The EU’s Brexit bill doesn’t add up

A dozen hospitals. A hundred million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and a lot more of the Oxford one. Or even a few trips in one of Jeff Bezos’s new space rockets. Even with inflation, there is still plenty you can buy with an extra three to four billion pounds. 

In recent days, it has emerged there is a big gulf between what the European Union insists we owe under the terms of our departure agreement, and what the UK believes is due. 

In the EU’s accounts, it put the sum at £40.5 billion. The UK now says it will be £37.3 billion, or £3.2 billion less than the EU reckons.

Despite this discrepancy, the EU continues to insist the UK should pay that full sum of money. Yet surely for the vast amounts Britain is expected to hand over to Brussels over the next few years, we should at least demand an audit of its accounts – and a clawback for any mis-spending.