Comments by "peabase" (@peabase) on "UK to outline post-Brexit trade vision as France warns both sides could 'rip each other apart'" video.

@Alex Devereaux If there's a fight, it's over the rebates that various EU members have been receiving on their budget contributions, the UK especially. They're an unnecessary complication, so it's better to rethink the rules and strive for more uniformity. There needn't be a hole if the EU budget is cut, as it should be. It's like when a young one leaves the nest, the household budget goes down.
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@Alex Devereaux No, you don't understand. The net beneficiaries in the EU benefit from the Cohesion Fund, which net contributors pay into. The money goes towards setting past wrongs right, like the decades of communist economic mismanagement that has kept Eastern Europe back. This aid is paying dividends already, as the countries affected are starting to live up to their full potential once more. With the UK gone as a net contributor and contributions of the remaining ones not rising significantly, the Cohesion Fund will inevitably take a hit. Infrastructure projects in the net beneficiary countries will have to be scaled down, but such is life. In all fairness, the UK, since it's no longer investing in the future of Europe, shouldn't benefit from the new economic opportunities to the same extent as those who still do. Just like you reap what you sow, you shouldn't reap what you haven't sown.
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@McQuade 1 Scratch Scotland.
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@Alex Devereaux Thanks for confirming your lack of solidarity. I don't expect you to understand that increased economic activity in Eastern Europe means more export opportunities for the rest of us. And in case you still don't understand, we're not giving them money to buy our products. Rather, we're investing in their economies with the expectation to get a very handsome return on our investment. And you're missing the boat. Good luck competing with the Chinese.
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