EU vote - A formula for financial ruin

We have seen first hand the pressures on our communities, NHS and schools caused by mass migration, all of which were discussed.

At the same time, the government continues to slash funding for Lincolnshire, which makes it even more difficult to deal with these issues.

The driving force behind all these austerity cuts is the continued inability of the Government to reduce our national deficit.

The coalition inherited a debt of £1 trillion in 2010 and pointed a finger at the previous Labour administration, shouting loudly about fiscal imprudence.

Since then, our national debt has risen to £1.8 trillion, despite desperate attempts by George Osborne to impose austerity cuts on the country.

We seem, as a country, to be running with a fixed income and ever-increasing costs, a formula designed to lead to financial ruin.

In a private organisation, all attempts would be made to increase income by increasing sales, but nationally this is not possible.

Our basic problem, both in this country and internationally, is a numbers game.

We are seeing a continuous surge in the population, which has resulted in the pressures on the NHS, schools, pensions and housing.

To address these issues, we will have to increase our debt even more, but how do we achieve a balance?

A ruling by the European Court obliges us to pay back tax on large companies going back decades, a ruling that is calculated to cost us around £43 billion – a ruling that could break us.

This is a shining example of the EU interfering in our tax laws, despite assurances to the contrary. The Bruges Group recently calculated that being a full member of the EU costs us £50 billion a year, and here we spot an opportunity to increase our income. At a time of large youth unemployment, zero hours contracts and over-worked A&Es, we must make a step change to help our country and the people living here.

By the way, with respect to the NHS, in Lincolnshire, we currently have 70 people in hospitals who have been declared fit for discharge but, for one reason or another, are having to remain in hospital.

Add to this patients in specialist mental health units, where three out of four have been declared fit for discharge but have nowhere to go.

These issues are issues of transition, where the council simply cannot afford to address them. Just now, we face a future, following the renegotiation, where people will continue to flood into this country and our government will continue to impose cuts on us, which hurts most in places like Lincolnshire, where government funding is almost the lowest in the country.

Our country is the second largest contributor to the EU, and the only reason they allowed us to join is that De Gaulle was desperate for our money to support his farm subsidies.

The French still get more farm subsidies than us, and we are paying for it.

The present situation is that they still need our money, and that is the beginning and end of their motivation.

We must continue to supply the services of which we are so proud. To this end, we need to follow the lead established by Lincolnshire County Council and vote to leave the EU.

Perhaps after that, they will learn to balance their own books and cut back on the extravagant overspending which, for them, is a way of life.

Colin Mair

County councillor for Tattershall Castle

UK Independence Party