Peers
that the public didn’t know what they were voting for
With apologies to © Touchstone Pictures 2000.  See the original movie here: 'Gone in 60 Seconds'
‘HARD BREXIT’ AND LEAVING THE SINGLE MARKET
Brexit-denying MPs and Peers say that no-one voted for a ‘Hard’ Brexit. Repeating this mantra over and over does not make it true. How many times have you heard them say “No-one voted to leave the Single Market?”
This is key, because the main justification that Brexit-denying politicians use for their attempts to frustrate a clean Brexit is to say that the public weren’t told what they were voting for.
This hinders the process of acceptance of the result by those who voted Remain
It holds back reconciliation of both sides and fails to unite the country
And it weakens the UK’s international reputation and its negotiating position with the EU
Below we destroy the lies of the Brexit-denying MPs and their colleagues in the House of Lords, using just one example.
CAMERON ON THE SINGLE MARKET – SKY INTERVIEW AND DEBATE
© Sky News / YouTube
On 2nd June, only 3 weeks before the Referendum, Prime Minister Cameron was interviewed in a major and highly-publicised debate before a studio audience.
He was asked about immigration, freedom of movement, benefits for migrants, lack of sovereignty, dominance of the European Court, and many other topics. Despite not being asked about the Single Market, Mr Cameron raised it at every opportunity.
THE PRIME MINISTER COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CLEARER:-
In the first 10 minutes arguing against Leave
he raised ‘the Single Market’ 19 times
That's once every 34 seconds
The people were told that leaving the EU meant
leaving the Single Market
THERE WAS NEVER ANY ‘HARD’ BREXIT, ONLY BREXIT
It’s high time Brexit-denying politicians accepted this. Why should we have to waste many hours of our time on a Sunday and during the early hours of a Monday morning producing a piece like this and the one below, to prove they’re lying?
Lies are lies. Liars are liars. Facts are facts.
[Please see our second article below for details]
[ Sources: Sky News. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        06.45am, 13 Feb 2017
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CAN BREXIT-DENYING POLITICIANS PLEASE STOP LYING? 
Here is one example of the reality of what we were told if we voted Leave
© Sky News / YouTube
THE PRIME MINISTER NEVER STOPPED SAYING WHAT BREXIT MEANT
On 2nd June, only 3 weeks before the Referendum, Prime Minister Cameron was interviewed in a major and highly-publicised debate before a studio audience.
Every 34 seconds on average, he mentioned the Single Market. It was clear that leaving the EU meant leaving the Single Market. He also talked about tariffs if we left, which meant leaving the Customs Union.
Here's what Mr Cameron said in the first 10 minutes, leaving voters in no doubt:-
  • “The way to meet that challenge mustn’t be to leave the Single Market”
  • “The worst thing we could do is to pull out of the Single Market as those who want us to leave suggest”
  • “It’s worth stopping for a second to understand why coming out of the Single Market is so so damaging”
  • “And of course we have the Single Market”
  • “We’re in the Single Market, it’s vital to the success of our businesses”
  • “Part of that Single Market is British people being able to work and live in other European countries and Europeans being able to come and work and live in our country”
  • “If you want to get out of the Single Market which is what the Leave campaign want to do, you will fundamentally damage our economy”
  • “But it would be madness to try to do that by trashing our economy and pulling out of the Single Market”
  • “If we were outside the Single Market… which is what the Head of the Leave campaign has recommended”
  • “If we were to get out of the Single Market we’d see fewer jobs”
  • “I accept we have a Single Market and you have to have a single set of rules for that Single Market ”
  • “Let’s make this a Single Market with necessary legislation not unnecessary legislation”
  • “Picture the scene: we’re out of the Single Market and out of the EU”
  • “You’ve still got to meet all of the regulations of the Single Market”
  • “If you’re saying you have a court in Europe that sets rules for a Single Market, yes, you do”
  • “If you didn’t have a set of rules you wouldn’t have a Single Market”
  • “And if we didn’t have a Single Market… look it’s 500 million people”
  • “There’s a set of rules for the Single Market”
The above quotes are from the first 10 minutes of the interview. He carried on but life is too short to transcribe everything. In the question and answer session with the audience which followed, the Prime Minister carried on talking about the Single Market :-
  • “We’re in that Single Market I’ve been talking about”
  • “I’ve enhanced our status, in the bits we want to be in, principally the Single Market”
  • “Our special status, in the Single Market”
  • “I keep going on about the Single Market but is so important”
  • “We’d be discriminated against – out of the Single Market”
  • “Let’s be frank about this thing we’re a member of, the Single Market”
  • “Leaving the Single Market would be an act of economic self-harm”
Leaving the EU means leaving all the aspects which normal people understand by 'being a member of the EU'. Some months ago we wrote about some politicians being 'disingenuous' when saying that people didn't understand what they were voting for.
Now we just have to call a spade a spade. Brexit-denying MPs and Peers who play with words are in fact playing with people's lives and with the democratic institutions of the United Kingdom. Enough is enough.
Lies are lies. Liars are liars. Facts are facts.
[ Sources: Sky News. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        07.45am, 13 Feb 2017
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WHO GUARANTEES YOU THE MOST PAID HOLIDAY EACH YEAR? 
THE EU OR THE UK?
Another Remainer myth debunked by the Facts4EU.Org Team
Graph © Facts4EU.Org 2017
The EU's Directive includes Bank Holidays, so both figures above show this.
UK WORKERS GET 8 DAYS MORE PAID HOLIDAY AS OF RIGHT
Prior to the Referendum the public were repeatedly lied to by Remainers on a wide variety of issues. These lies didn’t just come from the official Remain campaign or from Mr Cameron and his government ministers.
For a change we'll take an example from the Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.
Here's the Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP, lying about about workers’ rights exactly 3 weeks before the Referendum:-
  • “On rights at work, Europe through the social chapter and other directives has delivered. Over 26 million workers in Britain benefit from being entitled to 28 days of paid leave
  • Jeremy Corbyn, speech to Institute of Engineering Technology, 02 June 2016
MR CORBYN'S STATEMENT IS FACTUALLY UNTRUE
The EU’s Directive on paid holiday entitlement was introduced in 2003 and it says: “Member States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that every worker is entitled to paid annual leave of at least four weeks”. That's 20 days, not 28 days.
Over the next two years there will be numerous debates in Parliament on the Great Repeal Bill, which will incorporate EU law separately into UK law.
We wonder if Remainer MPs will want to keep the minimum paid holiday entitlement enjoyed by UK workers, or whether they’ll insist that the UK adopts EU standards, which would mean workers will suffer a reduction of 8 days in their guaranteed minimum paid annual leave per year?
[ Sources: EU Commission | UK Government | Labour Press office | Hansard. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        05.45am, 12 Feb 2017
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WHO GUARANTEES YOU A NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE? 
THE EU OR THE UK?
EU WORKERS’ RIGHTS? THERE’S NO EU MINIMUM WAGE LEGISLATION
Latest EU report shows 6 member states have no national minimum wage
Another exclusive report by the Facts4EU.Org Team
Yesterday the EU Commission published news about the national minimum wage in each EU country. The news was in French, (“Eurostat: Salaires minimums nationaux dans l'UE”), so this has not yet been picked up by the British press.
Graph © Facts4EU.Org 2017
We have used the EU official data, which converts the hourly national minimum wage into a monthly amount in Euros. We then converted this into Pounds Sterling using the EU’s formula.
The graph above shows that the UK comes 7th out of 28 countries, in the EU’s official league table.
In the Referendum campaign and constantly since the Leave vote, the public was told that membership of the EU was essential to protect the rights of British workers.
In fact the EU doesn’t protect one of the most fundamental rights enjoyed by British workers: that of the right to a minimum wage.
6 out of the 28 EU member states have no national minimum wage.
The concept of the national minimum wage isn’t in EU law or directives.
Here’s what the official Remain campaign had to say:
  • Workers' rights - EU laws protect you in the workplace, meaning no government can scrap your rights.”
The Remain campaign told the public that workers’ rights would be at risk if they voted to Leave. The government will soon publish the Great Repeal Bill, designed to incorporate EU legislation into UK law.
Will Brexit-denying MPs insist that UK law on workers’ rights matches EU law after the UK leaves?
If so, there will be no national minimum wage.
[ Sources: EU Commission | EU legal database | 'Stronger In' official Remain campaign. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        05.45am, 11 Feb 2017
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EU’S FOREIGN SECRETARY BACKS AFRICAN ECONOMIC MIGRATION 
Ex-Communist Mogherini’s speech at EU-African summit shows EU elite’s policy
The EU effectively has a Foreign & Defence Secretary and her name is Federica Mogherini. Her role combines that of the UK’s Boris Johnson and parts of the roles of Amber Rudd, Michael Fallon, and Priti Patel, but without the irritating need to be elected by any EU citizens first.
Remember: You didn’t vote her in, and you can’t vote her out.
As you may have guessed from her name she’s Italian. From the age of 15 she was a member of the Italian Communist Youth Federation. She only officially ceased to be a Communist 8 years later, when the Italian Communist Party disbanded and metamorphosed into the socialist party, dropping the hammer and sickle and using the red rose instead.
Here is her current view on immigration into the EU:
© EU Commission
These days the all-powerful Ms Mogherini runs the EU’s foreign and security departments, with the grand title of ‘High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy’.
Today she’s in Washington, representing your views to the new administration. Two days ago she was in Malta for the EU-African Union Summit. The primary focus of that summit was on trying to solve the EU’s calamitous immigration problems.
Here are a few extracts from her statement in Valetta on Wednesday:
  • “Let me be totally clear from the very beginning: Europe does not and will not close its doors.”
  • “... We should not prevent people from seeking a better life elsewhere”
  • “... we must also facilitate regular flows and guarantee asylum to all those who have the right to it.”
  • “... I believe Europeans should understand that we need migration for our economies and for our welfare systems, with the current demographic trend we have to be sustainable.”
Her most-quoted speech was in June 2015, when she said: "Islam belongs in Europe. It holds a place in Europe's history, in our culture, in our food and-what matters most-in Europe's present and future. Like it or not, this is the reality." You will find that if you Google this, the EU has removed that page and the PDF of the full speech. However we tracked it down and have taken a copy.
This unelected individual runs the foreign and security policies of the EU.
You may agree or disagree with Ms Mogherini’s views and policies, but whichever it is remember this:
This is the unelected reality of the EU we will soon be leaving.
[ Sources: EU Commission | Various interviews with Italian media. ]        08.30am, 10 Feb 2017
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ONLY 23% OF BRITS OPPOSE BAN ON MUSLIM IMMIGRATION 
Despite what you see on TV, Trump’s ban is in tune with public thinking
If you get your news from the BBC, Sky or ITV like the majority of British people, you would be forgiven for thinking that President Trump’s attempted ban on immigration from seven Muslim countries has no public support in the UK or in other EU countries.
In fact the opposite is true. Only 23% of British people disagree that:
‘All further migration from mainly Muslim countries should be stopped’
So once again the view being propagated amongst MPs, amongst those working in television news, and in some parts of the press, would appear to be out of touch with the views of the ordinary person.
This is according to a survey commissioned by the highly-regarded Royal Institute for International Affairs at Chatham House. The survey was conducted across 10 EU countries including the UK and was published this week.
© Facts4EU.Org
Respondents were questioned before President Trump’s ban was announced. The question relates to immigration into the country of the respondent, not the USA.
The scope of the survey question was far wider than President Trump’s announcement.
President Trump’s ban :
  • Only affects 7 Muslim countries - approx 12% of world Muslims
  • Only applies for 90 days
The survey question went much further :
  • The implied ban would affect people from all 49 predominantly Muslim countries
  • It would apply to all further Muslim immigration, not just the next 90 days
The percentage opposing a ban on muslim immigration varies from country to country, with only 23% in the UK against and an average of 20% against amongst all the 10 EU countries surveyed. This therefore gives an interesting perspective on the views here in Europe, and one can deduce a similar view if the respondents had been asked about President Trump’s ban in the US.
So, this survey provides no evidence for the TV media’s agenda that there is no popular support in the UK or Europe for President Trump’s ban – quite the reverse.
Needless to say, Chatham House’s report has received no coverage by TV news and so we thought you would like to know.
Yes, we know it's only a survey, but it was commissioned by a highly-respected think-tank. At the very least it throws serious doubt on the agenda of many politicians, most of the TV media, and the Luvvie Twitterete that the public are ouraged by President Trump's temporary controls on immigration.
Read the full report from the Royal Institute for International Affairs by Professor Matthew Goodwin, Thomas Raines, and Professor David Cutts.
[ Sources: Chatham House | Pew Research Center. ]        05.10am, 10 Feb 2017
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IT’S AN 80% YES TO BREXIT, FROM THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 
Article 50 Bill passes 3rd reading in Parliament with no amendments
At long last the House of Commons has voted to implement the Referendum result and empower the Prime Minister to invoke Article 50, giving notice to the European Union that the United Kingdom wishes to terminate its membership.
And that’s a sentence we had long been hoping to write.
By a vote of 494 votes to 122 – a thumping majority of 372 – the House of Commons last night voted to implement the majority will of the British people as expressed in the Referendum on 23rd June last year. The Bill now passes to the House of Lords.
© Facts4EU.Org
The elected Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom gave an 80% approval last night. For the benefit of any EU Commission and EU Parliament members who might be reading, we’re presenting this graphically.
[ Source: Hansard. ]        06.00am, 09 Feb 2017
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SNP DISGRACE THEMSELVES IN PARLIAMENT AGAIN 
The SNP seem to think the Chamber is a football stadium or classroom
With their apparent lack of interest in historical tradition, SNipper MPs may not be aware of the Nazi and white supremacist history of the EU’s ‘Ode To Joy’ anthem, which they whistled and hummed while waiting for the final vote to be counted in Parliament last night.
© UK Parliament
Not content with flouting the centuries-old tradition that clapping is not permitted in the chamber of the House of Commons, last night the SNP went even further, with a childish display of singing.
After going through the lobby to vote on the third reading of the Article 50 Bill, the Scottish MPs started whistling and then humming the EU’s controversial anthem by Beethoven, conducted by one of their own, Ms Patricia Gibson MP.
Here is the unfortunate history of the political use of EU’s adopted anthem:
   
Hitler birthday concert                            Ode To Joy's composer: Beethoven
  • A Third Reich favourite : played on Hitler’s birthdays and on Nazi radio
  • Played at the opening ceremony of the Berlin Olympics in 1936
  • Even used to be played at the Nazis’ Terezin concentration camp
  • Used as the German anthem at 2 Olympics in 1950s and 1960s
  • It was the anthem of white supremacist and apartheid Rhodesia until 1980
  • Finally adopted as EU’s anthem in 1985, without any public vote (of course)
Perhaps the Snippers might be better advised to follow the advice in a stanza from the original lyrics by Friedrich Schiller to the tune they were humming, on which Beethoven based his ode:
"But he who has failed in this
Must steal away alone and in tears"
[ Source: Hansard | UK Parliament TV | Other sources. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        06.00am, 08 Feb 2017
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'THE BAD BOY OF BREXIT' 
Our cartoonist Sara on the blame game
If you like Sara's work, let us know and she'll occasionally give us her humorous take on things.
       06.15am, 08 Feb 2017
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IN 5-7 WEEKS' TIME, WHO WILL THE UK BE DEALING WITH? 
Facts4EU.Org exposes the backgrounds of the EU’s major players in Brexit talks
The UK’s Brexit negotiations will mostly be with Eurocrats with no experience outside politics – be they in the EU Commission, the EU Parliament, or the EU Council’s Brexit Task Forces.
© EU Commission
The EU Commission consists of 28 members: President, First Vice-President, High Representative (Foreign Sec), 4 more Vice-Presidents, and 21 Commissioners. 20 of the 28 members of the EU Commission have never worked outside the world of politics, state bodies, or academia.
No EU Commissioners in Brexit-related positions have experience in ‘the real world’:
  • President Juncker - no experience outside politics
  • First Vice-President Frans Timmermans – no experience outside politics
  • Foreign Secretary Federica Mogherini – Ex Young Communist, no experience outside politics
  • Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström - no experience outside politics
  • Single Market Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska - no experience outside politics
  • Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager - no experience outside politics
  • Economics Commissioner Moscovici – Ex Revolutionary Communist, no experience outside politics
The EU Commission’s Brexit Task Force:
  • Michel Barnier, Chief Negotiator (EU Commission) - no experience outside politics
  • Sabine Weyand, Deputy Chief Negotiator (EU Commission) - no experience outside politics
The EU Council’s ‘Special Task Force on the UK’
  • Didier Seeuws, Head of the Council Secretariat’s Special Task Force on the UK - no experience outside politics
The EU Parliament’s Chief Brexit Negotiator
  • Guy Verhofstadt - no experience outside politics
Out of all those listed above, only one was elected, and that’s the EU-loving, arch-federalist Verhofstadt - failed PM of a country in a state of almost permanent democratic turmoil.
All of the others are unelected, and like Verhofstadt will stand in the way of a clean, smooth, and rational Brexit, as their entire beings have been devoted to the establishment of the United States of Europe. Brexit is an affront to all they believe in.
The UK has no choice but to go through the motions with these people, but in the end the decision over a Brexit agreement will lie with the heads of state of the member countries. It remains to be seen to what extent these leaders are prepared to sacrifice jobs in their countries, in order to retain the crumbling façade of a united EU.
[ Source: EU Commission | EU Council Secretariat | Other sources. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        06.00am, 08 Feb 2017
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EU’S HUGE BILL FOR THE UK DISCUSSED IN SECRET 
Yesterday: EU met in secret to discuss UK’s ‘financial settlement’
Another exclusive news story by the pro-Brexit Facts4EU.Org Team
In Brussels yesterday a high-level meeting took place led by the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier. The subject was the upcoming Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom.
Two major issues were on the agenda :
  1. The financial settlement to be demanded by the EU, and
  2. The rights of EU citizens following the UK’s departure
There have a been a variety of indications of the scope of an EU demand for payment from the UK for leaving the EU, ranging from around £30 billion up to £500 billion.
EU Parliament's Chief Brexit Negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, 31 Jan 2017
25 second clip, © BBC / Youtube
The figure of £500 million was mentioned last week by the EU Parliament’s Chief Negotiator Guy Verhofstadt. Senior Brexit-backing MPs have ridiculed the idea of any post-Brexit payment at all to the EU.
Present at yesterday’s meeting were :
  • Michel Barnier, Chief Negotiator (EU Commission)
  • Sabine Weyand, Deputy Chief Negotiator (EU Commission)
  • Didier Seeuws, Head of the Council Secretariat’s Special Task Force on the UK
                     
Also senior officials from :
  • Each of the EU27 Member States
  • The EU Commission’s ‘Task Force’
  • The Secretariat of the EU Council’s ‘Task Force for the UK’
  • The European Parliament
The meeting was described as technical in nature, but all four key elements of the EU’s cumbersome decision-making process were present – the individual member states, the Commission, the Council, and the EU Parliament.
This is only the second such meeting held by the EU since they decided who was going to coordinate their approach to Brexit negotiations back in July last year, over six months ago.
No details of yesterday’s meeting have been formally released by the EU, so we’re limited in what we can tell you.
However we find it curious that the EU’s proposed financial demand against the UK was top of their agenda. In the information we have seen, the proposed trade arrangements following Brexit weren’t even mentioned. Instead it seems that the EU wishes to focus on a punishment demand for payment from the UK.
It has always been our editorial position that any demand whatsoever by the EU for payment is absurd and should be batted back instantly and categorically.
[ Source: EU Commission | EU Council Secretariat | Other sources. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        06.30am, 07 Feb 2017
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USA NO LONGER BACKS EU 
Senior Assistant to President Trump signals 60-year policy shift, refuses to support EU
For 60 years the United States has supported the creation and development of the EU. Yesterday marked a fundamental shift in this position, as a senior member of the Trump administration confirmed to the BBC’s Andrew Neil that:
“We have a problem with political elites that don’t take the interests of the populations they represent into account. That’s why Brexit happened. It’s about the health of democracy and whether the political elites actually do what is in the interests of the people they represent – that’s what we care about.”
Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States, Feb 2017
6 minute clip, © BBC / Youtube
Dr Gorka was given several opportunities to endorse the EU but failed conspicuously to do so. Instead he talked of the US wanting to have good relations with individual member states of the EU.
“Whether the European Union wishes to stay together or not
is up to the nations of the European Union.”
Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to President Trump, Feb 2017
HOW PREVIOUS US ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE BACKED THE EU
“The President took the occasion to reaffirm the strong support of the U.S. Government for the European Economic Community and the movement toward European integration as envisaged by the Treaty of Rome.”
John F Kennedy, 1961
“The President welcomes the signing today in Brussels of the treaty enlarging the European Community to include the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, and Norway. The United States has always supported the strengthening and enlargement of the European Community. Upon the occasion of this historic act, the President wishes to emphasize that this support is as strong as ever.”
Richard Nixon, 1972
“We welcome the historic steps toward economic and political union agreed to by the leaders of the European Community in The Netherlands. The results of the EC summit in Maastricht represent a milestone which we celebrate along with our European partners.”
George Bush, 1991
“That is one of the reasons that our administration strongly supported the Maastricht Treaty. We believe a strong and more unified Europe makes for a more effective economic and political partner.”
“The United States has supported European Union and any devices, including the EMU, chosen by the leaders to achieve that union.”
Bill Clinton, 1994 and 1998
“I view a strong EU as good for the world, and I welcome a strong EU.”
George W Bush, 2001
“We, the leaders of the United States and the European Union, met today at the White House to affirm our close partnership. Drawing upon our shared values and experience, and recognizing our deep interdependence, we are committed to ensuring that our partnership brings greater prosperity and security to our 800 million citizens, and to working together to address global challenges.”
Barack Obama, 2011
[ Sources: BBC | US archives. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        07.30am, 06 Feb 2017
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REVEALED – EU’S LINKS WITH PRO-MIGRATION AGENCY 
How the pro-migrant IOM influences EU immigration policy
Below we publish information about the ‘International Organisation for Migration’ (IOM) and its links with the EU. The clue as to the IOM’s views on migration is in its title.
Before you read what follows we would like to make it clear that we, like the vast majority of the British people, feel compassion for the plight of desperate people in poor and war-torn countries.
However the voice one hears most of the time seems to come from those we refer to as the Twitterete, who have no answer to the simple question of what would happen if the developed countries had no border or immigration policies.
We aren’t xenophobes (as described by the IOM below), and nor are we racists. We simply try to look at things on a practical level.
We believe that people have a right to know the facts in order to form opinions. As you read the article below, you may wish to know some background on Africa’s population. The chart below shows official data we found in a little-known 2016 report from the EU and the African Union.
© Facts4EU.Org
  • The growth in Africa’s population is running at 2.5% per annum
  • In the last 20 years, Africa’s population has grown at 12 times that of the EU
  • Italy is still experiencing massive illegal immigration, at a growing rate
  • Out of the top 10 nationalities entering the country, 9 were from Africa
[ Sources: EU Eurostat | African Union. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        07.30am, 05 Feb 2017
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EU IS TOLD MORE AFRICANS MUST BE RESETTLED IN EU 
"Mass migration to Europe isn’t going to end – not for decades."
William Swing, Director-General, UN Migration Agency, Jan 2017
Another original piece of work by the pro-Brexit Facts4EU.Org Team
2 big UN agencies - for Refugees and for Migration - called on the EU’s leaders at Friday's Malta Summit to expand safe pathways for migrants from Africa to the EU
On Friday the EU’s leaders met in Valetta, Malta, to discuss the continuing crisis of mass immigration from African countries via Libya.
On the eve of the EU Summit meeting, two major international pro-migrant lobby groups issued a statement calling on the EU to do more. The two groups were the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
IOM AND UNHCR STATEMENT - 03 FEB 2017
“Concrete measures … should include a significant expansion of opportunities for safe pathways such as resettlement and humanitarian admission, among others, to avoid dangerous journeys.”
THE IOM - THE UN’S 'MIGRATION AGENCY'
In September last year the IOM combined with the UN and is now the “UN Migration Agency”. The IOM’s budget was USD $1.4 billion in 2014 and it's based in Switzerland (of course). We can’t tell you much more, because the IOM is a secretive organisation which doesn’t make its accounts or audits available publicly.
EU ELITES HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH PRO-MIGRANT IOM FOR YEARS
What is even more troubling is the close relationship which the IOM has had for years with the EU’s elites. Meetings take place regularly at high level, and the EU seems to place considerable reliance on what the IOM think.
It is very clear that the IOM supports significant migration into the EU.
In February last year the EU Commission published a statement in which they quoted the Director-General of the IOM, William Swing :
"Migration will for the foreseeable future remain a dominant feature of Europe’s political, social and economic landscape. Arrivals to Europe will continue, as the drivers of forced migration have not changed."
In January this year he wrote:
"Mass migration to Europe isn’t going to end – not for decades."
During a high level meeting between the EU and the International Organisation on Migration (IOM) held in December 2016, the EU’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations joined the EU-IOM Strategic Cooperation Framework. The Framework, established in July 2012, allows the relevant Commission services, the European External Action Service and the IOM to consolidate, develop further and structure their cooperation on migration.
THE IOM’s MISSION
"The IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society."
THE IOM’S THOUGHTS ON THE PEOPLES OF THE EU
"Ongoing recession and uneven recovery in a number of European destination countries has contributed to a worsening of the public perception of migrants and asylum-seekers, which, together with the rise of xenophobic rhetoric and initiatives, has degraded public discourse and exacerbated the economic and social marginalization of some migrants."
IOM REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE EU MEMBER STATES 2014-2020
"The IOM believes that well-managed migration and facilitated human mobility can ensure that the challenges of population dynamics evolve into opportunities for the benefit of states, migrants and society alike."
Core focus no.1, 2014-2020
“Leveraging the potentials of migration”
"Anticipated labour and skills shortages in Europe will reinforce the need for facilitated legal migration and mobility to support growth and innovation. As noted in the Europe 2020 strategy, migration can be a key factor in boosting growth and in giving states in the Region an edge in the global completion for labour. To this end, advancing structural reforms, improving migrant admission and integration conditions and creating tolerant and inclusive societies can play a decisive role in attracting foreign workers of various skill levels, entrepreneurs, investors and strengthening the role of global talent in research and development."
"The European Union has recognised that international migration can contribute to meeting labour and skills shortages both through the recruitment of labour migrants from third-countries and through better labour market integration of immigrants already resident in the EU."
POLICY FOR EU TO TAKE MORE MIGRANTS
"The establishment of a Union Resettlement Programme under the Asylum and Migration Fund 2014-2020 put forward by the EU is a clear incentive for EU Member States to work towards both a quantitative increase in current resettlement figures and a qualitative strengthening of the European dimension of resettlement."
[ Source: EU Commission | IOM | UNHCR. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        06.30am, 05 Feb 2017
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WOULD IT MATTER IF WE HAD TO STOP?
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Our work gets picked up by the national media and politicians. We're a small team, relying on voluntary donations, and we produce important and original work.
We badly need your help to keep going. Please, please support our fight for a clean Brexit.
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YESTERDAY’S EU SUMMIT WILL BE EXPENSIVE 
EU deal with Libya adds to existing EU costs of Merkel’s immigration policy
Yesterday the EU Council of the leaders of the 28 member states met in Malta to discuss new arrangements for Libya, in order to stem the flow of migrants into the EU.
The measures agreed for the Libyan government have not yet been fully-costed, but here is what the EU said in their so-called ‘Malta Declaration’ last night :-
'MALTA DECLARATION', YESTERDAY 03 FEB 2017
"These objectives shall be underpinned by the necessary resources. In line with the Valletta Action Plan, the European Union is strengthening the mainstreaming of migration within its Official Development Assistance for Africa, which amounts to €31 billion during this financial period."
"Some of the actions referred to above can be funded within projects already under way, notably projects funded by the EU Trust Fund for Africa as appropriate, which mobilises €1.8 billion from the EU budget and €152 million from Member States' contributions."
"To cover the most urgent funding needs now and throughout 2017, we welcome the Commission's decision to mobilise as a first step an additional €200 million for the North Africa window of the Fund and to give priority to migration-related projects concerning Libya."
Despite reductions on some routes into Europe, Italy continues to experience significant increases in the number of migrants, mostly from African countries.
 
Over 90% of migrants to Italy are from Africa, and this has continued and grown throughout the last year.
This shows the fallacy of the argument that migrants are all desperate people escaping from war-torn Syria.
In Italy, 2016 saw an increase in migrants of 17%, despite the optimistic press releases of the EU Commission.
Chart © Facts4EU.Org
[ Source: EU Council. As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        10.15am, 04 Feb 2017
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THE UK IS NOT THE SICK MAN OF EUROPE, AS YOU WERE TOLD 
EU report shows UK government’s percentage spend on health
significantly exceeds EU average
We bust yet another Remainer myth, in another exclusive Facts4EU.Org report
Before the Referendum, EU-loving politicians, think-tanks, and newspapers all told voters that the UK was lagging behind the EU average in health spending. This was all part of the ‘EU is better and helps to make us better’ message.
Using official EU figures, we can now show that this is not the case
and it hasn’t been for the 10 years for which data is available.
Buried in a major 102-page document from a Eurostat news item last week, the EU reported the proportion of total expenditure that each member state government spends on health. This is the main measure for determining the priority that a government puts on its health sector.
© Facts4EU.Org
This document shows the UK comes 4th out of the 28 countries, in the EU’s league table.
According to the EU, the UK spends 17.3% of total government expenditure on health. This is ahead of 23 other EU member states including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and all the Scandinavian countries. The average for the EU28 is just 13.3%.
© Facts4EU.Org
In addition, Eurostat data shows that the UK government’s percentage was significantly higher than the EU average for every one of the last 10 years for which data is available.
Prior to the Referendum, Britons were receiving the opposite message. Even now, Brexit-denying MPs continue to stand up in Parliament on a daily basis and pretend that voters were systematically lied to by the Leave campaign.
Time for Brexit-denying MPs to stop the lies and start being positive
The overwhelming body of evidence shows that it was the Remain campaign that lied. We will continue to give examples of this, because the public needs to know the truth so that we can all unite behind a positive Brexit Britain.
[ Source: Official Eurostat report | As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        05.45am, 04 Feb 2017
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EU BREAKS TREATY OBLIGATIONS TO UK – YET AGAIN 
The British Prime Minister has not been invited to EU Summit talks this afternoon
Another Facts4EU.Org exclusive
Today the EU is holding another EU Council Summit, this time in the tiny member state of Malta.
Malta currently holds the Presidency of the EU Council.
On Tuesday, EU Council President Donald Tusk wrote to 27 EU leaders – excluding Theresa May – ahead of today’s summit in Valetta.
First Session Today – EU28
Theresa May is only invited to the first session of this Summit, where the EU28 will agree giving further financial and other aid to Libya in an attempt to slow migration from Africa into the EU. The UK is needed for this because it involves British money.
Second Session Today – EU27, excluding the UK
However, the British PM is not invited to the second session, where the EU27’s leaders will talk about the forthcoming Summit in Rome to celebrate the EU’s “60th birthday”.
Four Times A Wallflower
This is now the fourth time since the Referendum that the EU27 have held Summits either fully or partly without the UK, despite the UK being a full member and despite the UK being expected to continue to pay massive contributions each month.
The EU insists that the UK continue to fulfil its Treaty obligations.
Last week, the pro-Remain Chancellor Phillip Hammond even told them in Brussels:
"We will continue to abide by the rules, and the regulations and the laws, of the European Union for so long as we are members. Of course we want to strengthen our trade ties with the very many trade partners we have around the world, but we're very mindful of our obligations under the treaty and we will follow them precisely."
For 43 years the UK has subsidized the majority of other member states. The UK has consistently paid in more than it gets back, year after year.
How is it possible that a senior member state of the EU is not allowed to be involved in discussions for the major EU Summit and event taking place in March?
THESE ‘EU27’ MEETINGS ARE NOT ABOUT BREXIT
In Bratislava in September the ‘EU27’ discussed terrorism, external security, the Single Market, the EU-Turkey agreement, the European Border and Coast Guard, and youth unemployment. “The Bratislava Roadmap will guide EU action over the next months,” said President Tusk.  Yet the UK was excluded.
Today the ‘EU27’ will discuss the preparations for the Rome Summit, celebrating 60 years since the birth of the EU. (In fact the EU didn’t exist 60 years ago – it was something else entirely - but we won’t go into that now.)
Time to be more resolute
After 43 years of paying for a significant part of the costs of this disastrous ‘project’, on what legal basis is the UK once again excluded from the highest decision-making body, enshrined in the EU Treaties?
It is our firm prediction that the EU will never agree a deal with the UK based on logic, reason, and commercial common sense.
We urge the government to toughen its stance. If we weren’t telling you how the EU is failing to treat the UK as a full member, would you hear it from the Government? Or from anyone else?
It’s high time the Government called out the EU for failing to meet its obligations
to a full, fee-paying member of its club.
[ Source: EU Council | EU Commission | As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]
       06.45am, 03 Feb 2017
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PRESIDENT TUSK'S LETTER TO THE EU27 
"United we stand, divided we fall": letter by President Donald Tusk to the 27 EU heads of state or government on the future of the EU before the Malta summit
"The challenges currently facing the European Union are more dangerous than ever before in the time since the signature of the [1957] Treaty of Rome."
Donald Tusk, President of the EU Council
Mr Tusk invites the EU27 leaders to address 3 threats:
"The first threat, an external one, is related to the new geopolitical situation in the world and around Europe."
"The second threat, an internal one, is connected with the rise in anti-EU, nationalist, increasingly xenophobic sentiment in the EU itself."
"The third threat is the state of mind of the pro-European elites. A decline of faith in political integration, submission to populist arguments as well as doubt in the fundamental values of liberal democracy are all increasingly visible."
Hmm...  Sounds like it's all over bar the shouting.
[ Source: EU Council | As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]        07.15am, 03 Feb 2017
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COMING TOMORROW
OUR EXCLUSIVE FACTS4EU.ORG SPECIAL REPORT HELD OVER UNTIL TOMORROW
Unfortunately we had to postpone this from today, due to lack of funds.
We'll blow another big EU myth out of the water - this time on health
       07.00am, 03 Feb 2017
114 MPs DELIBERATELY DEFY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE 
Editorial - Thur 02 Feb 2017
Let’s cut through all the self-serving nonsense spouted by Brexit-denying MPs
GENERAL ELECTIONS
  • The UK’s electoral system is that of a representative democracy
  • Every 5 years we directly elect a Member of Parliament to represent our views
  • The MP is then expected to use his or her judgment when voting on laws
  • We may not agree with all their decisions but we accept this will be the case
THE EU REFERENDUM
  • Very rarely, Parliament asks the public to decide a particular issue
  • This removes the issue from the realm of an MP’s particular opinions
  • On 23rd June the question was clear and so was the answer
  • The majority of voters instructed MPs that they wished the UK to leave the EU
  • The people decided, in a rare exercise of direct democracy
The whole point of a referendum is to decide a specific issue. Parliament voted by a 6:1 majority to ask the people to decide whether to remain in or leave the EU. The people were told repeatedly, in writing, in speeches, and in interviews that their decision would be enacted.
Yesterday in Parliament, 114 MPs defied the specific will of the majority of the British people. There is no excuse for this. No playing with words, nor any faux-sincere expressions of ‘heart-felt beliefs’ or conscience, nor any nonsense about things which weren’t on the ballot paper last night, can get around this fundamental fact.
When asked to enact the majority will of the British people who had been asked a specific question, 114 elected Members of Parliament refused to do so. Shame on them.
There is a deep-seated, anti-democratic, rotten element within Parliament. We hope the British people, whether they voted Leave or Remain, will express their disgust and will take appropriate action the next time they go to the ballot box.
Facts4EU.Org        05.00am, 02 Feb 2017
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COVERAGE OF WEDNESDAY'S ARTICLE 50 DEBATE
Facts4EU.Org        01 Feb 2017
WHEN BREXIT-DENYING MPs VOTE AGAINST ARTICLE 50 TONIGHT, 
DO THEY REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE EU?
Here is just one piece of news from Brussels this week, showing how the EU works, and how the UK taxpayer’s money is spent by EU bureaucrats from the Commission.
Another Facts4EU.Org exclusive
EU TAXPAYERS PAY €0.5 BILLION
TO IMPROVE 37 MILES OF POLISH ROAD
(EU Commission, Monday 30 Jan 2017)
The EU has just agreed to pay nearly €0.5 billion euros (£0.4 billion pounds) to improve a 37 mile stretch of road in northern Poland. The exact cost is €463 million euros and the EU has allocated a further €68 million for another Polish road, taking the total to more than €0.5 billion euros.
Click the map to see the 37 miles of Polish road you're helping to pay for
The road is the DK7, between Gdańsk and Elbląg
The distance is just 37 miles
The funds are provided for ‘modernisation work’
EU Commissioner Corina Creţu said on Monday:
“In addition to reducing journey times, this renovation will ensure more comfort and safety for drivers”
The work is expected to be completed by October 2018.
WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM
The money comes from the EU’s ‘Cohesion Fund’, which in turn comes from the taxpayer. This fund is only for relatively new member states. Whilst the UK contributes to it, it is entitled to receive no payouts from it at all.
This Cohesion Fund is part of the EU’s massive £400 billion Structural and Investment Fund.
Poles receive an average of nearly £2,000 per person from this ESIF fund, whilst British people benefit by only a tenth of this amount. One part of the ESIF is the Cohesion Fund from which the Polish road money came, and from which the British people receive nothing at all, as we stated above.
DO THE MP’S INTENDING TO VOTE AGAINST ARTICLE 50 TONIGHT
REALLY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE EU?
Brexit-denying MPs may wish to reflect on this. The information above represents just one small example from this week. We see this kind of thing all the time, and we report on a tiny fraction of what we see.
We question whether these anti-democratic MPs understand what the EU really is.
[ Source: EU Commission Press Office | Other EU sources | As usual, journalists and politicians can contact us for the full list of links. ]
       06.45am, 01 Feb 2017
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WOULD IT MATTER IF WE HAD TO STOP?
Articles like the one above each take many hours of
research, writing, editing, coding and production.
Our work gets picked up by the national media and politicians. We're a small team, relying on voluntary donations, and we produce important and original work.
We badly need your help to keep going. Please, please support our fight for a clean Brexit.
FORMER MINISTER WOULD HAVE QUIT POLITICS IF REMAIN HAD WON 
30 year parliamentary career was on the line for one senior, committed Brexiteer
An impassioned John Redwood MP told Parliament yesterday he would not have sought re-election had the Referendum vote gone the other way.
Speaking in the Article 50 debate in the House of Commons yesterday,
Mr Redwood said:
"I had reached the point where if the country had voted remain, I would have respected that judgment and not sought re-election at the next general election."
"I would have seen no point in this puppet Parliament—this Parliament that is full of views, airs and graces, but cannot change laws or taxes, or spend money in the way the British people want. That is the liberty that we regained. This Parliament is going to be made great by the people. It is going to be made great despite itself."
View the full speech here:
A THOUGHT ON INTEGRITY
It's easy to sneer about his speech, as some commentators and MPs have done in the last 24 hours.
However John Redwood is a man of principle. You may like him or not, you may agree or disagree with his political views, but when he says he would have quit parliamentary politics if the UK had voted to remain in the EU you can believe him.
John Redwood is representative of many long-standing opponents of the European Union in Parliament. They have fought a very long fight and deserve respect, whichever way you voted in the Referendum.
[ Source: Parliament Live TV | Hansard ]        09.00am, 01 Feb 2017
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