Brussels diktats ‘costing families £4,600 per year’
EU diktats are throttling small businesses and costing every household in Britain the equivalent of £4,600 a year, the employment minister will warn today.
In a hard-hitting intervention, Priti Patel will debunk claims by the Government that the UK cannot thrive in a post-Brexit world.
She will cite research by the Treasury that the EU’s single market could impose costs of 7 per cent of GDP on our economy, or £125.2billion per year. This is the equivalent of £4,639 per household or £23,236 per company.
Mrs Patel will say that if small firms are set free from red tape, the economy will be boosted by billions of pounds.
The speech is a response to claims by George Osborne that, if Britain leaves the EU, GDP will be 6.2 per cent lower. The result of this, according to the Chancellor, is that ‘Britain would be poorer by £4,300 per household’.
The Leave campaign is also determined to rebut Government claims that it has ‘hoisted the white flag’ on debating the economic impacts of Brexit.
Today, the Prime Minister will go on the campaign stump to once again insist the safe choice for the economy is to vote Remain. He will be joined by ex-union boss Sir Brendan Barber – fuelling suspi- cions No 10 is relying on union support to try to win over wavering Labour supporters.
Speaking to business bosses in London, ex-Treasury minister Mrs Patel will say: ‘While we remain a member of the European Union, our hands are tied and we are powerless to act on reducing the burdens of red tape. Britain is a proud nation of entrepreneurs, and small businesses... are the backbone of our economy.
‘I want us to be able to do everything we can to support them to thrive, but EU membership prevents that.
‘Unaccountable and unelected bureaucrats with no clue how to run a business and no local knowledge of this country dictate the rules that we all must follow.’
The speech will highlight research showing the UK has not managed to block a single proposal from becoming law through the EU Council, costing £2.4billion each year. Britain has opposed 72 measures, all of which have gone on to become law.
Mrs Patel will say: ‘Just think of the freedom you would have to innovate if we were no longer forced to comply with every diktat from Brussels.
‘Just think that by getting rid of some of the EU rules that make it so difficult to create employment, we could deliver a £4.3billion boost to our economy and 60,000 new jobs.’
‘Our hands are tied’