Ed Curran should look at insane management of EU before putting the boot into Brexiteers

IN response to Ed Curran’s alarmist insult to Brexiteers as perpetrators of “the utter madness of a no deal” (News, February 6) and the “special place in Hell” insult from the European Council president, Donald Tusk, I would like to highlight a few points that have been carefully omitted by the Remainers.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK has a huge trade deficit with the EU of £67bn (2017). Factoring in the rebate and monies paid by the EU to our private sector, the membership fee is costing the UK a further £9bn, totalling a £76bn annual loss to the UK economy, or £1.46bn per week.

UK trade with non-EU countries brings in a surplus of £41bn, with the EU aiding this success by negotiation for a reduction in overseas trade tariffs.

This shows that countries outside the EU are open for tariff negotiation, hence profitable trade agreements should not be a problem for the UK when it exits the EU.

The crucial factor ignored by Remainers is the soaring corruption in Europe. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecelia Malstrom states that “corruption is costing the EU at least €99bn per year” — and that was in 1999.

A further European Parliament study found the annual cost of corruption had risen to €990bn by 2016. With corruption rocketing without effective management, the EU economy will collapse.

To Ed Curran and Donald Tusk, I say this: take off your blinkers and look at the insane mismanagement within the EU before you so readily comment on the madness of Brexiteers.

BOB GRANVILLE Newtownabbey, Co Antrim