Alex
what I am essentially saying is that there are always two sides to a story and that the Daily Express-type scare stories over the EU (or whatever their latest bogeyman is) are sometimes over egged.
It is good to explore opposite views to gain a clearer picture of the whole issue. That way an informed judgement or opinion can be formed.
Earlier, I listed some infrastructure funding that the EU is providing in Britain and Brian has identified some additional sources of funding. We are beneficiaries as well.
Mark, Britain is one of those minority members that pay more to the EU than is received from it; hence, any "EU funding" in Britian is not from the EU, but British money.
If I want to buy a fence and put it around my garden, I can also claim that I paid for it, I don't need to hand the money to a third person and then say that he paid for it!
And I don't need to hand the money for five fences to a third person and receive one fence in return and say that "he paid for it".
I would rather say that I paid for my fence and handed over the money for four other fences to people who couldn't afford them.
However, I'd place the EU on the other side of the fence!