What price for a Euro divorce?
“Love is grand, divorce is a hundred grand!”
A funny quote yes, but in the case of Britain’s divorce from Europe it has a ring of truth.
And £100,000 will be small beer when compared to the full financial cost of Brexit.
With the UK all set to press the Brexit button this week, it was hardly surprising to hear the reminder that our separation from Europe will not come cheaply.
According to European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker the “divorce” bill will be about£50billion, though the precise figure would be “calculated scientifically”.
Although Mr Junker described the Brexit vote as “a failure and a tragedy”, he went on to say that the negotiation of UK’s withdrawal would be in a “friendly” and fair way.
Nevertheless, many fear that the final settlement will factor in a punishment penalty, which could dissuade other disgruntled EU members from following the UK’s lead.
Asked whether it was correct that the UK will be presented with a bill of about £50billion (58 billion euros) after Theresa May formally begins withdrawal negotiations under Article 50 of the EU treaties on Wednesday, Mr Juncker said: “It is around that, but that is not the main story.
“We have to calculate scientifically what the British commitments were and then the bill has to be paid.”
However much we have to pay, those who voted to leave the EU will no doubt consider the settlement bill to be money well spent in order to regain our independence.
Or as US comic and fiddle player Henny Youngman once so wryly commented: “You know why divorces are so expensive? Because they’re worth it.”