Our money or the EU's?

She knows full well being a member of the European Union has been a one-way street for Britain. Contributions from Britain to the EU budget have outstripped the benefits received in every single year of membership.

In total since 1979, Britain has paid in around £228  billion). We have received back in benefits just £143 bn. The difference of £85 bn has been Britain’s subsidy to the European project.

Each nation’s contribution is based mainly on its Gross National Income, a measure of its economic output and earnings from overseas.

The budget is spent on a range of projects to do with agriculture, fisheries, social projects and other Brussels subsidies.

Britain’s contribution figure would have been even higher, I hate saying this, had it not been for Margaret Thatcher’s tough stance in 1984, when she famously negotiated a rebate on the basis that the vast bulk of EU spending went on agricultural subsidies and Britain received a far lower proportion of this than other nations.

Under the terms of the rebate Britain’s contributions were cut while other countries which benefited most from agricultural subsidies (mainly France) paid more.

Since 1985 Britain’s rebate has been worth a total of almost £79bn). Britain’s contributions have still consistently far outstripped the benefits it receives.

The rebate would have been higher in recent years had not Tony ‘Bliar’ given up part of it under pressure from EU ‘bully boys’.

He agreed to cut it by about 20 per cent from 2007. So! Do not tell us we’ve done well out of the EU.

What we got back was nowhere near what we’ve paid in.

Terry Palmer

South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley, S74

The man to vote for?

So Brian Gannon thinks Jeremy Corbyn is the man to vote for and to lead the country.

I don’t know what planet he came from but he should go back and take Corbyn with him as he is as big a war monger as Tony Blair.

Brenda Titterton

Chesterfield

Sunny after Brexit

Don’t despair!

Apparently after Brexit even the weather will be great, always nice and sunny.

It’ll be fantastic and I’m sure you will also be able to fulfil your dreams, whatever they were when the nation voted to leave the EU.

With renewed migration rules, only highly skilled workers will be welcome, thus leaving the fields of Lincolnshire to us.

At least we’ll enjoy the Great British weather when we’re busy picking crops from the fields, day in, day out.

And the seaside is not far from those fields, therefore we won’t need to get the new French blue passport to travel abroad to the Mediterranean sun.

Some said to me: “Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true”.

Danny Piermattei

Stannington, Sheffield

Derogatory comment

The latest submission by Mr Palmer, April 10, 2018, is not deserving of any reply.

However, I feel compelled to answer his derogatory comment regarding me.

There is a”school of thought” that when a person resorts to personal insults, they know that their argument has little substance.

B Heaton

DN5

Use common sense

Re: Brian Gannon, (April 10), The Labour Party would be the Sensible Party if members used their common sense and voted for Andy Burnham instead of Jeremy Corbyn.

Labour under Andy Burnham would be riding high in the polls and poised to win the next general election by a landslide.

Steven Goulding

Sheffield

Is Labour sensible?

I am baffled by Brian Gannon’s letter, (April 10).

A chemical attack in Syria today and the silence is deafening.

Then, of course his mate Putin, who supports Assad, cannot possibly be blamed for a chemical attack in Salisbury.

It seems comrade Corbyns “sensible” approach is NEVER to criticise Russia.

Just imagine if Edward Snowden had been bumped off in Moscow, would he not have a word said against the USA?

Or would he be wading in with massive criticism of Trump and the CIA?

He is a hypocrite and appeaser of Russian aggression.

God help us if he gets into number 10.

Finally, if Mrs May has found money for NHS staff is that bad, I am not sure of his point here?

Labour under Corbyn have no credibility and by the way, anybody seen Jared O’Mara recently, I was conned into voting for him – more fool me!

Gary Speck

Dobcroft Ave, Millhouses

OFO Yellow bike poem

Beware the yellow bikes!

The yellow bikes might have been a good idea

But the facilities for parking them are not, I fear

At Hunters Bar a bike was propped up, hardly seen

I was reminded of a comical candid camera scene

Rounding the corner each engrossed in their phone

Many youngsters seemed in a hurry to get home

Happily texting, they never once raised their eyes

So when they fell over a yellow bike, it was a surprise

Fortunately the older folk seemed far more aware

And most registered that a yellow bike was there

But manoeuvring round some bikes does take patience

And I think we need a lot more proper docking stations

Janet W

s11

Bad example

Has anyone else noticed postmen throwing elastic bands on the ground?

They should just put them round people’s letters, I am always looking for an elastic band.

Also football managers, eg Sam Allardyce, and football players just throwing chewing gum on the floor while being televised, is not a good example.

D A Wragg

Sheffield